When Donnie and Elsie met on the walk to school, Elsie's stubborn German heritage couldn't ignore Donnie's advances. Their newly formed teenage attached-at-the-hip relationship weaved into a marriage that carried them through their final days with a love that was described as devoted, caring, and simple. Donnie and Elsie were married on August10, 1943. Donnie served in the Army, and Elsie was a switchboard operator for a telephone company in Texas.
The two became three with their first child Catherine in 1953, who was born with a key to her daddy's heart. They also welcomed Doyle, their last child in 1956 who also was born with a special gift of making mom melt. In 1957, the family moved to Palmdale, California and opened Cleve's Automotive Radiator and Machine with his brother Felix and wife Helen. Donnie took great pride in being generous to his customers, especially the ones who couldn't afford the repairs.
When they retired, they started a walnut farm in California and spent time enjoying their grandchildren. They moved to Carson City, Nevada in 1994 to "watch each other grow wrinkly", and spent the last years of their lives there. Most of their days were spent with Donnie staring at Elsie telling her how beautiful she was, cuddling, sparring witty banter at each other, telling their stories o whoever would listen, worrying about each other, and walking around with their "Corvettes" (walkers).
Donnie and Elsie are survived by all manners, hard work, traditions, corrections, teachings, and love they instilled into their two children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. We will miss you, we love you, and thank you for your influence and all you did in each of our lives. Walton's Chapel of the Valley is in charge of final arrangements.
