Orva "Ladonna" Brotzel

Orva "LaDonna" Brotzel, 86, of Aberdeen, SD, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 25, 2016, at ManorCare Health Services in Aberdeen.

Mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, January 29, 2016, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 409 3rd Ave SE, Aberdeen, with Father Melvin Kuhn as celebrant.

Burial, with military rites, will take place at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Westport, SD.

Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Thursday, at the mortuary with a liturgical wake service following at 7:00 p.m. Visitation continues one hour prior to Mass at church on Friday.

Orva LaDonna (Walker) Brotzel was born August 10, 1929, to Orven and Leda (Richardson) Walker in Faribault, MN. Orva graduated from Kenyon High School in Kenyon, MN before furthering her education at nursing school in Faribault. She then worked at a family clinic in St. Paul, MN, for a short time.

Orva entered the United States Air Force in April of 1951 and served her country in Cheyenne, WY, until the time of her Honorable Discharge in April of 1952. She then moved to Minneapolis, MN, where she was employed as a Civil Service Nurse.

Orva was united in marriage to Robert Brotzel of Aberdeen, SD, in September of 1963, at Leola, SD. The couple made their home in the Wetonka, SD area, where they farmed and raised cattle. In addition to being the mother of nine children, Orva also worked as a nurse at Dakota Midland Hospital for many years. Following her retirement in 1996, she and Robert moved to Florida and resided there for several years. In 2005 they made Aberdeen their home, where Orva continued to reside until the time of her death.

Orva was a member of St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary in Aberdeen.

Grateful to have shared in Orva's life is her husband of over 52 years, Robert Brotzel of Aberdeen; eight children: Robert (Marilyn) Brotzel, Jr. of Apple Valley, MN, Leo (Mariel "Mickie") Brotzel of Sturgeon Lake, MN, Linda (Bruce) Gilgosch DeMayo of St. Petersburg, FL, Dan (Beth) VanHorn of Bloomington, MN, Denise (Tom) Dolney of Bloomington, MN, Brenda (Tom) Donahue of Bruce, WI, Cheryl (Todd) Luedeke of Wayne, NE, and John (Karen) Brotzel of Frederick, SD; 23 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; one brother, Jim Walker of Faribault, MN; and son-in-law, Brian Ford of Golconda, NV.

Orva is preceded in death by her parents, Orven and Leda Walker; daughter, Cheryl Lynn Ford; granddaughter, Melissa Gilgosch; and great-grandson, Phoenix Donnavin Sitter.