Donna J Vaughan

Donna Jean Vaughan, 85, of Tucson Arizona, passed away on January 4th 2018 in Tucson.

Donna Jean was born on a dairy farm in Prairie Farm, Wisconsin to Olga Matilda Robertson and Amos Wesly

Robertson on August 5, 1932. She attended 1st and 2nd grades at Young School in Prairie Farm, Wisconsin. Donna

Jean was only 8 years old when Olga, her Mother, died of TB. Donna Jean then moved to St Paul, Minnesota where

she attended 3rd and 4th grade at Adams Grade School while living with her Aunt Laura Christianson (her mother’s

sister), Uncle Herman Christianson and cousin Ione. Donna Jean’s older sister, Arla Mae (7 years older), stayed on

the farm helping Amos, their dad. After Uncle Herman retired they moved onto a 40-acre farm just outside of Prairie

Farm. Donna Jean finished grade school and high school in Prairie Farm. She was baptized and confirmed in the

First Lutheran Church in Prairie Farm. In high school she was a drum majorette and a cheerleader. Donna Jean

married Swiss cheese maker Ernest Blatt on October 22, 1949 in the Little Brown Church in the Wildwood in

Hampton, Iowa, Nashau County. Donna Jean was mostly a homemaker until 1960 when the family moved to

Centralia, Washington to be near the grandparents. Bought a house and barn on 2.5-acres. Worked at the Churchill

Glove Factory until 1964 at which time she went to beauty school in Olympia, Washington. Graduated in less than a

year. Worked 2 years for Lalah Hillyer at the La-Jan Beauty Salon in Centralia, then bought the salon keeping the

same name. Purchased a building at 811 Main St in Centralia, moving the salon into the newly remodeled building

renting the other half of the building to Bearings Inc. In 1974 attended the Merle Norman cosmetics school in Los

Angeles. Remodeled the entire salon adding new equipment and a Merle Norman cosmetics studio to the front of the

salon. In 1979 she sold the beauty salon and cosmetics studio. Later she sold the building. She then went onto real

estate school receiving her Washington State real estate license. Worked for James M Toevs Realty in Chehalis,

Washington. In 1985 went back to realty school receiving her Arizona license. Moved to Yuma, Arizona and worked

in the Town & Country Realty Foothills office for Ann Stewart. That is where she met the love of her life, Forrest

Duane Vaughan. In 1989 Donna Jean and Duane moved to Lake Elsinore, California where they briefly worked for a

real estate marketing company before moving to Lake View, Oregon where she became a homemaker while Duane

worked in management at the 3.5 million-acre M.C. Ranch. From there they moved to Silverdale, Washington. Donna

Jean worked as a realtor in Silverdale and later in Renton for Northwest Brokers while Duane worked for World

Savings & Loan as a CLR loan officer and appraiser. In 1991 Donna Jean again became a homemaker after Duane

was transferred to Las Vegas, Nevada and later transferred to Sun City, Arizona. They married in 1991 in Apple

Valley, California. After moving to Sun City, AZ and buying a home with pool in Phoenix Donna Jean worked for Jerry

Jackson Realty. They retired, sold everything, bought a pickup and trailer traveling all over the West, Midwest and

Texas visiting friends and family. In 1996 settled in Kerrville, Texas after buying a limestone house. In 2002 moved to

Lake Livingston, Texas and bought a home just a stone throw's distance from the lake. Duane passed away in the

Houston VA Hospital on December 19, 2009. Donna Jean sold the house and moved with her longtime companion,

Maggie Mae, a Boston Terrier, to the Cambridge Villas in Pflugerville, Texas to be near her youngest daughter and

families. In 2014 Maggie Mae and Donna Jean moved to what would be her final destination, the Rio Vista Apartment

Homes in Tucson, AZ to be near her second oldest son.

Donna Jean earned many awards for her real estate achievements. She was involved with the Pflugerville Messiah

Lutheran Church. In 2013 wrote a cookbook, “Donna Jean's Recipes Past and Present”, dedicated to Daughter-in-

Law, Julie Vaughan, for always telling her to do this.

Donna Jean was preceded in death by first husband Ernie, second husband Forrest (Duane), parents, sister Arla

Mae and brother Donnie.

Donna Jean is survived by her step brothers John (Bonita) Robertson and Tim Robertson of Wisconsin, children

Michael (Dawn) Blatt of Washington State, Jeffrey Blatt of Tucson, Patti (Joe) Crivellone of Washington State, Vicki

(Tom) Garry of Texas. Step-children Rick (Julie) Vaughan of Nevada, Cindy Granberg of Oregon, Kevin (Vickie)

Vaughan of Texas and Tracie Dickens of Texas., 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Please make any donations to the VA Fischer House

The family of Donna Jean Vaughan wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Dr Leah Jones and the entire team of the

Casa de la Luz Hospice at the Hacienda, Tucson, Arizona...