Dona Margaret Soule Bigelow, passed away on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Avista Memory Care in Sun City, AZ. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Dona was born in Minneapolis, MN on 5-31-25 to Louella Georgia Wold-Soule and Walter Judd Soule. She was baptized at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in rural Santiago, MN.
The family moved to Benton County Minnesota in 1926. She graduated from Princeton High School. After graduation she relocated to Sacramento, CA. She worked at McClellan Air Force Base. She often talked of the fun they had dancing to the Big Bands at the base. (Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa) Dona returned after a few years to Princeton and upon returning home she met Frank Bigelow Sr. Frank had just returned from service in the 82nd Airborne. He fell for Dona and proposed. They eloped to Nashwauk, MN and were married on 4-27-46.
Frank had a career working at Rhude & Fryberger Mining Company. Dona was a housewife who stayed home and raised their four children: Susan, Barbara, Frank Jr and Kathryn. Dona had a great life with following her children's activities. She played bridge, she was in various women's clubs, she was a gray lady volunteer at the the Hibbing Memorial Hospital. She played tennis and golf and was a skip for her team at the Women's Curling Club in Buhl, MN.They lived their life in various places on the Iron Range in Minnesota. They spent many winters enjoying time in Mazatlan, Mexico. In 1985 they bought a winter home in Sun City West, Arizona.
Dona was preceded in death by her parents Luella and Judd, her sisters Betty and Lois, brother Larry, husband Frank Sr (passed in 2003), daughter Barbara Helstrom, son Frank H Bigelow Jr and son-in-law Giulio Giuffrida II.
Dona is survived by daughters Susan Giuffrida (CT) and Kathryn Landis (AZ), son-in-law Lou (Harold) Helstrom (AZ), daughter-in-law Karen Bigelow (MN), brothers Robert (Madelyn) Soule (MN) and Dennis Soule (MN), sisters Janet Nelson (MN) and Patty (Robert) Trier (MN), and sister-in-law Phyllis Soule(MN).
Dona is survived by her 10 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren Sharon (David) Cahill and family, Giulio Giuffrida III (Pam) and family, Jennifer Petrucelli and family, David Helstrom and family, Robb (Lynn) Bigelow and family, Kimberly (David) Flannery, Todd (Stephanie) Bigelow and family, Holly (Steve) Miller and family, Barry (Beth) Bigelow and family and Michelle Landis and family. Dona is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews and longtime family friends.
A funeral service and celebration of life will be held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 18977 17th St, Princeton, MN 55371 on August 3, 2024 at 11:00 am with a reception to follow in the church hall.
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