“Sisters, Sisters…there were never such devoted sisters……”
Donna Kathleen was born in Fairfield, IL to Bob and Ruby Mayne, who brought her home to Albion, Il. She was their second child, 4 years younger than her brother, Rick. She was only 17-months-old when her sister was born, effectively ending her babyhood. She had red hair, dimples, and a musical talent that showed from the time she could talk. Her family moved to Gary, IN when she was about 5, and then landed in Evansville, IN when she was 9. Except for a side-trip to California when she was 15 and a year in Terre Haute when she was 19, she has lived in Evansville ever since. Donna met Lenny Carr during her junior year at Harrison High School and fell in love. After high school, she started working at Morris Plan and made a plan for life that she’s pretty much stuck with ever since. She and Lenny married in 1971; Lauren was born in 1973, Allison in 1977. She worked part-time at Lamar Properties for many years and her co-workers there are still family to her. Along the way, she decided to go back to school, taking evening classes for several years, finally getting her Associate in Business Degree from USI in 1990 (editor note: I’m not sure what year she finished). Several years as Director of Meals on Wheels convinced her to stay with non-profit social services and she went on to become Executive Director of the Evansville Mental Health Association, where she diagnosed us all. She was there for a decade or so; she is now Executive Director of Evansville Weekday Christian Education. About 6 years ago, Donna moved to the eastside and became a very active member of Bethel Temple Community Church, where she directs the Myanmar Mission Program and travels to Myanmar annually to personally care for the orphans her church supports there. A most talented musician, Donna plays the piano by ear with a strong left hand in a style reminiscent of our grandmother. She is a great mom and grandmother, pretty-good wife to Len, and an outstanding sister to me. Words can’t express how much I love this woman. We are nothing alike in our attitudes, but our SisterBond is incredible, almost twin-ish. We’ve stuck together through thick and thin and worked through (argued through) many overwhelming circumstances in our relationship, now comfortable with (even enjoying) our differences. Throughout everything, the best part—the part that I couldn’t have survived without—is when we laugh together; there’s nothing in the world like it. Donna turned in her interview months ago, and I apologize for the delay in posting, but geesh, I’ve been busy.
Age: 58
Bed size: (she forgot to answer this, but I’m guessing queen?)
Chore you hate: cleaning the bathtub
Dog’s name: Gunner
Essential “start your day” item: cup of coffee and granola bar
Favorite color: yellow
Gold or Silver? depends on what I’m wearing
Height: 5′
Instrument you play: piano
Job title: Executive Director
Kids: Lauren and Allison
Living arrangements: cute little brick bungalow with my husband, Lenny
Mom’s name: Ruby
Nicknames: Mimi, John, Queen, Donna Kate
Overnight hospital stay (other than childbirth): one (hysterectomy)
Pet peeves: Self-centered people; drivers who don’t use their turn signals
Quote from a movie: “Say hello to my little friend” Al Pacino in “Scarface”
Right(handed) or Left(handed: left
Siblings: Rick and Jo
Time you wake up: 6:30-7:00 a.m.
Underwear: a 58-year-old’s version of bikinis (editor’s note: wtf?)
Veggie you most like and dislike: I LOVE any kid of veggie
Ways you cope with stress: walking and/or praying–sometimes both at the same time.
X-ray vision (have you ever predicted the future correctly?): Nope, but I have some pretty good hunches about the obvious.
Zoo you like best: I think I’ve only been to 2, so I’ll say St. Louis.
