Thursday, November 6, 2028 | 11 AM
Donna Ann Gilbert Jaeger passed away peacefully on October 24, 2025 at the age of 94. She was born on August 12, 1931to Max V. and Leona E. (Plantenberg) Gilbert in Denver Colorado. It was the beginning of the Great Depression and Max and Leona had moved to Denver after their April 1930 wedding in Minnesota. Max was a granite cutter and there was work for him in the Denver area. Donna was the first grandchild on both sides of the family so we can imagine the excitement at her arrival! Her middle name of Ann honored both of her grandmothers, Annie Gilbert and (Anna) Barbara Plantenberg. The young family moved to the St. Cloud, MN area later.
Throughout her life, Donna exhibited generosity. According to family lore, she wanted a tricycle for her second birthday, but got a baby brother, Max, instead, She may not have been thrilled in 1933, but came to love sharing August 12th as they grew up.They celebrated that joint birthday for 90 years until Max's passing in 2023. They both also generously shared the same August 12th birthday with Max's grandson, Joshua Gill.
As a high-schooler, Donna participated in drum and bugle corps. She played the bugle although she said she just put the bugle to her mouth and pretended to blow. She played basketball (guess you didn't have to be very tall to play intramural sports) in the days before girls could have varsity teams. Her good buddies from high school, Carmen Gacke Malm and Lois Maehren Volkmuth remained life-long friends. Her interest in sports continued as she belonged to bowling leagues and later golf leagues. Her favorite sport was golf-definitely golf.
Donna graduated from Cathedral High School in St. Cloud in 1949, and showed her adventurous spirit by moving to the "Cities" after doing some further schooling. In the early 1950's she again exhibited her flair for adventure. Her high school friend, Carmen, had moved to Tucson and encouraged Donna to move there, too-assuring her that she could live with the three other roommates and work at the car dealership where Carmen worked. Donna ran the switchboard at the car dealership for the few years that she lived in Tucson. She enjoyed her time there as evidenced by the photos we have of her riding in convertibles, sitting on the shoulders of some muscle-bound guy and partying.
The pull of family brought her back to Minnesota where she met Bob Jaeger at the Press Bar in St. Cloud. Bob and Donna married on January 23, 1960, which was Bob's 35th birthday. The newlyweds moved to Casper, Wyoming, where Bob started a new job in the music business. They moved back to Minnesota to be near both extended families just in time to welcome their beautiful baby, Toni, in March 1961.
Her 25 year career at Chemrex/Rexnord gave her much satisfaction. She excelled at her job. Part of that job was making travel arrangements for co-workers. In those days, airlines would award her travel miles for her own use when she'd book travel for her business associates. Donna and Bob generously shared those miles with many family members.
Donna thoroughly enjoyed being with the large extended Gilbert and Jaeger families. She watched with excitement the achievements and milestones of her nieces and nephews and then great-nieces and nephews, and then even later great-great-nieces and nephews! She was especially fond of her nephew, Joe Jaeger. She and Joe had a special bond and she looked forward to his invitations to join him in his activities. At the other end of the spectrum, she was very proud of those who came before her. She condensed the journals that her great great grandfather, Charles Wesley Woodbury kept starting in 1854. Those journals are now housed at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul as the Gilbert "kids" donated them a few years ago. She got teary-eyed when the journals were turned over to them as she had been the custodian since her dad died in 1983.
Donna was a life-long learner and had diverse interests, especially history and astronomy. All three of the Gilbert sisters got college degrees as non-traditional students. Eileen was first, then Sharon, and Donna wouldn't be left behind. She graduated from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul at the age of 68! Jeopardy was one of her favorite TV shows, and she more often that not knew the answers before any contestant did!
She loved strong female role models in her TV menu-especially Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote, and more recently Kathy Bates in Matlock. Several years ago at the Thanksgiving celebration at the Althaus home, Donna wanted to be in charge of mashing the potatoes for the 18-20 people gathered. Don Althaus' mother, who was in her 90's at the time, told Donna that she should let a MAN do that job because the kettle was large and Donna could hardly see over the top of it as it sat on the counter ready for mashing. You could almost see Donna's spine straighten as she redoubled her mashing effort!
Travel was important to Donna. She and Bob took some golf vacations, several European vacations and Toni and Donna went to Europe with the OLG choir. Donna and Bob even visited Disneyland on their honeymoon and in the 1980's went to Disneyland. She had great fun on a couple Gilbert sibling trips to Arizona and Ohio.
Some of Donna's happiest times were spent at Webb Lake near Hackensack, MN. Her parents bought property there in 1941, and she spent time there with her Grandpa and Grandma Gilbert during summer vacations. After her parents died, the property was divided among the 4 Gilbert siblings. Donna and Bob built their cabin on her parcel, and that became their happy place. Donna and the builder had a serious disagreement. She said she didn't want a kitchen in the cabin as she didn't intend to cook there. The builder said he wouldn't build it if there wasn't a kitchen. He won.
Donna's greatest love was reserved for her daughter, Toni. How she loved to dress her baby girl in fancy outfits. Good thing Bob worked at Dayton's-they got an employee discount! She delighted in Toni's activities and achievements from her babyhood through her graduation from Normandale College and throughout her adult life. Until her last year or so, Donna relished their "Good Morning" and "Good Night" phone calls.
Phill LaGrandeur played an important part in Donna's life. Phil was married to Bob's sister, Yvonne. After Donna and Phil were both widowed, Phil and Donna became special friends. What a great thing for both of them. They knew each other's families and even shared the same in-laws! They enjoyed playing bridge, jazz music, restaurant meals and even a trip to California to visit Bob and Yvonne's brother Bernie.
Over the past 2-plus years, we've relied on a phrase that was a favorite of Donna's dad-"One day at a time." We'll continue to keep that thought as we move forward.
Donna is survived by her daughter, Toni Jaeger; sisters, Eileen Gilbert and Sharon (Don) Althaus and sister-in-law, Sally Gilbert. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob in 1998; parents, Max V. and Leona E. Gilbert and brother, Max J. Gilbert.
Visitation is at 10 AM prior to the funeral Mass of Christian burial.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Our Lady of Grace Choir.