A new chapter for insurance representative Donna Lunke

Many people don’t recall a time when Donna Lunke was not the local State Farm insurance representative. Indeed, she was the person to contact for nearly 30 years. Donna closed the door to the local office for the last time on December 3.  WTIP checked in Donna as this chapter of her life came to a close. What was it like to be an insurance person on the North Shore?

Donna says she loved her job, noting that “clients became my friends and friends became my clients.” She enjoyed helping young people buy auto insurance for the first time. For some, she became “Auntie Donna.” WTIP asked, and Donna shared, an anecdote about one client/friend who never failed to disappoint with his escapades.   

It was hard, notes Donna, to help people through tragedy—serious auto accidents or house fires. But as difficult it was, it was an honor to walk alongside those folks, she said.

During her career at the insurance agency, Donna and her husband, Orvis, also managed to volunteer with several organizations such as Ruby’s Pantry, Northern Harvest, and Honor Flight Northland. Donna said they will continue working with those organizations.

Donna and Orvis also established an interesting community program dubbed “Small Requests.” Donna explains it started when the coronavirus economic stimulus checks were sent out. She said together, they decided they didn’t really need the financial boost and decided to share it with others. They knew of community members who lost their jobs or who had medical issues and they sent a small amount of money to them to help them get over what Donna calls “a bump in the road.”

The couple continued the “Small Requests” initiative with the arrival of the second stimulus check. Word got around and she said others wanted to help out and they sent checks. Donna said the community project will continue as long as they are able to sustain it. Anyone who would like more information is invited to call Donna at 218-387-1607.

Another community outreach activity for Donna is serving on the Arrowhead Cooperative board. She was elected to the board last summer. She said she is greatly enjoying learning how co-ops work and about the energy industry as a whole. She said she is very proud of the cooperative staff and especially expressed appreciation for all who worked in the recent wind and snowstorm.

Retired or not, Donna is a busy woman. WTIP asked what she will be doing now that she is retired. She said she will continue the things she is currently involved in but will take a few months to “be retired.” She said she will do “lots of reading!” And, she added being outdoors with Orvis is “my happy place,” so there is likely a lot of fishing in her future.

However, she does plan a new project. After seeing her mother and other elders struggling with the bureaucracy involved with health care and other services, she realized there is a need for people to help with that. She hopes to connect with the local senior citizen groups to lend a hand.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Donna about her insurance career, about serving the community, and more. Here’s their conversation.