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In memory of

Donna Marie Fehrle

Dexter, MI, USA

June 19, 1965 - March 31, 2020

Jun 19, 1965 - Mar 31, 2020

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UPDATE: A memorial service for Donna Marie Fehrle, who died March 31, will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, at St. Joseph Village Church, 7870 4th St. in Dexter. There will be visitation time at 9 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m., with a luncheon to follow.

Donna Marie Fehrle, 54, of Dexter, Mich., was called to Heaven at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, 2020, at her home on Bob White Beach. She had struggled in recent years with liver disease.

Donna was born June 19, 1965, in Dexter to Leo and Theresa Rutkowski. She graduated from Dexter High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1999 with a triple major (geology, communication and marketing).

Her career was incredibly varied. Donna’s fondness for the outdoors inspired her to work as a ski instructor, lifeguard, and wildlife photographer. Her farm roots led her to jobs with a dairy farm and cattle breeding operation. Her outgoing personality made her very successful as a door-to-door encyclopedia saleswoman, earning her trips to Brazil, Hawaii, and other destinations. But it was her abounding love of children that led to her most rewarding pursuits: She was a nanny, daycare provider, St. Paul Lutheran School food service manager, and mother to a beautiful daughter.

Among Donna’s many hobbies were cooking, quilting, gardening, photography, and travel – she was proud to have visited 45 of the 50 states. An FFA member and longtime 4-H club leader, she spent her life caring for animals, including show horses, ponies, chickens, pigs, cattle, cats and dogs.

In 2002, Donna married Tim Fehrle – whom she called, to the end, “the best thing that ever happened to me” – in three separate ceremonies, to accommodate their many friends and family members. The couple was actively involved with Ann Arbor’s German Park Recreation Club, St. Joseph Catholic Parish of Dexter, and St. Paul Lutheran Church & School of Ann Arbor.

Donna was preceded in death by her father, who passed away just months after her birth; her best friend, Angie Radke, in 2010; and her beloved nephew Kord, in 2018. She is survived by her 94-year-old mother, Theresa Rutkowski; husband, Tim; daughter, Truly; two sisters, Danette Rutkowski of North Carolina and Patti Herrmann of Colorado; a brother, Christopher Rutkowski of Utah; and many in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A Catholic memorial service will be held at a later date at St. Joseph in Dexter, where Donna was baptized, confirmed, and married.

In lieu of flowers, donations to her daughter’s college fund would be appreciated. A check payable to either Tim or Truly Fehrle may be sent to the family, with “College Fund” written in the memo line. Call 734-483-8995 for more information.

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