On September 4th, 2023, the Angels called Donna Jean Retzlaff home. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her family in her home in Pleasant Prairie. She was born on February 29th, 1948, in Elmhurst, IL, to the late Richard and Shirley (Lofquist) Zinke. She graduated from Wilmot High School in 1966, and shortly thereafter on January 4th, 1969, in Paddock Lake, WI, she married Ronald Retzlaff.
She is survived by her husband: Ronald Retzlaff, her children: Richard (Lisa) Retzlaff, Ronda (Matthew) Herring, and Brenda (Paul) Retzlaff, grandchildren: Kyle Retzlaff, Mandalyn Herring, Ryker Herring, Kirstin Retzlaff, Ethan Retzlaff, and Gavin Retzlaff, siblings John Zinke, and Cheryl Jozefik, and many other family members and friends.
Donna was a devoted wife, wonderful mother, a loving sister, and an amazing grandma. She was a very important and special part of everyone’s lives. Donna was the center of our family and always will be. She married Ron 54 years ago. Together they made “grandma and grandpa’s house” a home for everyone. She enjoyed hosting parties at their house because it meant family and friends are together creating memories and enjoying laughs. She loved playing dice and was always winning. Donna and Ron’s nicknames are “The Rockefellers” because of how often they won dice games with family and friends. Adding bling to everything was her favorite because it made things prettier and happier. She loved holidays and baking Christmas cookies with family. She loved to occupy a lot of holidays throughout the year with her birthday on leap day, marrying Ron who was born on Groundhog Day, having their first born on Memorial Day, second born on Fourth of July, their third born on Easter, and Donna passed away on Labor Day. She had a strong, feisty, and charming personality that will be forever missed. If all of us have at least half of her strength, it will get us through anything that comes our way in life. Fly with angels and dragonflies.
