Obituary of Donna Rae Ostedgaard

Donna R. Ostedgaard, age 84 of Iowa City died Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 am Thursday, May 18, 2023, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service with burial to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City.  Visitation will be from 10am until service time on Thursday at the funeral home.  To share a thought, memory or condolence with her family please visit Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website @ www.gayandciha.com.

Donna Rae Manor was born April 4, 1939, in Armstrong, Iowa the daughter of Floyd and Zelda (Martin) Manor, and graduated from Armstrong High School. She married Robert D. “Bob” Ostedgaard on February 9, 1957.  The couple and their family made their way to Iowa City where Bob, with the support and hard work of Donna and family, started the Ostedgaard Construction Company. Donna was the Executive Assistant without a job description, meaning not only did she take care of the kids and the home, she also assisted Bob and later their son, Al in the business with whatever she was needed to do.  One very special tradition that was set early in their business, Bob would always come home for lunch at noon and they watched All My Children over the noon hour together.  This allowed Bob to make the necessary stop at Nagle Lumber on the way back to the jobsite after lunch. 

Donna enjoyed her life, and in the early days would go dancing with Bob.  They liked playing cards with family and friends.  She always had both vegetable and flower gardens at their home that she took great pride in.  For a number of years they were involved in an antique business on Capital Street, which gave her and Bob an excuse to get in the car and go look for more antiques around this area.  But most important to her was her family; she and Bob celebrated over 65 years of marriage, and they were so very proud of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Donna's family includes her children, Kent (Candi) Ostedgaard, Al (Robin) Ostedgaard and Lynn (Randy) Reinhold; grandchildren, Carly (Joshua Lucy) Ostedgaard, Megan (Brendan Schultz) Ostedgaard, Garrett (Molly) Ostedgaard, Lainey (Ned Carter) Stahle, Hallie (Eric) Jetter, Matt (Kelly) Reinhold, Jillian (Evan) Anderson, Stephanie (Drew Pratt) Reinhold and Trisha (Richie Barone) Forbes; ten great-grandchildren; sister and her husband, Janet and George Anderson, sister-in-law, Irma Ostedgaard, and brother and sister- in-law, David and Lynda Ostedgaard.

Donna was preceded in death by her daughter, Jill Ostedgaard; husband, Robert; and parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.