Donna Rae (Pettet) Carlson, 85, found peace on September 24, 2020 in Salina, KS. She was born in Clay Center, KS on August 30, 1935 to Claude and Irene (Forslund) Pettet.
Donna is survived by sisters Iris Rouse of Clay Center, Beverly (Rex) Steward of Topeka and Shirley Bristol of Portland, OR. Daughter-in-law Janet Carlson, grandchildren Saralyn Szyndlar and Kyle (Courtney) Carlson, and great-grandchildren Malina and Jakub Szyndlar.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Dale Pettet, sister Barbra Michel, son Everell (Rick) Carlson Jr. and infant daughter Christine Marie.
Donna was married to Everell Carlson Sr. in 1953 and later divorced.
She was raised in Clay Center, KS and graduated from Clay Center Community High School. She lived most of her life in Kansas except for the 20 year period she was in Austin, TX to live near her sister, whom she loved to travel with. She returned home to Kansas in 2009.
Donna was an amazing knitter and artist, completing a multitude of paintings and acrylic figurines in her lifetime. She made sure no holiday went by without sending a handmade card to her grandchildren. Her skills in the kitchen kept all visitors well fed, especially with sweets.
There will be no services at this time.
Memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Foundation in her memory, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in her daughter’s memory or the Tammy Walker Cancer Center in her son’s memory.