Donna M. Duchene

Donna Duchene (Schmidt), 88, of Bourbonnais, passed away peacefully Thursday (Jan. 11, 2024) at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee. Donna was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, and friend. She was born May 14, 1935, in Bonfield. She was a woman of faith and was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. She worked at Kankakee Federal Savings & Loan from 1952 to 1998, and then began working at the office of Dr. Hassan Youssef, where she remained working for 21 years until she retired in 2020 at the age of 84. She was an incredibly hard-working mother, and no job was beneath her to provide for her family. She was a loyal employee who took great pride in her work ethic. Donna enjoyed sewing, knitting, doll-making, and spending time with her family and friends The family is comforted to know she is reunited with her parents Anna and Arthur Schmidt, her sister Shirley (Truman) Knight, her brother Lyle Schmidt, her brother-in-law Danny Onstott, and her former husband Gerald Duchene. She is survived by her sisters Beverly Fullerton, Mary (Jerry) O’Connor, Jackie Onstott, sister-in-law Sharon Schmidt, and brother Michael (Kathleen) McVey; her five sons Brian (Mie) Duchene, Steve Duchene, Rick (Sherri) Duchene, Brent (Melissa Wilson) Duchene, Darrin (Kris) Duchene, and her daughter Denise (Michael) Mann; her grandchildren Laura (Mike) Modeer, Luke (Lauren) Duchene, Leah (Anthony) Achermann, Jenny (Andrew) Chapman, Jill (Dennis) Weese, Jessie (Adam) Sharpe, Josh (Veronica) Duchene, Tyler (Rachel) Duchene, Travis (Christina) Duchene, Megan Duchene, Andrew Wilson, Madelyn Duchene, Bailey, Cydnee, Peyton, and Rylee Mann; her 28 great-grandchildren; and extended family Hassan & Barb Youssef, and their children Sara (Kaase) Youssef, Adam Youssef, and Nadia Youssef. Visitation will be held from 4-8 pm Monday, January 15, 2024 at Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home in Bourbonnais. Additional visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of the 11 a.m. funeral service on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kankakee, officiated by Pastor Karl Koeppen. Interment will follow at All Saints Cemetery in Bourbonnais. Donations can be made in the memory of Donna to Uplifted Care or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Donna M. Duchene

May 14, 1935 - January 11, 2024