An Angel, Donna Marie (Pagel) Rainey- Velasquez, age 84, of Olathe, Kansas went to join a Choir of Heavenly Angels on October 16th, 2020. She will forever be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend to everyone she knew.
Donna was born on August 3, 1936 in Herington, Kansas to Martin and Bertha Pagel and her family moved to Kansas City, then Topeka, Kansas in 1949. She attended Junior High and High School graduating from Topeka, Kansas in 1954. In her senior year of High School, she was a member of Daisy Chain and a Beautiful Site.
After graduating, she worked twelve years for South Western Bell while going to school to become a beautician and key punch operator. In 1968, she went to work for Atchison Topeka Santa Fe (A.T. S. F.) Railroad as a Key Punch Operator. In 1974, she transferred to Centralized Timekeeping Bureau, where after 31 years of service she retired in December, 1999 from Burlington Northern Santa Fe (B.N.S.F) -- as A.T.S.F and B.N.S.F. railroads merged.
In January of 2000, she married Jesus P. Velasquez who also worked for the A.T.S.F. railroad. She converted to Catholicism in 2001, and in February 2002 they moved to Olathe, Kansas to be near her family.
Donna was a very talented person who enjoyed working as a beautician. She loved spending time with her family. Nothing gave her more pleasure in life than the time she spent with her grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was an avid member of the American Legion Woman’s Auxiliary, Kansas Old Time Fiddlers, and Pickers and Singers where she loved to travel with her husband to different towns around Kansas to listen to him play and sing.
Donna and her husband Jesus spent many happy times together dancing, visiting the Navy Ship where her husband was stationed, attending reunions, and spending time in the following cities: Brandon- Missouri, Seattle-Washington, Charleston- South Carolina, Long Beach –California, New Orleans- Louisiana, Washington DC, Chicago- Illinois, Niagara Falls, Memphis- Tennessee, San Francisco- California, Atlanta- Georgia, Evansville- Indiana, Portland- Oregon and Hawaii.
Donna is preceded in death by her parents, Martin and Bertha Pagel of Topeka, Kansas. She is survived by her loving husband of twenty years- Jesus Parra Velasquez of Olathe, Kansas: her son Steven Rainey (Lisa) of Olathe, Kansas; daughter Sheralea Rainey- Grimes (Patrick) of Olathe, Kansas; brother DeVerne Pagel (Mary) of Hoyt, Kansas; Calvin Pagel (Helen) of Elizabeth, Colorado; four granddaughters; eight great-grandsons; two great-granddaughters, and four great-great grandchildren. She will be sadly missed.
Visitation will be held at McGilley-Frye Funeral Home from 5:00-8 pm, October 23, 2020, 105 E. Loula St. Olathe, Kansas, 66061, Rosary will begin at 5pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be held October 26, 2020 at 11:30am at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 21650 W. 115th Terr. Olathe, Kansas, 66061. Interment will follow at 1:30 pm, Leavenworth National Cemetery, 150 Muncie Rd. Leavenworth, Kansas, 66048.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Catholic Church Capital Campaign.
Condolences may be offered at: www.McGilley-Frye.com.
