Donna Mae Wise

Donna Mae Wise, 91, passed away on May 11, 2025. A Christian Funeral will be held for Donna on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Prior Lake (5634 Luther Rd SE) at 11am. Prior to the Funeral, there will be a Time of Gathering from 9-10:45am at the church. Following the service, Donna will be laid to rest in St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery.

Donna was born to Knute Melvin and Ethel Carrie (Clipperton) Grev at their home in Ormsby, MN. She was the oldest of nine children. The Grev’s moved briefly to South Dakota, then onto the Grev Family Farm near Odin, MN.

Growing up, Donna attended St. Olaf Lutheran Church, a one-room school and later graduated from Trimont High School in 1952. Donna enjoyed choir, band, and being with her family.

Moving to Minneapolis, Donna studied at Business College and worked as a secretary and at a local candy store. While she was attending a dance with some of her mutual friends, she met the love of her life, Dwayne Wise. They were married on August 2, 1958 and raised three boys and a girl. First the family lived in Savage, MN, but moved to rural Prior Lake where they had a poultry hobby farm.

Donna was employed by the Prior Lake Public Schools in 1968 as a secretary and retired from there after 25 years. She enjoyed rosemaling, church choir, dancing, and attending her children’s and grandchildren's activities. In the early 2000’s Donna was a soloist with a musical ensemble that gave concerts around the Twin Cities.

She and Dwayne loved polka and cajun dances. They traveled the world and loved to go on cruises and adventures! One of their goals was to visit all continents, which they completed with their trip to Antarctica. Several of their trips were to Vaga, Norway to visit their Grev relatives. Over the years, they became close friends with Kari and Steiner Storvik. Kari wrote a book about Vaga featuring a picture of Donna and Dwayne on the book’s back cover.

Donna is survived by children, Gene K. Wise, Paul (Lynn) Wise, Bruce (Audrey) Wise, and Mari (Scott) Sorgatz; grandchildren, Carrie (Jon), Jeff, Elizabeth (Matt), Amanda (Dan), Brianna, Benjamin (Katie), Rachel, Whitney (Chad); great-grandchildren, Caden, Jayden,Teagan, Melody, Mason, Cheyenne, Shelby, Josie, Emma, Madelyn, Abigail, Emerson, Carson, Kaiah; siblings, Dennis Grev, Kathy Carlblom, Frances Valley, Conrad (Kathryn) Grev, Lowell (Ann) Grev; sisters in law; Pearl Grev, Katie Grev; and many other loving family and friends.

Donna is preceded in death by her loving husband, Dwayne; parents; Melvin and Ethel Grev; grandson Zachary; siblings; Leslie Grev, Julian Grev, Bruce Grev; and sisters-in-law, Marilyn Grev, Judy Grev, and Elaine Grev; and brother-in-law Arlen Carlblom.