Donna June (Riehle) Dixon
April 28, 1938 - November 7, 2024
Funeral services for Donna June Dixon will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, November 14, 2024 at the Prairie Hills Community Church, 625 East Eighth Street, Lusk, Wyoming with Pastor David Dick officiating. Interment will be in the Douglas Park Cemetery in Douglas, Wyoming at 4 p.m.
Donna June (Riehle) Dixon was born in Douglas, Wyoming on Thursday, April 28, 1938, to August Henry and Ella June (Good) Riehle. The bassinet she was laid in when she arrived is now on display at the Pioneer Museum.
She grew up first at the Riehle’s homestead in the Miller Hills, and then in 1952 the family moved to a ranch they purchased at Lightning Creek. Donna and her older brother, Wayne, were homeschooled and attended country school until they got to high school. Their mom would take them to Douglas, spend the school week in a house they rented, and then drive back out to the ranch on the weekends. In 1956, Donna graduated as Valedictorian.
After taking a year off to help at the family ranch, she accepted a job as the secretary at the ASCS office in Douglas. Donna patiently worked and saved money until she was 21 years old. That year, she proudly became the sole owner of a 1959 Chevy Bel-Air, which she paid for in cash. She enjoyed traveling in her new car, so much so that she took a solo trip through the southwestern states.
While living in Douglas at the Jenne Building apartments, she met Clayton Raymond Dixon. On March 18, 1962, Clayton and Donna were wed. She was thrilled to move with Clayton to his family’s ranch north of Lance Creek. There, they welcomed
into their family Thomas Raymond in 1963 and Kenneth Richard in 1965.
Donna loved ranch life. She especially enjoyed riding horses, and she even had her own small herd of cows that carried the brand that belonged to her grandfather, Jacob Riehle.
She played piano and was the superintendent of Sunday School at Cow Creek, and then later taught children’s church at Lance Creek Community Church. She lived a full and happy life, watching her two sons continue the family ranch and enjoying her grandchildren as they grew up. Each year she gave Brenna and Garett a heifer calf to carry on her herd’s superior genetics.
Donna left to meet her Savior face to face on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 86 years old at the Niobrara County Extended Care Facility in Lusk.
She is survived by her sons, Tom Dixon and Ken (LeAnn) Dixon both of Lance Creek, Wyoming and two grandchildren, Garett (Kassie) Dixon of Belt, Montana and Brenna (Dalton) Brimer of Lance Creek.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Clayton, on November 25, 2020; father, August, on February 19, 1995; mother, June, on October 17, 2006; and brother, Wayne Henry Riehle, on June 13, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to In Faith, 145 John Robert Thomas Drive, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341 would be appreciated by the family.
Serving as pallbearers will be Garett Dixon, Dalton Brimer, John Riehle, Colton Dick, Justin Nielsen, and Earl Slagle.
The Gorman Funeral Homes-Converse Chapel of Douglas, Wyoming is in charge of the arrangements.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.gormanfh.com
