In Sympathy: Donna Atkinson

Posted: February 3 2026 at 10:58 AM

Rev. Donna Atkinson, a retired member of the Northern Illinois Conference, passed away on January 27, 2026.

During her ministry, she faithfully served the following appointments: Blue Island: Grace (Associate); Harvey: Academy; Chicago Heights: First; Chicago Northern District (Superintendent); and Highland Park: Bethany.

Rev. Atkinson was 85 years old.

Funeral services will take place on April 18, 11 a.m., at

First United Methodist Church
128 N. Martin Luther King Jr Ave.
Waukegan, IL 60085

Clergy are invited to robe or wear a stole for the processional.

Messages of condolence may be sent to her daughter, Brittany Williams, or 514 Eighth St., Apt. 1, Waukegan, IL 60085.

You may also send condolences to her brother, Frederick Allen, and his spouse, Sandy.

News & Announcements

All News Upcoming Events

Barrington UMC’s Garden Provides Fresh Produce to Food Pantries

Since its inception, the Barrington United Methodist Church's congregational garden has produced more than 290,000 pounds of vegetables, all distributed to seve…

Gracepughhubbard Creationcaresummit20260502

Many Pathways Lead to Creation Care

United Methodists who hear God’s call to care for the world God created gained practical skills in interrelated areas while attending the Creation Care Summit on May 2 at First United Method…

Have you made your contribution?

In an effort to be more transparent, the Finance and Administration office is going to be consistently sharing where we are as a conference are in regards to the giving versus what is needed fo…

A Promise to Mom: Reflections of an Annual Conference Session Member

Jeany Gewin has served as an Annual Conference lay member for over 20 years. She explains why she is following in her mother's footsteps and advocating for t…