Funeral services for Donna R. Dowty of Orrville, Ohio, formerly of Butler, Missouri will be 10 a.m. Friday, September 11, 2026 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Visitation prior to services 9 - 10 a.m. Friday at the Schowengerdt Chapel. Burial 12:30 p.m. Friday, September 11 in Ft. Scott National Cemetery, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Contributions to LifeCare Hospice, Wooster, Ohio. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.
Donna Rosalie Dowty, beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and faithful servant of God, passed away on September 4, 2026 at LifeCare Hospice in Wooster, Ohio, following an extended decline.
Donna was born on June 9, 1947, in Independence, Kansas, to Alfred Beard and Sybil (Manning) Beard. She grew up in Fredonia, Kansas, as the oldest of four children. She survived by her three younger brothers, Thomas Beard, Delbert (Margie) Beard, and Dwight (Linda) Beard.
On April 19, 1975, Donna married Vernon C. Dowty, beginning a marriage and family that would be at the center of her life for more than four decades. Together they raised their three children in Butler, Missouri: William Dowty of Belton, Missouri; Scott (Julie) Dowty of Mankato, Minnesota; and Renae (Santiago) Lizarraga of Orrville, Ohio.
Donna's family was the greatest joy of her life. She especially treasured her grandchildren—Gabriel, Nathan, JR, Mario, Tyler, Logan, Raegan, Danica, and Mason. She loved holding them as babies, watching them play as children, and listening to them sing and play instruments as teenagers. She enjoyed cooking for her family, reading her Bible, and loved thrifting, proudly earning her unofficial title of "Thrift Shop Queen."
Donna's faith in God was an important part of who she was. Beyond all the things she enjoyed and the people she loved, she desired to serve God faithfully. Her life was marked by a love for her family, a love for God's Word, and a desire to care for those around her.
After Vernon passed away in 2017, Donna moved to Orrville, Ohio, where she lived with her daughter, Renae, who cared for her during the final years of her life.
Donna was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Vernon C. Dowty, and her parents, Alfred and Sybil Beard.
She leaves behind a family who will miss her dearly but find comfort in knowing the difficult road she walked has finally come to an end. She crossed the finish line. Her family remembers her not simply for the difficulties of the final years, but for the woman she was throughout her life -a woman who found simple joys in family, faith, and a really good thrift-store find.
Contributions may be made to LifeCare Hospice in Wooster, Ohio, in Donna's memory.
