Dona Mae Overfelt

On Saturday, Dona Mae spent a lovely fall day watching the Griz game and verbally sparring with her granddaughter, a Cats fan. Early the next morning, Sept. 27, 2015, she passed away at age 90. She was born on Aug. 17, 1925, in Valley City, N.D., to Ed and Grace Skabo. She spent the Depression years living in Perth, N.D., at the farm of her paternal grandparents. When the Depression ended, the family lived in Devils Lake, where her brother Ron was born. Later, the family moved to Minot, N.D. As a result, Dona Mae heard every North Dakota joke conceived by man. In 1945, the Skabos moved to Great Falls and Dona Mae completed her senior year in college at the University of Montana, then known as MSU, in Missoula. In Great Falls, she met the boy next door, Lee Overfelt, who had just returned from a stint in the Navy. They married on June 11, 1947, and moved to Missoula, where Lee entered law school. After Lee graduated, they lived briefly in Great Falls before settling in Billings, where Lee started his law practice. Dona Mae was a rabid sports fan and would brook no criticism of her favorite teams, the Griz and the Senior High Broncs. On game day, the house would resound with her cheers and groans. She gave freely of her time, volunteering many hours with the Gray Ladies at St. Vincent Hospital and The Billings Studio Theatre, as well as tutoring kids in the H.O.S.T. program at McKinley School. She was very proud of having volunteered over 3,000 hours at the Alberta Bair Theater. In spite of her outside activities, the center of her universe was always her kids. She had an uncanny ability to know when to bring on the discipline and when to back off and let them make their own mistakes. She was always a calming influence and a source of sage advice. For example, when any kid had the temerity to criticize her cooking she would say: "Eat it! It'll grow hair on your chest." She was predeceased by her parents, Ed and Grace Skabo; and her husband, Lee. She is survived by her brother, Ron Skabo (Verona); her five hairy-chested children, Gary Overfelt (Corinne), Kerin Kinzer, Rika McBride (Tim), Shelly Lynch (Mark) and Brian Overfelt; seven granddaughters, Brytt Gregory (Justin), Kylee Kinzer, Jamie McBride, Lauren McBride, Morgan McBride, Carly Lynch, Cassie Lynch; and one great-grandchild Leo Gregory. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary, 1001 Alderson Ave. Charitable donations may be made to: Alberta Bair Theater, Humane Society, Rocky Mountain Hospice.