Ada Braun-Donaldson

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Ada Braun-Donaldson, of Caldwell, Idaho passed away quietly at a care facility on October 3rd, 2019 one day before her 82nd birthday. Ada fought a noble ten-year battle with Alzheimer’s, relying upon her beloved husband Howard for her daily care. Ada was born in Olcott, New York on October 4, 1937 to Kenneth and Elizabeth “Betty” Ray. Ada was the youngest of three children. Raised mostly by her Grandparents in Newfane, New York, Ada loved hanging out with her cousins on their family farm and eating apples from the apple orchards. Ada married her high school sweetheart, Donald Hill in 1954 when she was just 16 years old and together, they had five girls, Donna, Cindy, Wendy, Nina and Mary Alice. After divorcing Donald in 1968, Ada moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to live near her parents. While living in Albuquerque, Ada met Joseph Braun, they wed in a small ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1969. They spent the first year of their marriage living in California, near Joe’s parents. After Joe retired from the Air Force, they moved to Mountain Home, Idaho in June of 1970 to be near the military base, where they lived and raised their family until Joe passed away in August of 1997. Ada hated being alone, she met and fell in love with Howard Donaldson in 1999. Ada always wanted a real wedding, but never actually had one, so Howard made sure she got one. Ada wed Howard Donaldson in a lovely outdoor ceremony with their family and friends present at the Winery, in Glenns Ferry, Idaho in August of 2000. Howard owned a home in Caldwell, Idaho, so after their marriage Ada moved to Caldwell to live with Howard. They had a good life together, also purchasing a home in Yuma, Arizona, where they loved spending the winters together and their summers in Caldwell, until Ada started showing signs of her Alzheimer’s and as she got worse they had to sell their home in Yuma and just spend their remaining time together in Caldwell.

Ada is survived by her loving husband of 19 years Howard Donaldson of Caldwell, Idaho, her sister Beverly Harrelson of Albuquerque, New Mexico, her brother Jim Ray of New Mexico, her daughter Donna Willis and fiancé Rick Fantrazzo of Niagara Falls, New York, her daughter Cindy Kelley and her husband Carson of Wolcottsville, New York, her daughter Wendy Robison and her husband Tom of Mountain Home, Idaho, and her daughter Nina Patterson of Mountain Home, Idaho, along with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Ada was preceded in death by her husband of 28 years Joseph Braun, her parents Kenneth and Elizabeth “Betty” Ray, her infant daughter Mary Alice Hill, her son-in-law Troy Willis, her son-in-law James Patterson and her infant granddaughter Terra Marie Patterson.

Cremation services are under the direction of Dakan Funeral Home in Caldwell, Idaho. No services are planned at this time.