Bessie Donkers

Bessie M. Donkers, age 93 of Faribault, died Sunday, July 10, 2011 at the Faribault Care Center following an extended illness.   Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, in Faribault. Interment will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.   Visitation will be held at the church on Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.   The family prefers that memorials be directed to the Faribault Area Hospice.        Arrangements are being completed by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault.   Bessie Mary Kopet, the daughter of Frank Sr. and Frances (Filipek) Kopet, was born on October 16, 1917 at her family farm in Erin Township, Rice County, MN. On June 14, 1938 she was united in marriage to Francis Donkers at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Faribault. Mr. Donkers preceded her in death on August 11, 1976. After their marriage they lived in St. Paul, MN and Bessie worked as a clerk at Kinds Bakery for 8 years and then stayed at home to raise their family. Family was very important to Bessie and she especially enjoyed any time that she could spend with her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. She was a member of the Divine Mercy Catholic Church CCW.   She is survived by two daughters, Carole (Jerry) Schweisthal of Faribault, MN and Shirley McCoy of Hastings, MN; by 8 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren; by two sisters in law, Ruth Kopet of St. Paul, MN and Daisy Donkers of Faribault, MN and many other relatives and friends.   She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, four brothers, Frank Jr., Emil, George and William Kopet and by her son in law, Bob McCoy.