Donna Bischoff

On July 12, 1914, William and Ethel Wilmarth Swift welcomed their first born, Donna, into their home in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Donna graduated from high school in 1930. At age 16, Donna found a job and saved every penny toward her Bible College dream. A year later she arrived at the Evangelical Church School, North Central College, in Naperville, Illinois. She had a job in the dining hall where she met her future husband, John W. Bischoff. Her principal memory of graduation was walking down the aisle to "Lead On 0 King Eternal" and wondering where God would lead her. Realizing that John was being led to the Evangelical Church Mission, Red Bird, in southeastern Kentucky, Donna prepared herself to be an Evangelical minister's wife. She accepted a call to teach at the Beach Fork School of Red Bird Mission. She returned to Naperville for John's Seminary graduation and on June 7, 1937, Donna became Mrs. John W. Bischoff. They served a few years at Perkins Grove and Peoria First Evangelical Churches in Illinois, where their first child was born. In September 1940, the Bischoff's moved to the Jack's Creek Station of the Red Bird Mission where Donna was very much a part of the pastor's work. In March 1946, the family, now with two additional children, moved to Beverly, Kentucky where they began their work as Superintendant of Red Bird Mission. Their fourth child was born here. Red Bird was now a mission of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In the fall of 1959, Donna returned to teaching due to a teaching shortage at the mission high school. In 1963, Donna and John came to Denver, Colorado for a year of continuing education and deputation. They returned to Red Bird where Donna blessed many students with her dedicated work with speech and debate teams. In 1968 the EUB church merged with the Methodist Church. After 37 years of teaching and ministering to the mountain people, John & Donna retired to Loveland, Colorado in June 1977. Donna was very active with FUMC where she established an awareness of many missions, including Red Bird. She was also involved in her community at large — volunteer at the Loveland Welcome Center, McKee Hospital and the Valentine Stamp Program. Soon after John's death on Feb. 19, 1990, Donna moved into the Loveland Good Samaritan Retirement Village where she continued her many volunteer activities such as helping new residents get acquaint, setting up various programs and events, interviewing new residents for the Village News, marking meal tickets and working at the welcome desk and country store. On Sunday, October 4, 2009, Donna D. Bischoff, at age 95, went "from a full life to a fuller life". Surviving are four children; daughter, Marilyn Ruth and David Smith of Pineville, Kentucky, son, Donald and Marilyn K. Bischoff of St. Joseph, Missouri, daughter, Joyce Bodin of Greeley, Colorado, and daughter, Bobbi Lois and Bill Ernst of Evergreen, Colorado; five granddaughters and four grandsons; four great granddaughters and four great grandsons. She is also survived by two nieces, Karen Efron, Ontario, Canada, and Elaine Wade, Wausau, Wisconsin. All memorial donations should be sent to Red Bird Missionary Conference, 70 Queendale Center, Beverly, Kentucky 40913.