Donna Jean (Askew) Behlen, was born November 8th, 1937. She died September 16th, 2019. Her spirit left this earth to be with her Lord and Savior. She left with her family at her side.
She was born in Fresno. When her parents, George Askew and mother Donnie (Affholter) Askew were living in Laton, she remembers as a little girl waving at the train coming through Laton and the engineer would honk the horn. Soon after World War II began, her family moved to Ventura, working at Point Hueneme Naval Base. Before the end of the war, they moved to Fresno and she started school at Jefferson Elementary, and then on to Longfellow Jr. High, graduating there in 1952. She then went on to Roosevelt High School, were she graduated in the class of 1955.
Dressed like a hobo, she met her husband, Ron, at a Halloween Party. They married in 1956. Her husband was serving in the Air Force, and stationed at Webb Air Force Base in Big Springs, Texas where her daughter, Jamie, was born. Then two years in Anchorage, Alaska, at Elmendorf Air Force Base, where her first son David Keith was born.
In 1958, her husband’s enlistment was over, and they settled back in Fresno. Her second son, Richard was born in 1960 followed by her third son, Jerry, being born in 1961 on her 26th birthday. She had her hands full raising that group, along with everyone else they brought home. She did an excellent job of that…and she was still alive, and for the most part sane, when it was over.
She took advantage of every opportunity to travel. She loved to see and experience new places and cultures. Her first mission trip with the People’s Church was to Zagreb, Croatia, in 1992 with Teen Challenge to work on a drug rehab center. Her second mission trip was with an Assembly of God group helping to build a Bible School in Montevideo, Uruguay. The third trip was to Panevezys, Lithuania, working to build a Christian church with the Mennonite Church. That trip sparked the idea of bringing in medical supplies that are being discarded here in America to help others in need. That idea became to origination known as MMI – Medical Ministries International.
She began working at People’s Church in 1992 as the secretary for the singles group ministry. She worked there for eight years. She retired in 2000, and soon left on a five-month cross-country trip, traveling as far as the island of Newfoundland in their 26-foot motor home, and she was still talking to her husband upon their return.
She went on numerous trips with the Active Adult group from People’s. Her last trip was in 2013, to the land of Israel. She spent almost two weeks walking all over the Holy Land. What she found was the empty Tomb of Jesus Christ where it said, “He is not here, for He has risen.”
She leaves behind her husband of 63 years, Ron. A daughter Jamie, and her husband Jerry Slater, and grandson Joshua Hiles; son David Keith Behlen; son Dr. Richard Behlen and his partner Mercy Ramirez; grandson Aaron Behlen, and his mother Wendy Jansema; son Jerry and his wife Leemarie Behlen, and granddaughter Ariana, along with her husband Michael Sederquist, and great grandchildren Liam, Luella, Lilia and grandson Connor Behlen.
Preceding Donna is death was her granddaughter at age five, Moriah Alisha Behlen, whom we knew as Mya – which in all likelihood was her first reunion after leaving us.
She will be greatly missed by her family, especially her daughter, Jamie and her husband, Ron, who cared for her 24/7 for six years, after a decline in health required full time care.
There will be a Celebration of her Life, to be held at People’s Church in the Jackie Johnson Room, on Friday, November 15th at 11:00 am.
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