Obituary - Muriel June Donoven

Muriel June Donoven, 90, passed away Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at the Northern Montana Care Center in Havre, Montana.

Public viewing will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, Friday, May 19, 2023, at Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Her funeral service will be held at the Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre, 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 22, 2023, with Ila McClenahan officiating. A burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. Memorials in June's honor may be made to the Sletten Cancer Center of Havre or Great Falls; Friends of Beaver Creek Park or to a memorial of one's choice.

Please visit June's online memorial page to send a card or leave a message of condolence for her family at https://www.hollandbonine.com .

June was born June 9, 1932, in Rudyard, Montana, to John and Opal (Swift) Beck. She was raised in Kremlin, Montana, graduating from Kremlin High School in 1951. She worked at the Havre Buttrey's store as a clerk.

She and Wayne Donoven planned to marry when he was home on leave from the military. The couple were married November 16, 1956, at the St. Jude's Catholic Church in Havre. Wayne was stationed in Germany, and they moved together to Germany after the wedding and lived there for over a year until his honorable discharge.

When they returned to Montana, the couple lived on the Donoven family farm north of Kremlin. June was a hard-working farm wife who wasn't afraid to jump in and help where she was needed. She drove grain trucks, unloaded grain and managed to deliver meals to the field crew during harvest and keep a clean home for her family, which grew fast with the birth of their four children, Carla Jo, Paula, Twila and Todd.

June and Wayne were always together; you rarely saw one without the other. They enjoyed each other's company and time spent with family. They camped, bowled, and traveled to state and national bowling tournaments. They enjoyed driving around the state of Montana just seeing different places and visiting people.

Her ultimate joy was becoming a grandmother. She loved her grandchildren and enjoyed attending all of their activities. You would always see June at the basketball games with her popcorn and hear her yell, "Go Big Black!"

She was a charismatic person who was full of life. She had a wonderful sense of humor, although her kids didn't appreciate it all of the time, and her laugh was contagious. Her strong moral character, her devotion to her church and her family were her lasting tributes.

She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter Carla Jo in 1971; her husband of 54 years, Wayne Donoven, in 2011; and her six siblings.

June is survived by her children Paula (Denny) Melby; Twila (Norm) Dyrland; and Todd (Margaret) Donoven; grandchildren, Richie (Fallon) Melby, Branden Melby (Taylor Loendorf), Skyler Melby (Lexi Anderson), Natasha (Travis) Naillon, Brittnee (Brian) Purdum, Casey Donoven, and Brent (Brianne) Donoven; four great-grandchildren, Lincoln Melby, Nash and Taisley Naillon and Desmond Donoven, with two more great grandchildren on the way, one girl and one boy; one sister-in-law, and numerous nieces and nephews.