Donna Beem

Donna Lee Beem, 68, died from complications from COPD and Pneumonia at Lutheran Hospital in Avada on Sunday April 30, 2023.  She was born June 14, 1954, in Denver, the daughter of Donald R Morris and Beverly J (Castor) Morris.

Donna graduated from South High School in 1973.  Following graduation, she worked for North Valley Bank.  After leaving the bank she worked for 7-11 while attending night classes at Red Rocks Community College.  She graduated with an associate’s degree in business administration and proceeded to get a job with Hud.  She retired as a Manager of Health Programs in 2015, to spend summers with her mother in MO, off of the lake of the Ozarks.

Donna met Ron while working at 7-11, Ron would come in every day to get dog food for Misty, Donna thought he must have either a very large dog or many due to the amount of dog food he was buying, but he was just there to see her.  She married Ronald Lee Beem on July 1, 1989, they enjoyed just shy of 34 years happily married.  As a wedding present, her father-in-law Leo gave her a calf, that she nursed back to health after being rejected by his mother.  She named him Spuds, because he had a brown patch over one eye like Spuds Mackenzie from the Budweiser beer commercials.  She joined Ron in herding, feeding, and caring for 200 head of cattle, no matter the weather, through the summer heat and the winters cold.  She was given the nicknames of icy buns and popsicle because she would get so cold while out herding.

Donna loved spending time with her family, camping and riding horses.  She loved spending time out on the water on the pontoon boat, soaking up the sun and fishing.  She loved her jet ski; she would strap her oxygen bottle on her back like a backpack and race around the lake at 60 miles per hour with a huge smile on her face.

She was predeceased by her father Donald R Morris.  Surviving in addition to her husband Ronald L Beem, are her mother Beverly J Morris, sister Sandra J Morris, brother Robert D Morris, her daughter Tamara Koppenheffer and her husband Mark Koppenheffer, her son George Brent Horgan and his wife Marsa Horgan, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.