Donna J. Abel, 81, of Scottsbluff, died Friday, November 23, 2012, at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.

Her memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, November 30, 2012, First United Methodist Church in Scottsbluff with Pastor Matt Fowler officiating.  Inurnment will follow in the West Lawn Cemetery in Gering. 

Memorials may be made to Scottsbluff Habitat for Humanity, Smile Train, or United Methodist School in Kenya.  Tributes of sympathy may be left at www.dugankramer.com  Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services in Scottsbluff is in charge of the arrangements.

Donna Jean was born December 25, 1930, twin sister of Phyllis Joyce, in a sod house on a farm near Stapleton, Nebraska to Jess and Helen (Tatman) Keslar.  She received her early education in a one room school house in Lincoln County.  She graduated from the Stapleton High School in 1948.

Donna married Carl F. Abel, June 26, 1949, at North Platte, Nebraska.  To this union three children were born, Stephen Carl, David Glenn, and Carol Jean.  They were married for 60 years.  She attended Santa Clara University where she received her Masters degree from the School of Education and Psychology Counseling.  

They moved to San Jose, California in 1956 and lived there until moving to Morgan Hill, California.  She worked as a registered nurse for 30 years in Santa Clara County California.  They moved to Scottsbluff in 2006. 

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Morgan Hill, California and transferred to First United Methodist Church in Scottsbluff. 

Survivors include her daughter, Carol (Joe Meerscheidt) Abel of Minden, Nevada; sons, Stephen (Barbara) Abel of Kalispell, Montana and David (CamHong Pham) of Fremont, California; grandchildren, Maria, Alexander “Pat,” Cynthia, Ian, and Ashley. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; twin sister, Phyllis Potter; and brothers, Byron, Fred, Riley, and J.R. Keslar.