Donna Marie (Sandgren) White

Donna Marie (Sandgren) White was born on January 24, 1933 at the Sandgren farm that her grandfather Peter Sandgren settled in in 1868. The farm was near Bone Lake in Scandia, MN. When she was small she locked herself in a bedroom in the house. Her big sister Mary Lou had to run to their Uncle Alfred’s home to have him bring a ladder to get her out. By the time they got there Donna had managed to get out. She was in big trouble for that one. Donna remembers opening the door of the house to find a ‘bum’ standing there with a club in his hand. She was very scared. Her father, Alvin let bums sleep in the barn during the depression. They were the cause of the barn burning down.

Alvin used to trade eggs to the Indians that lived in the area. When they lost the farm during the Great Depression the family moved to Forest Lake, MN. They lived in a house owned by Pete Schelander. Alvin went to work for the WPA and worked for Frank Stipes doing cement work. They put in Forest Lake’s first city sewer. Donna started school in Forest Lake and attended there for a month to six weeks before they moved back to the north end of Bone Lake. They lived on the Johnson farm. There her brother Jack was born. She then attended school in Chisago City where she and Marlow Sprain would sit in the cloak room while he taught her how to read. Marlow was one grade older than she. They then moved to 11245 279th Ave, ‘Old Town’ Chisago City. While they lived there Uncle John Sandgren, who had colon cancer, came to live with them. They took care of him until he died. Her brother ‘Jack’, who was then four years old, went with Alvin down to Michelson’s garage and watched them weld. When he got home he could not see. His vision recovered later.

The family then moved to Panola, MN. George Jackson’s dad owned the house they lived in. She then attended Lindstrom/Center City School. When they walked home from the school bus the kids on the bus said that they could see a ghost following them. They lived there for two years. They then moved to Lindstrom where they first lived in Lena Woods’ house and then in Myrtle Chellquist’s house, whose brother was the ice man. That house was next door to Ted Preisler’s house. Alvin worked for the sawmill in Lindstrom and took care of the skating rink in the winter. The family then moved back to Chisago City and lived across the street from Bud Green’s house. They then lived in the ‘Harding house’ and then to one of the Dahl House cabins. Alvin worked for Ernie Strand. He built chicken coops. He made the foundations out of rock and cement. On laundry day Alvin would go to the creamery to get warm water, they had no water heater in the house.

Relatives from the ‘Cities’ loved to come up to the lake and fish. They would bring food to be prepared and would give the family stamps for gas. Donna worked at the Sugar Bowl Restaurant in Chisago City and at Zephyr Awning in Wyoming, MN. She graduated from Chisago City High School in 1951. There were 17 in her graduating class. Donna married James Marcus White on November 10, 1953. ‘Jim’ was born on June 6, 1931. He died December 16, 2002.

They had 13 children. Linda, Kathy, Patrick, Anna, Teresa, Mary, Diane, Carolyn, Walter, James, Alvin, Kevin and Jason. Donna was a lifelong resident of Chisago County, ran for Miss Chisago Lakes, employed at Sugar Bowl before meeting her husband. While her father was living, she spent hours fishing on the back side of the island on Chisago Lake. She enjoyed gambling, watching Nascar, and painting ceramics as a hobby when she wasn’t busy with her children and grandchildren.

Donna is preceded in death by her parents Alvin and Bertha Sandgren; husband James; son Walter; and brother Alvin Sandgren.

She is survived by her children Linda (Allen) Crohn, Kathleen, Patrick (Linda), Anna (Paul) Theis, Teresa (Rich), Mary (Todd) Ellsworth, Diane (Carl) Page, Carolyn (Jeff) Proulx, James (Danika), Alvin, Kevin, and Jason (Malinda); grandchildren Christopher, Patrick, Craig, Laura Nicholas (Sara), Nichole (Lance), Marie (Travis), Joseph, Amanda (Ken), Ashley, Alyssa, Emma, Andrew, Alex, Matt, Anthony, Abby, Emily, Courtney, Madison, and Makayla; great grandchildren Jasmine, Johnny, Sammy, Clara, Cinthia, Luther, Lakota, Krystal, Justin, and Avery; siblings Mary (Warren) Fedje and John (Carol) Sandgren; grand dogs Raven, Tinker, Violet, Belle, Nico, Ally, Frankie, and Angel.

Funeral Services were held 11 a.m. Wednesday at Zion Lutheran Church in Chisago City. Interment at Chisago Memorial Park in Chisago City. Arrangements by Grandstrand Funeral Home in Lindstrom, Minnesota. Condolences may be left online at www.grandstrandfh. com