Donna Jeanne Craigen

Donna Jeanne Craigen, 75, of Hamshire, died Friday, May 10, 2019. She was born on November 29, 1943, in Villa Rica, Georgia, to Carmen Maureen Wortham Sauls and James Perry Sauls.

Donna graduated from Fannett High School in 1961—the last class to graduate prior to the consolidation of the Hamshire and Fannett ISDs. She was an all-district basketball player for the Lady Falcons during her high school years and remained an avid basketball fan to the very end (the San Antonio Spurs were her favorite team and Manu Ginobili was one of her favorite players). Her love of sports also found her volunteering for the local Little League Baseball organizations and travelling with the Hamshire-Fannett Golden Girls to drill team functions, performances, camps, and competitions.

After the nest was empty, she kept books for twenty or so years for R&L Drilling / Red & Leon Hopson as well as other endeavors for Leon. She loved nothing more than dancing a good jitterbug or slow song with her husband, JW, and also cherished their time deer hunting with friends and family in the Texas Hill Country.

Survivors include her son, Brandon Breaux of Hamshire; daughters, Terri West of Hamshire; Sandy Craigen and Vicki Yeager, both of Port Acres; and Janette Sattler and her husband, Reggie of Hamshire; and Lanette Clark and her husband, Cully Daigle, of Fannett; grandchildren, Tyler West; Brent Thrasher; Tanner LeBlanc; Courtney Duhon and her husband, Seth; Tye LeBlanc; Kade Clark; and Ryan McDaniel; great-grandchildren, Marlee Duhon and Allie Duhon; and sister, Phyllis Darlene German.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, J.W. Craigen; sister, Constance June Jetsel; and brother, Randy Alan Caruthers.

A gathering of Mrs. Craigen’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie. Her funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 16, 2019, at First Baptist Church, 25304 TX-124, Hamshire, with her interment following at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont. 

Memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Craigen’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, Tennessee 38105, or Southeast Texas Food Bank, 3845 South Martin Luther King Jr Parkway, Beaumont, Texas 77705.