DONNA MAE FOLETTA-

SHE WAS BORN TO JOHN S. BOX AND EFFIE MARIE BOX FEBRUARY 21,1938 IN CREEK COUNTY, OKLAHOMA AND PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 30,2026 IN CLOVIS, CA. IT WAS AFTER SHE COMPLETED 8 WEEKS OF CANCER TREATMENTS THAT SHE PASSED AWAY DUE TO RESPIRATORY COMPLICATIONS. SHE WAS READY TO MEET JESUS.

SHE MOVED FROM OKLAHOMA ALONG WITH HER FAMILY, AT THE AGE OF 8 TO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WHERE SHE RESIDED ALL THE REST OF HER DAYS. SHE MET AND MARRIED GERALD HALE WHILE ATTENDING DOS PALOS HIGH SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 17. TOGETHER THEY HAD 5 CHILDREN: MICHAEL, SANDRA, PAMELA, MARK AND KIM. SHE WENT ON TO BE GRANDMOTHER TO 9 CHILDREN AND GREAT- GRANDMOTHER TO 15.

HER GREATEST JOY IN LIFE WAS BEING WITH AND SERVING HER FAMILY. IN TIMES OF JOY AND IN TIMES OF SORROW, SHE WAS THERE TO SUPPORT THEM.

SHE TAUGHT US LAUGHTER, LOVE, FORGIVENESS, COMPASSIONATE. AND RESILIENCE. SHE WAS OUR GO TO PERSON WHEN WE HAD ANYTHING, NO MATTER HOW TRIVIAL, TO SHARE.

SHE ENJOYED TRAVELING TO NEW PLACES INCLUDING HER TRIPS TO THE COAST WITH HER DAUGHTERS.

SHE DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR

HUMMINGBIRDS. FUNNY THING, IT TRICKLED DOWN TO MANY OF HER KIDS AND GRANDKIDS. IT REALLY BECAME A SYMBOL FOR SOMETHING THAT SHE LOVED. WE SEE HUMMINGBIRDS AND WE THINK OF HER.

SHE HAD IDIOMS OF HER OWN THAT FOLLOW US IN OUR EVERYDAY LANGUAGE. THE SAYINGS THAT SHE HAD WERE FOREIGN TO EVERYONE ELSE OUTSIDE OF THE FAMILY.

SHE IS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER FATHER, JOHN (COINCIDENTALLY ON THE SAME MONTH AND DAY, JANUARY 30TH), HER MOTHER, EFFIE, SISTER IRENE RAMIREZ AND HER SPOUSE RUDY, AND SON-IN-LAW MICK KERMAN.

SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER 5 CHILDREN, MICHAEL HALE OF FRESNO, SANDRA HENDERSON (PHIL) OF CLOVIS, PAMELA KERMAN OF SAN JOSE, CA, MARK HALE (KELLI) OF FRESNO, AND KIM HALE OF HANFORD. AS WELL AS ALL OF HER GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN AND HER BROTHER JOHN BOX (PAT) OF KING CITY AND NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.