04/24/2026
Sheila Marie Donnelly
Sheila Donnelly died on April 21, 2026, at home in Ellendale, Minnesota, surrounded by her children. She was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota on January 28,1956 to Robert and Mary Ellen (Callahan) O’Leary the eighth of eleven children. Sheila attended St. Theodore’s Elementary School and Albert Lea High School, graduating with the class of 1974. She had many adventures that she would retell to her six children time and time again.
Sheila was a storyteller, writer, entertainer, and artist. She was the one who played with the children at parties when they were bored, and she was always telling stories and making everyone laugh.
She had a large, supportive group of women whom she treasured, and they were always there for one another. She was strong-willed, restless, creative, memorable, and loved a chance to dress up. She was never one to avoid confrontation. She was imaginative and full of energy and life; she rarely sat down. Sheila loved handcrafting gifts for those near and dear to her. She was quick to give a compliment and did so often.
Sheila was the kind of person people remembered clearly, whether they loved her, were shocked by her, or never quite knew what to make of her. She brought a different personality to everyone she met.
Her early adventures included traveling by bus to Nicaragua with her sister Mary when she was 17 to visit her sister Geraldine, who was a Maryknoll nun. While there, she entertained everyone by popping the tops off Coke bottles with her teeth. She spent her junior year of high school in Georgia with her brother Pat, and she participated in synchronized swimming during her senior year back in Albert Lea.
Shortly after high school, Sheila ventured to Boston, where her siblings Steve, Kate and John worked with Catholic Charities. She soon met Tom Donnelly, whom she later married, and together they moved first to Belgium and then to Ireland, where they opened a restaurant and welcomed their first child. They eventually ended up on an organic farm in southern Minnesota, where Sheila home-birthed her youngest three children. Sheila and Tom were involved with the local Food Co-ops and were among the first farms in the area to be certified organic.
She was proud of the farm and proud of being a farm girl, even while often frustrated with that life. Even in her later years, when she lived in California, she was happy to tell people she had had a farm in southern Minnesota. Sheila and Tom raised six children on their farm, which they worked with horses. For much of the more than 20 years they lived there, they grew and raised all of their own food. They had cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs and piglets — the latter of whom once accompanied them to a Grateful Dead concert. This would become one of Sheila’s favorite stories to tell.
The farm required a great deal of hard work, including chopping wood, keeping the fires going, gardening, keeping the pipes from freezing, caring for animals, butchering chickens, and canning. Sheila was very social and neighbors would drop in unannounced and stay for hours, chatting with her and drinking coffee.
Not only did she farm and grow a big garden, but Sheila also spent time teaching cheerleading and volunteering at St. Isidore’s School and Holy Trinity Church-Litomysl. Sheila foraged, sold goods at farmers markets, was a member of a belly dancing troupe, obtained multiple post-high-school degrees, taught cooking classes, and started an herbal lotion business.
After divorcing her husband, she slowly made her way to California, where she took full advantage of her newly found single life — something she had not been able to do since she was 18. As she would tell her children, from the time she was born until she got divorced, she had never slept alone.
Sheila spent her life working. In Minnesota, she was a columnist for the Ellendale Eagle, Blooming Prairie Times, and the Austin Daily Herald. Sheila also dug graves with Tom. In Las Vegas (a stop on her way to California), she worked at a gas station and tried her hand as a blackjack dealer. In California, she was a caretaker, substitute teacher, yoga teacher, and radio station advertising salesperson. Sheila also spent a lot of time in California going on long bike rides, writing, and painting.
She was always looking for the next class or career to take on -- even in her last months. Sheila was quick to tell you about the new scheme she was cooking up, the new side hustle she was taking on, or the next degree she wanted to get. Sheila loved meeting new people and sought out like-minded groups where she could paint, write, and share her stories.
Her children, especially Molly, helped care for her in the last few years, along with her sisters, a brother, and friends.
Sheila is survived by her six children, Daniel (Mary O’Connor), and their children Thomas, Micah, and Regan; Mary (Josh Schwab), and their sons Jonah, North, and Caleb; Bridget (Greg Bandsma) and their daughter, Hazel; Molly (Alex Beenken); Theresa (Orion Henningsgaard), and their daughters Juniper and Sequoia; and Timothy (Amanda Robertson).
She is also survived by her siblings Patrick O’Leary (Trudy), Joann O’Leary (John Sommerville), Mary O’Leary (Donald Oneglia), Tim O’Leary, brothers-in law Adrian Clift (Mary Newman), Edgar Macias; sisters-in-law Peggy O’Leary, and Judy Ramos.
She was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Mary Ellen, siblings Geraldine, John, Dan, Kate, Steve, and Kevin.
Sheila’s service will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Geneva, Minnesota, on Friday, May 1, 2026. The cemetery is situated near 860th Ave and 310th St., Newry Township, Freeborn County, MN 56026. Visitation and viewing will be at 1:00 p.m., with service at 2:00 p.m., followed by food and music at 4:00 p.m. at 88948 890th Avenue, Austin. Worlein-Hoff Funeral Homes are assisting the family with arrangements.
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