David Donnelly

David Lawrence Donnelly was born March 12, 1936, in Newell, South Dakota, to Richard Henry Donnelly and Lucy Brott Daonnelly. He passed away on September 22 at the age of 85.

Due to dry, dusty weather conditions of the time, the family left their farm in South Dakota in 1937, when David was just a babe in arms. Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly headed west with eleven of their own children, a niece whose mother had died, and all of their belongings, their goal Dayton, Washington. A young nephew, Kenneth Donnelly, had preceded the family, found work in Art Hanger's sawmill, so the family settled in the Wolf Fork area above Dayton.

David attended elementary school in Dayton. After the death of his father in 1941, David and his family moved to Waitsburg, where he graduated from Waitsburg High School in 1954. He served in the U.S. Army as a machinist after graduation until August, 1957. After his discharge, he attended Utah State University seeking more training in the machinist field.

David worked for the Green Giant Company in Dayton and Waitsburg and then for Pillsbury until his retirement. He was a devout Catholic and attended St. Mark's Church all his adult life. He was a member of the American Legion, United States Chess Federation, Waitsburg Gun Club, and the National Rifle Association. His hobbies were playing chess, both in person and through the mail, hunting with his brothers and friends, and visiting the members of his large family. In later life he enjoyed having coffee and donuts with his good friends at the Waitsburg Hardware.

David was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers – Richard Donnelly, John Donnelly, Delbert Donnelly, Bernard Donnelly, and Patrick Donnelly, his sisters – Elma Brown, Mary Hopkins, Eleanor Supon, Lillian Pereira, and Catherine Basta, and his cousins – Alberta Morris and Kenneth Donnelly, who were like siblings.

He is survived by his brother, Frank Donnelly, Frank's wife, Alice, and many nieces and nephews.

He was a kind and generous soul, and he will be missed.

There will be a graveside service for David at the Waitsburg Cemetery on Saturday, October 9, at 10:00 a.m.