Donna Harts

Donna D. Harts, age 76, of Yankton, South Dakota, died Saturday, April 11, 2020, at Avera Sister James Care Center in Yankton. Due to the current health restrictions a private family service will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Yankton, South Dakota with Reverend Levi Willms officiating. The funeral service will be streamed online starting at 10:15 AM. To watch the live stream, please go to https://www.facebook.com/WintzRay/live Following the funeral, burial will take place in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton. If you wish to say goodbye to Donna you are welcome to wave from your vehicle between 25^th Street and the entrance of the cemetery along Douglas Avenue or in the parking lot of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home as the funeral procession passes by. We will be leaving St. John’s Lutheran Church for the cemetery around 11:15 AM on Wednesday. A public celebration of Donna’s life will be held at a later date at the family farm. Honorary pallbearers will be the member of the Tri-State Old Iron Association. Donna Darlene (Dvorak) Harts, the daughter of Joe and Dorothy (Mace) Dvorak was born December 29, 1943, north of Scotland, South Dakota on the family farm. She was baptized on April 28, 1953 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Scotland, South Dakota. She graduated from Scotland High School in 1961 and attended Southern State College University of South Dakota at Springfield until graduating in 1963. During that time she met the love of her life, Rodger Harts. She started teaching school in Hutchinson County in 1963. Donna and Rodger were united in marriage on June 4, 1967 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Scotland. Donna returned to college and graduated from USD with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education in 1971. She taught at Roosevelt School west of Yankton, Menominee, Nebraska, Utica School and 2^nd grade at Beadle Elementary in Yankton, where she retired in 2003. Donna and Rodger built a home west of Yankton on the family farm and were blessed with two children Michelle and Michael. Donna enjoyed quilting, gardening and helping on the family farm, including hauling grain just last year. She was very involved with her grandchildren. You would see her and Rodger at almost every event their grandchildren had, being in or out of town. They enjoyed camping and hosting at Lewis and Clark State Park after their retirement, as well as traveling with friends on many bus trips. They were active members of the Tri-State Old Iron Association, where they took great pride in the association, sharing the love of farming and old tractors. Survivors include her daughter, Michelle (Ryan) List of Yankton; son, Michael Harts of Yankton; three grandchildren: Cody, Caleb and Paige List of Yankton; sister, Phyllis (Don) Naber of Yankton and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Dorothy Dvorak; husband, Rodger James Harts last year on April 19^th; brother, Dennis Dvorak; infant daughter, Melissa Kaye Harts; infant son, Jeremy James Harts; as well as father and mother-in law, Wendell and Gertrude Harts. To send a card or sympathy message to the family you can mail it to 3208 SD Hwy 314 Yankton, SD 57078.

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