Donna Vande Merwe

Donna Moore VandeMerwe, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 4th at the age of 90. She was born May 10, 1935, in Springville, Utah, to Leon and Mildred Moore. She grew up in the western SL Valley when it was still very rural. She was a very active child and loved spending time outdoors. Like her mother, she was strong, stoic, practical, and always a peacemaker. “I didn’t have a temper and was sometimes too patient for my own good,” she wrote.

In school she played the trumpet, and after graduating from Cypress High School she joined a community Drum and Bugle Corps. She was always willing to try things and even learned fencing in college. In her early working years, Donna served as an elevator operator and later as a secretary. It was in that role that she met the love of her life, Joe VandeMerwe. They married and, within a year, welcomed their first child. Two more children quickly followed, and soon Donna’s greatest role began — being a mother to 5 busy children. They were always her highest priority, her greatest joy, and her deepest source of pride. Donna and Joe opened their home to many others, mothering a Native American student, foreign exchange students, a foster daughter and many other travelers and immigrants.

Donna was deeply involved in her community and her church. She volunteered for the PTA, supported her children’s classrooms, and for years worked for the Special Olympics and the Special Needs Mutual program. She had great faith throughout her life and loved serving in church callings, as a host at the Conference Center, and as a temple ordinance worker. 

As her husband’s ‘right hand girl’ (“Hold this, Donna”), she stood beside him through every challenge, helping him restore two dilapidated, historic houses and build a home and life together. Referring to the historic Kanosh house they restored, someone wrote “Donna never loved the building; just the guy who loved it”. She was an accomplished seamstress, making her own wedding dress and sewing for herself and her children. Whatever project was at hand, she worked with patience and persistence, always finding joy in helping and supporting others. 

Some of her most memorable adventures were serving as a missionary with her husband in Johannesburg, South Africa, and then as mission leaders in Enugu, Nigeria. Their missionaries in Nigeria were all young native Africans (most being recent converts) or brave senior couples from North America. On their first day in the mission, she would take the arriving Elders to the market to get clothes, and cooked countless meals over the three years they served there. She showed great courage by serving a final mission on her own in Brisbane, Australia, at age 80, explaining, “I’m not dead yet — I may as well serve a mission.”

Above all, Donna will be remembered for her devotion to her family, her unfailing service, and her quiet strength. She leaves behind a legacy of humility, faith, and selfless sacrifice.

She is survived by her children, Joe VandeMerwe (Kari), Laurie Brosie (Ron), Audrey Buttars (Greg), David VandeMerwe (Kim), and Rob VandeMerwe (Liz), 15 grandchildren, and 27 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Leon and Mildred Moore, sweetheart Joe, three siblings, and her son Adrian (Jamie).

A viewing will be held Sunday, September 7th, 2025 from 3:45 to 4:45pm at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main, Bountiful, with funeral services following at 5:00pm.

Services will be streamed live on Russon Mortuary Live Facebook page and this obituary.

Donna’s life was a blessing to all who knew her, and her influence will live on through the countless lives she touched. The family wishes to thank the caregivers at Creekside Senior Living and A Plus Hospice for their angelic care and love.