Donna Mae Harris

Donna Mae Harris

Donna Mae Harris (nee Eschenfelder), 84, of Belleville, IL, born on September 30, 1937, in Belleville, IL, was called home from her residence on Friday, June 24, 2022.
Donna was born and raised in the Belleville area, and it was there that she met and married Eugene Harris on May 12, 1962, at the United Bethel Church in Mascoutah. They remained in the area where she worked for a number of companies and raised four children. Donna was also a member of St. Matthew United Methodist Church of Belleville and the Order of the Eastern Star of Illinois, Chapter 487 of O’Fallon, IL.
Donna retired from Southwestern Illinois College (formerly Belleville Area College) from the switchboard department. Prior to SWIC, she worked for Illinois Power, IBEW 51, South 6th St., Belleville location where she held positions within the switchboard, mapping and planning, and engineering departments.
Upon retirement, Donna volunteered as an on-air personality with Mind’s Eye Information Service hosted out of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. She also volunteered with St. Matthew’s Church in their thrift shop, ‘PAWS’ program, and performed missionary trips to Asuncion, Paraguay.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Ben and Carrie Eschenfelder (nee Springer); her brothers, Donald and David Eschenfelder; her sister, Nadine Born; parents-in-law, Jonathon and Anna Harris; son-in-law, Dennis James Zotz; and one granddaughter, Samantha “Pinky” Zotz.
Donna is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Eugene H. Harris; one brother, Bernard Eschenfelder; one daughter, Sandra (Harris) Zotz of Trenton, IL; three sons, Marcus Harris of Belleville, IL, Donald Harris of Mascoutah, IL, and Kevin (Renee Rakers) Harris of Trenton, IL; six grandchildren, Uriah Harris, Hollis Pace, David Zotz, Daniel Zotz, Katie Zotz, and Wendy Zotz; and one great-granddaughter, Charlotte Zotz.
Visitation will take place Wednesday, June 29, 2022, from 4:00 pm- 7:00 pm, at Schildknecht Funeral Home; 301 S. Lincoln Ave., O’Fallon, IL 62269.
Funeral service will take place on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 11:00 am, at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church; 1200 Moreland Dr., Belleville, IL 62223, with a visitation beginning at 10:00 am. Burial to follow at Walnut Hill Cemetery; 1101 Mascoutah Ave., Belleville, IL 62220.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society; https://www.cancer.org, or St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church; https://onrealm.org/StMatthewUnited/Account/Start?ReturnUrl=%2FStMatthewUnited. Condolences may be extended to the family online at www.schildknechtfh.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Schildknecht Funeral Home in O’Fallon, IL.