Donna Marie (Fideler) Vial

Donna Marie (Fideler) Vial, 95, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died peacefully Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at MercyOne Medical Center in West Des Moines. Donna was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on March 7, 1927, the sixth of seven children of Louis E. and Marie (Nemmers) Fideler.

Raised in Fort Dodge and Waterloo, Donna worked part-time in retail and at the family root beer stand before her high school graduation in 1944 from Our Lady of Victory Academy. Because her mother died when Donna was 17, she often reflected on how difficult it was to lose her mother at a young age. Donna attended Clarke College in Dubuque for one year. She studied shorthand and typing and became an executive secretary at the National Bank of Waterloo. In 1953, she married Robert “Bud” Vial in Waterloo and devoted the next two decades to raising six children in various Iowa cities where Bud worked for International Harvester. She enjoyed the friendships that emerged from her bridge club, her church circle at St. Jude’s and her service as a Camp Fire leader and den mother.

In 1971, Donna returned to the workforce as an executive secretary, working at insurance agencies in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines and at Rival Manufacturing in Kansas City until her retirement in 1990 (her children own Crock-Pots of all sizes). Donna enjoyed shopping for antiques and attending art shows. She had a soft spot for quilts, yellow Fiestaware and golden oak wood. Donna was shopping at thrift stores (typically with young Tom in tow) long before it was fashionable. She managed a tight family budget to feed and clothe six children and to send them to Catholic schools. She also convinced Bud, who believed cats were best kept in barns, to keep a Siamese cat (Cybil) and her offspring (ReRe), bringing them much joy over two decades.

In retirement, Donna and Bud enjoyed traveling to many states, including California, Colorado and Montana. Her long-held dream to travel abroad was realized in 1996 when she visited Rome with a group of St. Francis parishioners. Donna loved to decorate for the holidays, particularly when her grandchildren would be visiting. She and Bud could be counted on to attend their grandchildren’s numerous recitals, ballgames and dance or acting performances.

Until her nineties, Donna remained an avid reader. Anita Shreve, Maeve Binchy and Anna Quindlen were among her favorite authors. A book of crossword puzzles (and a specific black ballpoint) were never far from her reach. Donna might have been one of the few 95-year-old viewers of Saturday Night Live (when she could stay awake). She was a faithful BlueBloods fan, and Tom Selleck her TV crush. She also enjoyed Jeopardy, The Drew Barrymore Show and Rachel Ray. Her potato salad, brisket and Texas chocolate sheet cake were among her family’s favorites. Donna will be remembered for making family a priority, for her strong Catholic faith and for her generosity to others.

Donna is survived by her children, Ginny (Stu) Ordman, Iowa City; Paul (Mary) Vial, Urbandale; Joan Vial, Raytown, MO; Susan (Bruce) Kyllingstad, West Branch; and Tom Vial, Tucson, AZ; her son-in-law, Karl Krumbholz, Cedar Rapids; and her brother-in-law, Jack Hovelson, Cedar Falls; thirteen grandchildren, Katie, Sarah, Scott, Carla, Danielle, James, Nina, Allison, Jeffrey, Daniel, Amy, Maria and Ben; eleven great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Bud; her daughter, Vanessa Ann Krumbholz; her sisters, Marijane Larsen, Lorraine Heyer and Sister Lou Marie Fideler; her sister-in-law, Mitzi Fideler; and her brothers, Louis Fideler, Quintin Fideler and Paul Fideler.

A funeral Mass will be held at St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines at 11:00 a.m. on August 26, 2022.

The family would like to thank Donna’s caregivers at Walnut Ridge in Clive, especially the staff who cared for her since June 2021 at the Care Center.

Because Donna was a regular blood donor for decades, a way to honor her memory would be to donate blood or to contribute to the American Red Cross. Condolences may be shared at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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