Donna Eileen Maroney Grant

Donna Eileen (Maroney Drovdal Thoene) Grant passed away on Monday, December 15, 2014 after a long battle with Cancer at the NorthCare Hospice House at North Kansas City Hospital.

Donna Eileen Maroney was born on October 6, 1940 to the late Farril and Viola (nee Walker) Maroney on a farm near Lebanon, South Dakota. Donna was the 8th of 10 children born to the Maroney clan. She gave birth to her first daughter, Marlene Karen on April 23, 1958 and she graduated as the last and only graduate from Lebanon High School on May 17, 1958. She married Albert Lorenzo Grant and the family moved to Panama City, Florida. The couple divorced after a year of marriage and Donna and her daughter, Marty, returned to Lebanon, South Dakota. On May 25, 1963, Donna married Allen Leroy Drovdal, who had recently left the Marine Corps and took a position as a South Dakota Highway Patrolman in Huron,
South Dakota. The couple welcomed their second daughter, Dee Ann in May 1964; their third daughter, Fayette Joyce in November 1965; their fourth daughter, Sharon Lorrayne, in October 1966; their fifth daughter, Carla Jean in June 1969 and their only son, Keith Carl Allen in November 1972. The Drovdal’s divorced in 1979 and Donna and the children briefly moved to the Rapid City, South Dakota area, before returning to Huron, where she reconciled with Allen for two years before splitting for good. Her and her daughter, Carla, then moved to Vermillion, South Dakota in 1985 where her son, Keith joined soon after. She relocated to North Kansas City, Missouri in 1989. Donna returned to Vermillion, South Dakota to pursue her Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies in 1997 and received her Master in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling in 1999. While living in Vermillion, Donna briefly married Fred Thoene. After two years, they divorced and she then returned to Kansas City in 2000. She worked for a few years in the Drug and Alcohol Counseling area before her first battle with Cancer in 2001. She was diagnosed again in December of 2012.

Donna was preceded in death by both her parents: Farril and Viola Maroney; her brothers: Mr. Howard Maroney of Aberdeen, South Dakota and Mr. Robert Maroney of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota and two of her sisters: Mrs. Marilyn Philips of Hazen, North Dakota and Mrs. Kathryn Rogers of Brookings, Oregon. She leaves behind six children: Marty of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; Dee of Liberty, Missouri; Faye of Blue Springs, Missouri; Sharon; Carla of Gladstone, Missouri and Keith of Florence, South Dakota. She also leaves behind one brother, Larry Maroney of Brookings, South Dakota and four sisters: Mrs. Lorrayne Anderson of Aberdeen, South Dakota; Mrs. Shirley Beitelspacher of Selby, South Dakota; Mrs. Delores La Franier of Los Alametos, Califronia; Mrs. Barbara Gaulding of Belton, Missouri; 17 Grandchildren; 15 Great Grandchildren, and a wonderful AA family and friends. Her Memorial Service will be held Monday, January 12th at St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Liberty, Missouri at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Donna Grant Assistance Fund which has been set up at the Heartland Center at 1205 W. College, Liberty MO 64068 or the North Oak Chapter at 7125 N. Broadway in Gladstone, MO 64118