September 10, 1933 ~ April 7, 2023 (age 89)
Donna Toombs Flint passed away peacefully in the wee hours of the morning surrounded by family and an “Angel” on Friday, April 7, 2023, at the age of 89. Donna was the daughter of Roland John and Emma Marsh Toombs, born September 10, 1933, in Penrose, UT. She was raised in Promontory on the family ranch with her only sibling Jack Donald Toombs. She attended Box Elder High School for 9th and 10th grade (where she was a member of the swim team) before transferring to and graduating from Bear River High School.
Donna married her life-long friend Frank Eugene (Gene/Pa) on November 2, 1951, in Brigham City, UT. They built their life together in Promontory, Utah on the family farm where you could always see them working side-by-side together, no matter how hard the work. They were married for 70 years, rarely apart (she passed away seven months after his death so they could be “together again”).
She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She worked as a bus driver for the Box Elder School District and as a teacher’s aide for Howell Elementary School. She was the official Promontory “weather woman” for Channel 2, carefully recording and reporting the area’s weather for many years. She was an amateur radio operator heard around the world as WB7NCF. She organized the home-to-home horse-drawn hay-wagon “trick-or-treating” annually for several years. She taught several neighborhood children how to swim in an old cement water trough (I wonder why all her daughters “float to the bottom”, maybe because she didn’t teach us?)
She loved adventure (the faster the better), racing snowmobiles, riding motorcycles with Gene and her brother, and getting her Concealed Firearm Permit (we fondly called her our purple pistol packin’ grandma). She taught her children and grandsons to shoot, spending hours with each of them until they could “shoot the bullseye” out of a target.
She was a “fishin’ fool” and loved spending time at Tony Grove, Flaming Gorge, or anywhere she could go boating in her one-seater pontoon that Gene hooked a motor to, so she did not have to paddle. She was the fastest “chicken plucker” and snake slayer in the West. She loved playing Pinochle with Gene and a group of friends, reading Harlequin romances and playing solitaire on her iPad.
She loved learning and worked hard to perfect her crafts – leatherworking, crocheting, embroidery, knitting, painting, fly tying, counted cross-stitch, and ceramics to name just a few. She was a talented seamstress – making several of her daughters’ school, birthday, prom, play costumes and wedding dresses as well as embroidered designs on bags and dresses for her daughters and grandchildren. She would look at a design and say, “I can do that”, and could often be seen searching for the perfect fabric for quilts. She was a talented artist, and her paintings graced the walls of her home.
She was an awesome cook and her fried chicken with bug gravy, fried scones, stir fry, party delights, stew and chili were a few of the family’s favorites. She spent hours typing up her recipes and gave each of her family members a copy of her “Flint’s Favorite Recipes!” cookbook. She cooked and included her daughters in meal preparation during harvests with homemade Parker House rolls and desserts; and “goodies” for the annual bake sale that the pheasant hunters would stop by and purchase. She made and decorated birthday and wedding cakes for her daughters. Neighbors, family, and friends looked forward to her seasonal personally delivered strawberry pies and homemade chocolates – they always came with a “visit” from Donna while Gene patiently waited in the truck.
Her smile was contagious, and we never saw her without one even through sadness, pain, or confusion. She had a sassy, feisty personality, quick wit, and an even faster temper and “boy could she hold a grudge” if you crossed her. She was loving, kind, dedicated to and very protective of her family. She served countless hours caring for her husband and children. One of her greatest joys was visiting with her grandchildren. They loved and fondly remember her popcorn balls, taffy pulls, and Easter egg hunts. She was the best Mom and Grandma ever and we will dearly miss her; especially the personalized “gestures” she had for her daughters in the last few months of her life.
Donna is survived by her daughters: Shirley Larsen (W. Kent), Mendon, UT; Sherry Sorensen (Morris), Manti, UT; Toni Boyce (Ben), Brigham City, UT; Carol Olson (Stephen), Brigham City, UT and Cindy Flint, Brigham City, UT; twelve grandchildren, thirty-two great-grandchildren and three grand-critters.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband Gene, son Kerry Dale, her parents, brother Jack, and grandson Jonathan.
In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring a loved one with a “Tribute Donation” to the Alzheimer’s Association. The family would like to thank Donna’s “Angels” that assisted family with her daily care in a professional, loving and kind manner the last seven months of her life.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Myers Mortuary, 205 South 100 East, Brigham City, UT.
Interment will be in the Brigham City Cemetery.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at Myers Mortuary.