Donnabelle M. Axelson

Donnabelle May (Savage) (Conroy) Axelsen, Clear Lake, 93, died Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at the Muse Norris Inpatient Unit, Hospice of North Iowa, in Mason City, Iowa.

According to her wishes, there will be no service. A family gathering will be held at a later date.  Memorials in Donnabelle’s memory may be given to the Elliott Burgos Fund, c/o Chuck Conroy, 507 18th St. W., Clear Lake, IA 50428.

Donna was born to Charles R. and Johanna Eliese (Mutzel) Savage on her grandparents’ farm south of Hampton, Iowa where she lived until four years old.  She then moved to Hampton, Iowa, and attended school until eighth grade.  She then moved to Garner, Iowa, through eleventh grade, and then Clear Lake her senior year.  Donna served in the U.S. Navy as a WAVE during World War II. She worked at CL Tel as a phone switchboard operator until the early ‘50s.

She married Walter Robert Conroy on Sept. 18, 1941.  From this union they had two sons.  She married Chris Axelsen in 1951 and had three sons and a daughter.  She is survived by her sons, Charles (Nancy) Conroy, Clear Lake, Thomas (Gina) Axelsen, Forest Lake, Minn., Rick Axelsen, Thornton, Iowa and daughter Dawn (John) Drydale, Clear Lake; daughter-in-law, Claryce Conroy; and 50 plus grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Walter “Bob” Conroy; her husband, Chris Axelsen; sons, James R. Conroy and John B. Axelsen and his two children, Chassidy and Jarod; and most recently a great-grandson, Coty Conroy.

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.