Donna Meryle Lindhardt Emmett died Dec. 10, 2017, at the age of 78.

She was born Oct. 12, 1939, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Jerry and Fran Hixson. She grew up in Cutbank, Montana, with her brother Jerry. In her teen years she and her family moved to the Pacific Northwest where she met her future husband Larry Emmett and joined the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved animals and enjoyed breeding and showing dogs, with Italian greyhounds being her favorite. She opened her first pet store in 1986 in downtown Enumclaw. She created a successful business and opened three other stores over the course of 20-plus years.

She is survived by brother Jerry Hixson (Lori); sister Cecelia Williams (Lee); daughters Laura Emmett Nicholson, Rhonda Andrews (Bob) and Dawnell Johnson (Eric); sons Joseph (Heather), Lee and Eric (Natalie); and 15 grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years Larry Emmett and her daughter Kathy Emmett.