LaDonna Mae (Ruth) Asklof, daughter of Wilhelm Luther and Mary Cecilia (Wram) Ruth, was born on September 22, 1926 in New Ulm Minnesota. She was the youngest of three children. LaDonna passed away on Tuesday afternoon, June 9, 2009 at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, Iowa, at the age of 82.

She was baptized in Lafayette, Minnesota. After the death of her father in 1931, LaDonna and her mother moved to Stanton, Iowa. LaDonna attended the Stanton Community Schools, graduating from Stanton High School with the Class of 1944. In addition to her studies, she enjoyed music and basketball. She was a confirmed member of the Mamrelund Luthern Church in Stanton. She served as Sunday School teacher and pianist for many years.

LaDonna worked at Ossian Grocery after school and Saturdays, which was where she met a young man named Glen. His mother sent him to town on Saturday nights to get ice for the icebox. She could never understand why he brought such a small piece of ice home. Glen Melvin Asklof and LaDonna Mae Ruth were married on October 6, 1944, at the Mamrelund Lutheran Church. To this union were born three daughters and one son.

LaDonna was a Brownie Scout leader and a charter member of the Entre Nous Service Club. In 1965, the family moved to Essex, Iowa. Shortly after moving, she began working for the City of Essex and Nelson Insurance Agency, which later became Essex Insurance. She worked there for 22 years. She and Glen then traveled, touring much of the United States. She also enjoyed sewing and baking pies with lemon meringue being her specialty.

LaDonna was preceded in death by her parents; husband Glen in 2006; her sister and brother; and one grandson, Marc Creger. She is survived by her three daughters, Rita Oberg and her husband David of Shenandoah, Ruth Fridolfson and her husband Lyle of Rockwell City, IA, Linda Wolfe and her husband John, also of Shenandoah; son, Gene Asklof and his wife Desi of Ames, IA; ten grandsons, Lane and Brandi Oberg of Layton, UT, Eric and Dawn Oberg of Berthoud, CO, Jeffrey and Stacy Creger of Northwood, IA, Grant and Andrea Creger of Perry, IA, Matthew and Mandy Creger of Ft. Dodge, IA, Michael Creger of Rockwell City, IA, James Wolfe of Omaha, NE, Joseph Wolfe of Shenandoah, IA, Geoffrey Asklof of Ames, IA, and Ryan Asklof of Ames, IA; three great granddaughters; eight great grandsons; other relatives and many friends. Memorials in LaDonna's name are being directed to Essex Fire & Rescue, St. John's Lutheran Church or the Stanton Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center.