Donna Edmonds Jaranilla, formerly of Buda, passed away peacefully at her residence in Kyle, TX on February 20, 2021 after a short illness, with her beloved cat by her side.
Donna was born March 2, 1924 to Thomas and Pansy (Hall) Edmonds as the second-to-last of 13 siblings on the family farm in Mars Hill, NC. After growing up with grit and determination in the rugged hills, instilled with virtues of discipline, hard work, a love of reading, and a hunger to learn about the world, Donna left at 17 to seek a better life. She landed in Washington DC and worked several occupations before meeting and marrying the love of her life, Ernesto (Ernie) Jaranilla. They settled in Maryland while he was in the US Army, but travelled internationally, frequented Las Vegas, and danced as often as they could, even winning local ballroom dancing competitions.
Donna was fiercely independent, resourceful, and proud to be one of the first female taxi cab drivers in Washington DC while her husband served in the military. She had the best stories to tell as the preferred hire of several lawmakers, celebrities, and even a famous criminal. It helped that Donna knew every inch of the capitol city, and could outtalk anybody – having never met a stranger in her life!
