Donna L. Genzman

Donna Lou (Harder) Genzman, loving wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at age 90. Donna spent her final months at Genoa Retirement Village after suffering a massive stroke on December 7, 2024. She was born on May 13, 1935, to Norman and Orlena (Nahs) Harder of Oak Harbor, Ohio. Donna was the salutatorian of the 1953 graduating class of Salem Oak Harbor High School, where she was active in band and drama club. On October 16, 1954, Donna married her high school sweetheart, Donald John Genzman, and they celebrated 64 years of marriage together. Don preceded her in death on April 24, 2019.

In 1953, after high school, Donna worked as a secretary in the management office at the former Erie Army Depot. From 1956 until 1970, Donna was a stay-at-home mom who was very active in the Port Clinton Jr. Civic Club, PTA, Music Boosters at Oak Harbor High School, along with many church activities. Donna’s later places of employment reflected her love of working with numbers and helping people: at the Ohio license bureau, in the office of National Alfalfa, and working for 18 years at the National Bank of Oak Harbor.

Donna’s church, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rocky Ridge, was important to her faith formation throughout her lifetime. She was baptized on June 2, 1935, and later confirmed her faith on October 2, 1949. Don and Donna were married in her beloved church, and both of their daughters were baptized, confirmed, and married there as well. She served in many capacities at St. John, beginning in 1959 when she was appointed to the Finance Committee to work on plans for a new church building, which she would proudly tell you was paid off in less than 20 years. Donna also was in choir, the WELCA treasurer, and served on Church Council as president and as treasurer. She was active at the Synod level for Women of the ELCA, and she enjoyed working with other women from other congregations.

After her retirement, Donna continued to be active in her community and in her social life. She and Don helped out yearly with the Holiday Bureau at Christmastime. She was a life member of Riverview Auxiliary, where she enjoyed volunteering and serving as the Auxiliary treasurer. Donna found that she loved golf almost as much as Don did, so for years she hit the links in the Wednesday morning Ladies’ Golf League at the Oak Harbor Golf Course, serving as the league’s statistician. On Friday nights, there were often fun card parties with friends after Couples’ League golf. Traveling, especially to Arizona to visit family, was always something she enjoyed. Donna will be remembered by many for her baking skills, especially her cookies and cherry pie.

Donna is survived by daughters Denise (Mike) Konieczny and Diane (Jim) Krieger; grandchildren Katelyn (Brian) Alexander, Philip (Krista) Konieczny, Andrew Krieger, and Avery (Mary) Konieczny; great-grandchildren Finley Alexander; Kash, Aspen, and Kooper Konieczny; step-grandchildren Sophia and Dominic Martir; sister Faye (Richard) Fastzkie; sisters-in-law Janet (Roger) Schultz and Carol Fetterman, and many nieces and nephews. Donna was preceded in death by her husband Donald; parents Norman and Orlena; sister Doris Windisch; brother John Harder; her in-laws, and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

Visitation will be 2-8 p.m. Sunday, December 14, 2025, at the Robinson-Walker Funeral Home & Crematory, 165 E. Water St., Oak Harbor. The funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m., Monday, December 15, 2025, at St. John Lutheran Church in Rocky Ridge with an hour of visitation prior. Interment to follow in Limestone Cemetery, Graytown. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorials for Donna go to the Endowment Trust Fund at St. John Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 69, Rocky Ridge, OH 43458. Her family would like to give a special thank you to the staff at Genoa Retirement Village and the team at Hospice of Northwest Ohio for the loving care and kindness they showed Donna.