Bruce Roger Donker

Bruce Donker passed away peacefully at home on October 20, 2019 at 8:20AM while under the watchful care of Susie, his wife of 35 years, at his side, assisted by FHN Hospice. Bruce Roger Donker was the first of three sons born to Roger and Joyce (Fay) Donker. He was born on January 24th,1959 and grew up on a number of farms in the Rock City, Dakota and Orangeville areas. He enjoyed the farm life and was mechanically minded. After completing his education through Dakota and Orangeville schools, he continued at Highland Community College, gaining his Associate's Degree and certification as an ASE Double Gear Certified Mechanic. He scored one of the highest test scores to date at that time. He worked in a number of local dealerships and shops; Schmauss in Forreston, Sears, Ken-Harold Buick Pontiac, Auto Clinic and Zimmerman's, all in Freeport. His last auto related position was as the Commercial Specialist for AutoZone in Freeport. He enjoyed being a hall monitor at Freeport High School and helping with security at the school football and basketball games. The students knew him to be a fair and kind man and their nickname for him was "Big Bruce". If he found a student out of class it was "Chris, where are you supposed to be?" A soft and gentle touch benefited both Bruce and the students. Bruce was a Christian who came to his faith through attendance at a number of country churches and in fellowship with other believers. He taught Sunday school, led Bible studies as well as an adult class for Vacation Bible School and sang in the church choir. He was a member of Cedarville Emmanuel Church (formerly Cedarville Evangelical Congregational Church). Bruce enjoyed being the "sound guy" for The Traveleers quartet and enjoyed his fellowship with Dave, Jerry, Mark & Don. Bruce met his wife, Susie, at the Ark Coffeehouse. They spent many hours volunteering, serving the patrons and ministering God's love. Bruce and Susan Cowan Woitynek were married on September 14th, 1984 in Cedarville. They enjoyed raising her son, Sean Woitynek, together with Sean's father and his wife, Jim and Nancy Babcock Woitynek. Bruce and Sean especially enjoyed working on vehicles together as well as remodeling the ancestral home of Bruce's grandparents. Another fond memory is the hours spent with Susie, Sean and Kristen playing board games. Bruce spent the last few winters in Texas, first staying with his brother Allen Donker and his wife, Annette. He then enjoyed having his own apartment. He was led to the Killeen Church of the Nazarene through a "God Moment". A chance encounter in a Dollar Tree store was used by God to connect him with the church and the Teston family, who adopted him as one of their own. Bruce encountered many health issues - a stroke, AFib, congestive heart failure, stage 4 kidney disease, obesity, high blood pressure and more. He dealt with each of these as he did everything in his life, through his trust in God, faith in his medical teams, and living each day as it came. One of his favorite sayings by his then five-year-old granddaughter Kyleigh was "You git what you git and you don't throw a fit". Bruce leaves family and many friends to cherish his memory; his wife of 35 years Susie Cowan Donker, her son and his family Sean and Kristen Woitynek and their daughters Elizabeth and Kyleigh Woitynek. He is also survived by two brothers, Allen (Annette) Donker and Mark (Brenda) Donker. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established in his name.