Donna Faye Yates, 84, of Ronceverte went to be her Lord and Savior on Mar. 17, 2024 at the Peyton Hospice House in Fairlea.
She was born Sept. 6, 1939 in Pikeville, KY, the daughter of the late Thomas and Mable Perry Gearheart.
At an early age, Donna’s family moved to Charleston, WV, for work, and she graduated from Charleston High in 1958. Growing up in times when money was not plentiful, she would go to school, then to work after school till sometimes 11:00 at night and then go home to do her homework before turning into bed, nothing went to waste and money was not wasted. Donna met the love of her life and future husband, Basil Kay Yates at the fair in Charleston, they married and moved to Ronceverte.
Donna attended the Ronceverte Christian Church and was a member of the OES #108. She was a baker in the deli at Kroger in Fairlea for 21 years. Donna’s love of cooking brought her and Terri to be the cooks for the Shriners and Masons in Lewisburg, especially for Shrine Day. She never met a stranger and one of her favorite joys in life was to go to the Committee on Aging’s Senior Center in Fairlea. Donna’s biggest accomplishments and love was her family.
Preceding her in death other than her parents were her husband Basil Kay Yates; sister Barbara Vinson; brother Thomas Gearheart and son-in-law Robert Bradley Baker.
Those left to mourn her lost are her daughter Terri Yates Baker of Ronceverte; son Dusty Yates and wife Darlene of Ronceverte; grandchildren Cory Yates (Jessica) and Casey Yoder (Ryan); great-grandchildren Garrison, Callan and Gatlin Yates and Lena Yoder; step-granddaughter Stephanie Driscoll (Patrick); step-great-granddaughter Mary Kat Driscoll; as well as special nieces Tracey and Nicole and Jackie and numerous other several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Donna will be Saturday Mar. 23, at 11 a.m. at the Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home in Ronceverte with Pastor Scott Kapple and Pastor Clifford Stone officiating. Interment will follow in the Riverview Cemetery in Ronceverte.
The family will receive family and friends Friday, Mar. 22, from 6 until 8 p.m. and one hour to services at the funeral home.
The family would like memorial contributions be made to either First Baptist Church of Fairlea, 9146 Seneca Trail South, Ronceverte, WV 24970 or to Peyton Hospice House, 1265 Maplewood Ave., Lewisburg, WV 24901.
Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home in Ronceverte is in charge of arrangements. Please send online condolences by visiting www.WallaceandWallaceFH.com