Travis Funeral Chapel

Donna Dee Thomas Zurcher, age 94, of La Plata, Missouri, passed away on August 24, 2024. She passed away peacefully at the La Plata Nursing Home after being in hospice for several weeks. Donna was born January 21, 1930 in La Plata, Missouri to Clarence Thomas and Pauline Hamilton. She grew up in La Plata and in Kirksville, starting her college career at what was then called the Northeast Missouri Teachers College, now, Truman State University and earned her bachelors in education from the State University of New York in New Paltz and a Masters degree in Education from Georgia State University. She married Robert (Bob) John Zurcher December 1, 1950 in Columbia, Missouri and celebrated nearly 48 years of marriage until his demise in 1998. She and Frank Maltby Pickens were companions from 2005 until Frank’s demise in 2022.

Donna was a vibrant person, sharp in mind, with a strong sense of curiosity, with a wonderful sense of humor as well as a dedication to doing things which needed to be done. She loved to read history, travel and explore and learn about English as well as other languages. She was very well read in the mystery genre but also enjoyed non-fiction, especially history. She had a great love of family and combined her love of family, geography, languages and history into a passion for genealogy. She was scrupulous in her facts and persistent in her research leaving behind to her descendants a wealth of knowledge about their ancestors. Particularly notable was the research she did, resulting in a book on her 4th great grandfather Robert Hamilton, a 14 year old immigrant from Northern Ireland and a drummer and later corporal in the Continental Army under Mad Anthony Wayne and George Washington, who later moved to Lebanon, Ohio. This book has been well publicized on the internet and used widely by researchers who recognized the quality and detail of her work.

She had a great love of music and remembered her mom singing and humming while working around the house. She loved to play the piano but also to listen to great music, especially Mozart and Vivaldi as well as swing jazz. She enjoyed the arts, including painting as a hobby and particularly liked the work of Paul Cezanne, Georgia O-Keefe as well as the Impressionist movement.

She had a passion for education and was a teacher for many years, including several years in special education. This has been the family profession and she helped pass that along since 4 of her 5 grandchildren have careers in education.

Donna also passed on her love of history, family, geography, traveling and of America to her family. Although she was well-travelled, having lived in several parts of the United States and traveling to numerous countries, she returned shortly before her last quarter century to the Kirksville and La Plata area where she had always felt at home. She felt blessed to have the company as well as assistance of so many family members after she returned to Northeast Missouri.

Donna was preceded in her demise by her parents Pauline Hamilton (December 30, 1955) and Clarence Thomas (June 17, 1999), both long -time residents in La Plata, as well as by her dearly beloved younger brother, Jerry Thomas (November 1, 2023). She is survived by two brothers Patrick Thomas of Kiln, Mississippi and David Thomas of Knoxville, Iowa, her daughter Julie Martin of Atlanta Georgia, her son, Robert (Rob) Zurcher of Morris Plains, New Jersey, 5 grandchildren Ben Hall, Anna Luongo, Amelia Zurcher, Madeleine Zurcher and Robert (Robbie) Zurcher as well as 4 great grandchildren and 10 nieces and 4 nephews.

A memorial service will be held at the Travis Funeral Chapel in La Plata Missouri at 3:00 pm on Friday, August 30, 2024 with visitation an hour before.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Adam Thomas Scholarship Fund, La Plata Volunteer Fire Department, Your Life Matters Inc. at P.O. Box 291, Knoxville, IA, the Wounded Warrior Project, or the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.