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Sept. 21, 1941-July 31, 2026
Minot
Donna Mae Horn (Nygard), Minot, passed away peacefully, surrounded by four generations of family members, on July 31, 2026, in Minot, at the age of 84.
Donna was born on September 21, 1941, and raised in Ambrose, ND. She grew up in a cozy home with ten siblings. Donna graduated with a class of seven from Ambrose High School. She moved to Minot in 1959 and attended Minot Business College, where she earned an accounting certificate.
Donna met her future husband, Paul, after she moved to Minot. They married on June 8, 1963. After raising five children, Donna joined Paul in their family business - Paul’s Woodworks in Minot. Donna and Paul retired together in 2003 after nearly 40 years in business. They enjoyed their retirement days, spending time with their large family and Prairie Creations woodcraft hobby business for many years, traveling to Pride of Dakota shows throughout the state.
From a young age, Donna had a great love for music. She utilized her beautiful soprano voice as the youngest member of her hometown church’s choir in Ambrose. She sang in the St. John the Apostle church choir in Minot well into her last year of life. She was thrilled to see several members of her extended family carrying on her musical legacy.
Those who knew Donna enjoyed her warm and pleasant demeanor. Wherever she went, she was certain to share a smile. She engaged in conversation with those around her, whether you were a good friend or someone she had never met. She mastered the art of the ‘long goodbye ‘ - passing that down to several of her children.
Donna’s children will forever chuckle about her adoption of ‘Color me Beautiful’. She loved all forms of pink, mauve, lavender and purple, often incorporating them into her clothing and home decor choices (Uff da!). She also had a shoe obsession, always wanting fashion-forward shoes up until her last days.
Her loving family includes: her children, Denise Johnson (Keith), Minot; Jim Horn (Ann), Minneapolis; Debbie Jung (Steve), Bloomington, MN; DeAnn Mattson (Perry), Grand Forks, ND; Darla Jensen (Patrick), Bismarck, ND; her brother Wally Nygard (Marge), Jamestown, ND; grandchildren Lexi (Ryan), Abby (Rocco), Isaac (Sophia), Kolbe, Josh, Elizabeth, Andrew, Charlie, Rose, Tony, Lissa, Grace, Kate, Reece (Mariah), Ryder (Carley), Rayn, and River, great grandchildren Weston, Gianna, Kira, Matteo, Valentina, Sofia, Finley and Carver, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Ole and Zora, husband Paul, her infant daughter Marie, grandson Jordan, and siblings Betty, Delores, Donny, Irvin, Iyla, Joann, Larry, Lois, Melvin.
Donna’s family extends their thanks to Donna’s 21st ST NW neighbors for their years of caretaking and the dedicated staff of Caring Edge Hospice and Edgewood Vista for their attentive and loving care during her last few weeks.
Mass of Christian Burial: Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at St. John the Apostle Church, Minot.
Interment: Rosehill Memorial Park Cemetery, Minot, ND.
Visitation: Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.
Family Prayer Service and Reflections: Friday at 4 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.
To honor Donna’s memory, in lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider a donation to St. John the Apostle Church in Minot or a charity of your choice.
The service will be livestreamed for the public to view and can be accessed by going to the Thompson-Larson Funeral home website: www.thompsonlarson.com
Those wishing to sign the online register and share memories may access the online obituaries section at (www.thompsonlarson.com).
Published by The Minot Daily News, August 4, 2026.