Donna "Dona" Marie Pajl, 80, Winner, died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009, at her home.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at United Methodist Church, Winner, with the Rev. Bill Hoffman officiating. Burial will be in Winner Cemetery, Winner. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Mason Funeral Home, Winner, with a 6 p.m. prayer service. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service Friday at the church.
She was born on Aug. 25, 1928, at Bronson, Iowa, to Cyrus Gordon and Estella Mildred (Mack) Graham.
She attended elementary school near Herrick in Gregory County and most of her high school years at Burke. She graduated from Winner High School in 1946.
She attended Southern State Teachers College, Springfield.
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She taught one year at Riley Country School, Wilson Township, Tripp County, and the next two years at Delmont.
On June 19, 1948, she married Edward James Vavra in Yankton.
They farmed southeast of Winner until her husband's death on March 2, 1956.
The family moved to Winner, where she became the Tripp County Extension Service secretary.
On May 13, 1957, she married Joseph Pajl in Pierre.
They farmed northwest of Winner in Lonetree Township.
In 1960, they moved to the Pajl homestead in Curlew Township. They farmed until 1964, at which time they moved to Winner.
She then worked as United Methodist Church secretary in Winner.
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She was a member of United Methodist Church in Winner.
Her husband died on July 5, 2006.
She is survived by her children: Karen Burdick and husband Dennis, Rapid City; Janet Whittaker, Winner; and James Pajl and wife Martha, Yankton; and Randy Pajl, Winner; 17 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and a sister-in-law, Hildegard Graham.
She was preceded in death by both her husbands, a great-granddaughter, a great-great-granddaughter, her parents, two brothers: Keith and John Graham; and three sisters: Mildred Durfee, Wanda Ekroth and Rita Coleman.
