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Donna Norine Billington, born the 6th
of 8 children of Sid and Eva Billington on February 10, 1932 in Livingston, Montana. Donna enjoyed farm life with her siblings on
several ranches from Clyde Park to Arlee, Montana. A freckled face cutie, she was always smiling
and laughing. Fun loving and energetic,
Donna loved to be outside helping her dad and siblings with the farm animals
and around the house helping her mom. Her older sisters, Blondie, Stella, and Jo were real workers on the ranch so she too learned right away the everyone had to pitch in to make the ranch sucessful.She was often teased by her older brothers, Bill and ElDee but she didn’t take offense. Her
little sister, Carol, was a constant companion and they played and worked
together so well. She was only 13 years
old when her father died and the family gave up the ranch life to moved into the small town of Arlee, Montana.
This is the only photo I know of with Donna as a toddler. She is also in the photo below as the smallest one of the group. Her sister Jo is next to her in front on the right and her sister Blondie is on the end of the row on the left. Her big brother Bill is in the back middle, not sure of the others in this photo.
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Kelly and Donna
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While Eva worked as a cook at the local cafe, The Log Cabin Restaurant, the youngest Billington kids, Kelly and Jack, attended Arlee grade school.
The older kids attended Arlee high school. Both schools were within walking distance
of their tiny house. I can imagine their Arlee place was quite a change from the
large ranch where they were used to playing and working.
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| Donna holding the puppy Pudgy on the ranch near Arlee |
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ElDee, Bill and Matson boys in back
Eva, Lester Christopher, Wilma Matson, and Stella in middle
Blondie and Jo with Kelly and Donna in front |
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| Jo, Donna, Kelly |
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ElDee, Billy, Aunt Hazel in back
Eva, Blondie, Stella, and Sid in the middle
Donna, Jo, and Kelly in front |
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| Kelly, Donna, Jo with goats and dogs |
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| Billington house in Arlee |
After graduating from Arlee High School, she attended Montana State Normal Dillion Montana. It is now part of the University of Montana. The college was founded in 1893 as a center for training teachers. Now part of the University of Montana system, the name changed to University of Montana Western. Donna qualified to teach school which she did for a short time, but after visiting her sister in Seattle one summer, she decided to move there.  |
| Donna with friends |
Donna met Harold Wortman in Seattle and they were married
in June of 1955 and settled down in the Seattle area. She had two darling kids, Steven Lee and Lynn
Marie and she enjoyed her home life.
Around 1970 she began working as a waitress and for the next 30 years served customers Vito’s
restaurant in downtown Seattle. Harold passed away in 1971 and Donna raised her two little ones by herself, but thankfully her sister Carol and Carol’s family were nearby in Kirkland and her
brother Jack worked in the Seattle area for a time.
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| Young kids Steve and Lynn |
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| Young adults Steve and Lynn |
Donna and her kids returned to Montana from time to time for vacations, reunions, and her Mom's birthday so Steve and Lynn learned to love Montana as much as the rest of the Billington cousins did. They were especially drawn to the ranch life experience of Grandma Eva and Fred's place near Frenchtown. Lynn developed her love for horses from there. Steve loved to ride his motorcycle to the ranch and back visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on his various trips.
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| Steve, Blondie, Janelle |
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Blondie, Donna, Stella, Jack,
Kelly Eva and Jo.....Eva's 85th birthday |
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Stella, Donna, Jo, Blondie, Jack,
Eva and Kelly |
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| Blondie, Donna, Stella, Jack, Jo, Kelly at Eva's memorial |
In her golden years Donna was so happy that her
two children stayed close to her in the Seattle area. She was also so thankful to be near her two energetic grandchildren Alex and Janelle Wortman and to have the blessing of watching them grow into delightful young adults.
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| young kids Janelle and Alex Wortman |
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| Young adults Alex and Janelle |
Donna passed peacefully to her heavenly home on
December 18, 2010. She will be
remembered as a beautiful and loving sister, mother, aunt, and grandmother who was
always kind, thoughtful and gracious.
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FAVORITE SNAPSHOTS::
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| Donna, Jo, John, Blondie, Jo at reunion |
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| Kelly and Donna |
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| Steve and Donna |
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| Eva, Jo, and Donna |
