Donna Grace Salisbury
Donna Grace Salisbury, age 87, passed away peacefully at her home on Monday, August 24, 2026, surrounded by her family.
Donna was born January 17, 1939, the daughter of Kendall and Esther (Grace) Kniffen. She was later raised by her adoptive parents, Ernie and Hannah Grace. On March 15, 1956, Donna married Brady Salisbury, with whom she shared many years of marriage, family, community involvement, and wonderful memories.
Donna was an avid and competitive bowler and had plenty of talent to go along with her competitive spirit. During her years of bowling, she recorded a 600 series in league play and a high game of 267.
She was also known as an excellent cook and enjoyed canning. One of Donna’s special talents was making Raggedy Ann dolls. She made dolls for family members and also sold them, with her creations finding homes all over the world. Each doll received Donna’s personal touch, including a heart and the name of the child who would receive it.
Donna and Brady believed strongly in giving back to their community and were dedicated volunteers, particularly with the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. Their many years of service were recognized when the couple had the honor of serving as Grand Marshals of the festival.
Above all, Donna loved her family. She rarely missed an opportunity to attend the sporting events and activities of her children and grandchildren and took great pride in supporting them. She was also an avid Detroit Tigers fan and had the memorable opportunity to throw out a first pitch at a baseball game.
Donna is survived by her three children, Diane (Bruce) Burgess, Jim (Misty) Salisbury, and Tammy (Bob) Kanine; eight grandchildren, Jason (Michelle) Travis, Jill (Robert) Sillman, Jessica (Marshall) Johnson, Jerad (Tamara) Salisbury, Javan (Mark) Salisbury, Jake (Suzi) Kanine, Adam (Haley) Kanine, and Luke (Krystle) Kanine; 11 great-grandchildren, Cole, Madison, Brayden, Lydee, Jayda, Brody, Jeremiah, Brady, Jackson, Addison, and Macy; brother, Richard Grace; sisters-in-law, Jan Geer and Sharon Salisbury; and several nieces and nephews.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Kendall and Esther (Grace) Kniffen; adoptive parents, Ernie and Hannah Grace; husband, Brady Salisbury; grandchildren, Morgan Travis and Aiden Fair; and siblings, J.V. Kniffen, Gary Geer, Dave Kniffen, and Janet Eisenberger.
A memorial service for Donna will be held Friday, August 28, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Berry Funeral Home in Shepherd, with visitation from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Visitation will also be held Thursday, August 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions can be made on behalf of Donna to the Aiden G. Fair Memorial Fund at the Gratiot County Community Foundation.
