Donna C. Blain Nichols Bauer, 100, formerly of South Whitley, passed away at 5:10 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at Miller's at Oak Pointe, Columbia City.

Born on November 25, 1925, in Auburn, Indiana, she was the daughter of the late Nathanal and Grace (Edsall) Page.  Her formative years were spent in Auburn.  After the family moved to Columbia City, she completed her education at Columbia City High School.  During her high school years, she worked for the Sadie Rush clothing store in downtown Columbia City.

On September 5, 1942, she married Gordon Blain.  They made their home in Jackson, Mississippi, while her husband served in the U.S. Army.  She took a job with General Electric.  When her husband was deployed during WWII, she returned to Columbia City to live with her mother and took a job with Magnavox, Fort Wayne.  After her husband returned from his deployment, the couple moved to Orlando, FL, where they raised two children.  She worked for Sears for five years before moving to Gainesville, FL, where she took a job with Dr. Charles Graham's medical practice for 16 years.  The couple then moved to Sarasota, FL, where Donna worked for Dr. Katz's medical practice for 10 years.  In 1972, the couple moved to South Whitley, where they purchased the former Hick's Hotel, remodeling it into a senior retirement home and naming it The Christian Manor.  Gordon died on February 12, 1982.

Meeting Lee A. Nichols, while running The Christian Manor, two were wed on September 2, 1983.  They made their home in South Whitley.  Lee died on December 21, 1990.  Donna returned to Sarasota, FL, to be near her son.  On December 19, 1995, she married Jackson Bauer in Sarasota.  The couple continued to live in there until Jack's death on April 15, 2002.

Donna returned to South Whitley to be near her daughter.  She then moved to Columbia City to live with her granddaughter.

Donna was a member of the Sarasota Baptist Church in Sarasota and had attended the United Methodist Church of South Whitley.  In her senior years, she enjoyed watching the birds and her granddaughter's cats.  Throughout her life, she was fond of chocolates.

Surviving are her children, Larry (Margaret) Blain of Sarasota, FL and Sherlene Emery of Columbia City; grandchildren, Lee Ann (Wayne) Seaboyer of Sarasota, FL, Amy Kinsey of Palmetto, FL, Gordon (Renee) Blain of Thompson Station, TN, Jon (Alyssa) Emery of Westville, and Angie (Tom) Emery of Columbia City; eight great-grandchildren; and ten great-great-grandchildren.

Additionally, she was preceded in death by her brother, Errol Page.

The funeral service is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 22nd, at Smith & Sons Miller Chapel, South Whitley, with visitation from 11 a.m. until the service at the funeral home.  Burial is beside her first husband, Gordon, at the South Whitley Cemetery.

Memorials in Donna's honor are to Dr. David Jeremiah Ministries.