Donna Grace Stratford

A funeral service honoring the life of Donna Grace Stratford, age 89, of Mount Vernon, will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31, at Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home with Pastor Darren Shafer officiating. Burial will take place in Newark Memorial Gardens.

Friends may call from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home, 179 Granville Street in Newark.

Donna was born April 2, 1934 in Columbia Center, Ohio to the late Herman Byron and Mary Eloise (Fletcher) Mossholder. She passed away on Friday, January 26, 2024 at Knox Community Hospital surrounded by her loving family.

Donna was a member of Encounter Church of God. Her faith was very important to her and everywhere she went she talked about Jesus. A wonderful homemaker, Donna loved taking care of her family. She loved cooking and was especially known for her delicious pies. She also enjoyed sewing, quilting, puzzles, writing songs, and was a very competitive player at family game nights. Besides being a homemaker Donna was the president of the PTA in Newark for 4 consecutive years. Donna and spouse (Billy) also worked through job and family services doing child care for a few years to help make a difference in the children’s lives. When Donna worked in Healthcare she worked as a sole proprietor and obtained clients through her reputation of the excellent care she gave.

She is survived by five children, Billy E. (Lynn) Stratford, Donna Sue (Michael) Lamp, Thomas (Margo) Stratford, Mary (Dave) Davis, and Daniel (Venda) Stratford; 18 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren; and 18 great-great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; dear friends, Barbara Hurley, Kimberlee Hupp, Jeff Frost and Shawn Conrad; and many church friends.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Billy Stratford, Jr. on February 19, 2021; a daughter, Pamela Stratford; a grandson, Kailin Main, Jr; brothers, Howard B. Mossholder and Edward E. Bedette; and sisters, Thelma Jeane Wheeler and Freda I. Gaard.

Memorial contributions may be made to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, 303 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 2300, Chicago, IL 60601-5224.

Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home is honored to care for Donna and her family.