Birth date: Mar 26, 1939 Death date: Sep 13, 2025
Alright all you Heavenly Host—you're gonna have to make room for a new recruit in the choir up there! Donna Luella Satterfield, age 86, of Charleston, Illinois, made her joyful journey home on Saturday, September 13, 2025, from Wi Read Obituary
After marrying her granddaughter, Alicia, she IMMEDIATELY welcomed me into the family and instantly made me feel like I belonged. I was also privileged enough to play some music and sing along with her. I really enjoyed listening to her stories and adventures. She WAS love!! Kindest heart I've ever seen. I'll miss her.
Donna, Our beloved host mother....
We feel truly blessed to have had Donna as our host mother during our time as international students at Eastern Illinois University. From the very first day we met her, she wrapped us in warmth and kindness, with the kind of love that made us feel at home, even though we were far from our own families. She had a beautiful gift for making everyone feel like they belonged, whether around her dinner table, at church, or simply in her gentle presence.
Donna’s faith, generosity, and joyful spirit left an imprint on our lives that will never fade. She cared for us in ways far beyond what we expected. When sickness came, she took us to the hospital, welcomed us into her home for rest, and nourished us with warm food made with love. She took us to church and comforted us with her gentle assurance: “God will heal you.”
Often, we told her, “You are our God, always there for us when we need you.” With her radiant smile, she would reply, “Honey, I am just a messenger of my God, not God.” And we would answer, “Yes, God has sent us His messenger in you, but for us, you are God, because we have never seen Him.”
Life with Donna was filled with simple joys and motherly care. She played Hand and Foot with us, took us grocery shopping, let us do our laundry like we were in our own home, and, like a true mother, always asked, “What do you want to eat?” before preparing meals that filled not just our stomachs but our hearts. She felt our pain when we were hurt, her emotions showing just how deeply she loved us.
To us, and to so many other international students, Donna was never just a host mother; she was our real mother. Her love, her care, and her unwavering faith will remain in our hearts forever.
With endless love and gratitude,
Pabitra & Sailesh
Donna was the best storyteller and had the best laugh! So many great memories of playing cards with her and her fun-loving spirit. She hardly spoke a sentence without mentioning her Lord's name. What an amazing lady she was and will be so missed!
I lived by my auntie she sure was a special lady,when we had a fire supported us .Every night faithfully studied the lord's word I sure have a lot of memories she will be missed but she will never be forgotten ❤️
Her love, kindness, and unwavering hospitality shaped the lives of so many, especially international students who were far from their families and cultures.
Donna welcomed us into her home with open arms. To strangers, she offered more than just shelter. She offered warmth, meals, laughter, and a place to belong. In a foreign land, in the middle of hectic classes and cultural adjustments, Donna’s home became a sanctuary. A place where we could breathe, be ourselves, and feel truly seen.
Weekends spent playing "Hand & Foot," listening to her countless stories, and laughing over shared meals remain some of the most treasured memories of our lives. Her home was filled with love, understanding, and acceptance, and for many of us, it became the heart of our American experience.
Donna wasn’t just a kind woman; she was a true Christian. She lived her faith with quiet strength, opening her heart and her home to everyone who needed it. Her life reflected Christ’s love: selfless, generous, and full of grace.
Returning to Charleston, IL year after year was never just a visit. It was coming home to Donna. And now, that chapter has closed. The house may still stand, but without Donna, we feel the absence of the love that made it home.
Though she is no longer with us, the warmth she shared, the faith she lived by, and the love she gave so freely will forever live on in each of us.
My mother had nine children. Me and Donna were the last two. She always treated me very well.
So many precious memories with Aunt Donna, her & my mama are sisters. So many great times going to church at university Baptist & Rardin church and Aunt Donna leading the choir us cousins sang in!! So many memories going to Aunt Donna's & Uncle John's house many Sundays excited to eat Sunday dinner she cooked~~ Aunt Donna was the most purest Christian women I've ever known, she brought So many people to Jesus..You could see the glow in her eye's doing Jesus's work...Loved spending week ends at her house such fun memories. I know your singing hallelujah up there, praise JESUS!!! YOU left a mark on So many lives here on earth but your in your heavenly home now!!! Till we meet again keep me a place.
