Doneta Lester

Doneta Kay Lester, of Cottage Grove, at age 75, passed away peacefully in her sleep surrounded by family on January 10th, 2026. 

Doneta was born to Elsie and James Brown in St. Paul, MN on November 16th, 1950. She grew up in the South St. Paul area and spent much of her adult life living in Cottage Grove. She worked for many years as a Special Education teacher for District 917 and eventually transitioned into Elementary Education teaching 2nd Grade at Grey Cloud Elementary School in District 833.

In her free time, Doneta enjoyed working on puzzles, yard work and gardening, walking around the neighborhood, or participating in water aerobics at the YMCA. She also spent a lot of time working on projects around her house, so while she enjoyed visitors, there was always a risk she might put you to work if you stopped in to see her.

Family was very important to Doneta, she spent many hours attending sporting events, concerts, birthday gatherings, and other special events for her 5 grandsons. She never missed an opportunity to attend family functions so she could keep up with all the new and exciting things people had going on in their lives. She enjoyed traveling with her mom and sister to sunny warm places in the winter, every destination was a new adventure for the three of them.

Doneta had a soft spot for most animals, she provided a loving home for more than a few cats, dogs, and even a very disagreeable rabbit over the years. On her walks around the neighborhood, she always made sure to stop and say "Hi" to all the neighborhood dogs. She never got flustered when one of her boys would show up with a snake, turtle, lizard, or some other random animal that they found that they thought would make an excellent pet.

Doneta is survived by her brother Jack; two sons Timothy (Melissa) and Christopher (Megan); grandsons Nick, Ryan (Jocelyn), Nate, Max and Alex. She was preceded in death by her parents James and Elsie Brown; sister Joyce and brothers Jim and Dennis.

A Celebration of Life Visitation will be held from 5 - 7 PM on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at Kok Funeral Home 7676 80th Street S Cottage Grove, MN 55016. Private interment will take place at Acacia Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.