Donnis Maye Paden.... Age 49

Cremation
Celebration of Life will be August 25, 2018 in Parker, KS details to follow

Memorials are to The Donnis Paden Memorial Fund
send c/o the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430
Osawatomie, KS 66064

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Donnis Maye Paden, of Andover, KS - formerly Osawatomie, KS, peacefully passed away on Saturday, July 7, 2018 at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis in Wichita, Kansas. Donnis was 49 years old.

Donnis was born October 22, 1968 in Iola, KS to John August Koelsch and LaDonna June (Bowman) Cornett. Through separate marriages, Donnis was the first of eight children; but not by much as her twin sister, Cathy, followed seven minutes behind. The family lived in Linn County where Donnis attended school in the Prairie View School District. While attending school, Donnis sang and played mandolin in a Bluegrass band with her mother and sisters. She graduated from Prairie View High School with the class of 1987.

After High School, Donnis married Bradley Lynn Paden on June 17, 1989 in Osawatomie, KS. They made their home in Osawatomie and they became the parents of three children, Jessica, Nicholas and Brandon. The marriage later ended in divorce.

Donnis loved being a mom! She stayed home with her kids before they were school age while running an in-home daycare. After her children were in school, Donnis started working with adults with disabilities. She started her career as a Job Coach and later, for another agency, she was a Day Service Director.

Donnis’ love for music was not limited to only creating it; she was an avid member of the Keith Urban Fan Club. One of her favorite memories included meeting Urban and him commenting on her beautiful, blue eyes. Her hobbies include watching KU basketball and her recently-discovered talent of drawing. Drawing was her happy place. She could find art in everything she saw. Her Grandma Staley was a big influence in her drawing. Donnis would draw portraits, animals and landscapes. Donnis was very strong willed but would do anything to help. Her children were her world!

Donnis was preceded in death by her grandparents: Frankie Bowman, Maxine Staley, Earl Staley, and Nettie and Reinard Koelsch, her father: John Koelsch, her sisters: Stacey Koelsch and Jennifer Koelsch, and her mother and father in law: Virginia and Francis Paden.

Survivors include her children Jessica (Joshua Evans) Paden of Olathe, KS, Nicholas Paden and Brandon Paden both of Osawatomie, KS. Significant other, Ryan Fritchman of Andover, KS. Mother, LaDonna Cornett of Parker, KS, brother, John Koelsch of Larnard, KS, five sisters Cathy (Brian) Wittman of Woodstock, AL, Karen (Rex) Luckey of Osawatomie, KS, Shana (John) Tinsley of Osawatomie, KS, Christine (Scott) Downum of Belton, MO and Denise Koelsch of Kansas City, MO. Along with 16 nieces and 20 nephews and other family and friends.

The family is asking, in lieu of flowers, that any contributions be made to the Donnis Paden Memorial Fund with First Option Bank of Osawatomie.