Donna Sue McFane passed away on January 6, 2020 at home surrounded by her loving family. She was 81. Funeral services will be held at Hooper and Weaver Funeral Home, 459 Hollow Way, Nevada City, CA on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 1:00 PM. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at the Wild Eye Pub, 535 Mill St., Grass Valley, CA (former site of the Swiss House restaurant).
Donna was born April 22, 1938 in Sesser, IL to Rada and Samuel Roland. She moved to the Bay Area of California in 1958. She married Michael H. McFane in 1971. In 1972 she became a permanent resident of Nevada City. Donna created M & M, a residential and commercial cleaning company in the early 1980’s. As a passionate organic farmer, she created Canyon Gardens Organic Farm in 1986 and sold produce at the Grass Valley Friday Night Market and to subscription farm customers.
Her favorite adage was “Welcome to My Garden”, where she would freely give you cuttings, seeds, whatever produce was ripe and good gardening advice. Donna also loved to read, crochet and tend her dahlias and peonies. She thrived being in nature every day and always laughingly told the raucous Stellar Blue Jays how serious they were.
Donna was the matriarch of our family and held us all together with her passion for life and love of her family, the love she gave us will last forever.
Donna is survived by her children Penny Jean Nielsen, Anna (Dennis) Bennallack, Kelvin (Elizabeth) Nielsen, Ellen Loretta Nielsen, and Paul (Glenda) Nielsen; grandchildren James Hawk, Marcus Miyasato, Timothy J. Nielsen, Shawn Bennallack, Chavon Pryor, April Pryor, Desiree Smith, Andrew Davis, Shyla Redman; great grandchildren Cricket June Mitchell, Dawson Wilder Mitchell, Trenton Skyler Karr, Paisley Jane Bunday, Gabriel Wayne Bennallack, Jaxson Wayne Bennallack, Timothy Jason Nielsen, Jr., Heather Teresa Smith, Robert Medina, Daniel Medina, Payton Miyasato, Riley Miyasato and Everett Miyasato; her sister Betty Tickering of Sesser, IL, and brother Jimmy Roland of Stockton, CA; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Sammie’s Friends, 14647 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley, CA 95949.
