Donna Mae Wetzel, 74, of Rensselaer, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday afternoon, February 28, 2017. She was born in Kankakee, Illinois on September 9, 1942, the daughter of Arthur and Beatrice (Schultz) Brinkmann.

Donna graduated from Rensselaer High School with the Class of 1960. She studied cosmetology at Roland Beauty School in Bradley, Illinois, graduating in 1961. She studied vocational technical education at Purdue University North Central, graduating in 1984. She was the former owner and vocational teacher at Little Jasper School of Cosmetology.

Donna’s Lutheran faith was very important to her. She was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church, and was also affiliated with St. John Lutheran Church. She served on the altar guild at the Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University.

Donna loved music. She played the organ at both St. Luke Lutheran Church and St. John Lutheran Church. She also played piano, accordion, and French horn, which she played in the Newton Jasper Community Band.

She was very involved with the Jasper County 4-H Club, and was a former club leader. In her later years, she took a great interest in genealogy, having traced her family ancestry back to colonial times.

Donna is survived by four children: Jason Wetzel, Jennifer Wetzel (boyfriend: Robert Gasiecki), Jared Wetzel, and Doyle Wetzel; two sisters, Helen Gombert (husband: Dennis) and Ruth Ann Brinkmann; eight grandchildren; and eleven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Visitation will be Saturday, March 4, 2017 from 9-11 a.m. at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Rensselaer. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at 11 a.m. at St. Luke Lutheran Church with Pastor Benjamin Hertel officiating. Interment will follow at Kankakee Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kankakee, Illinois. Contributions in Donna’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society. Share memories and condolences online at www.SteinkeFuneralHome.com.

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