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Thelma L. Bonner
Thelma L. Bonner, 87 of Grove, Okla., passed away Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 at the Grove Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 6, 1926 on a farm south of Kellerton, Iowa. Thelma was the daughter of Forrest N. and Opal (Ordway) Osborn.
She attended Woodland Elementary School and then attended and graduated from Mt. Ayr High School in Mt. Ayr, Iowa, in May of 1944. She married her high school sweetheart Richard W. Bonner on June 6, 1944 in Troy, Kan. The couple lived in Iowa after Richard was honorably discharged from the Navy. It was there that their daughter, Lynda Jayne (Bonner) Johnson was born. The couple then moved to Joplin, Mo., where their two sons, Richard Gregory and David Martin were born. In 1954 they moved to Fort Scott, Kan., where Thelma started junior college and then graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Masters degree in education. Thelma taught at Hammond, Kan., for six years. She taught grades fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth. She was custodian as well as principal.
In 1963, the couple moved to Haysville, Kan. Thelma taught school for the rest of her 29 years of teaching at Rex Elementary School in Haysville. She taught third and sixth grade for a few years and then was proud to teach 11 years in special education.
Retiring in 1986, the couple traveled and did whatever they wanted to do. They lived in Haysville until November of 2006 when they moved to Grove, Okla. Cooking, hand sewing, embroidery work, crocheting and quilting was her "therapy" as she called it. She also enjoyed working in the yard. Taking pride in everything she did; "If you're going to do something, do it right and do your best all of the time."
Thelma was preceded in death by her parents Forrest and Opal Osborn and her brother Robert G. Osborn. Her beloved husband Richard also preceded her in death in August 2007 after a marriage of 63 years. Their son Richard G. Bonner also preceded her in May of 2007.
Survivors include daughter Jayne and her husband David Johnson of Grove, Okla,
son David and wife Patti (Fischer) Bonner of Santa Maria, Calif. The couple had four grandchildren Theresa Anderson, Haysville, Kan., Jerrod Johnson of Fraser, Colo., Ali and her husband Seth Baker of Tulsa, Okla., and Breeann Bonner of Red Bluff, Calif. They also had six great grandchildren Clayton Anderson of Lawrence, Kan., Kiersten Bonner, and Jade Gonzalez of Red Bluff, Calif., and Drew, Lane, and Kya Baker of Tulsa, Okla.
Graveside services will be held June 6, 2014 at Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Ayr, Iowa. The couple were cremated and will be laid to rest together in a companion urn on their wedding anniversary date, June 6, which is appropriate.
In lieu of flowers the family request donations be sent to the American Kidney Foundation, the American Parkinson Foundation, or the Alzheimer Foundation.
Services are entrusted to Worley Luginbuel Funeral Home of Grove. Family and Friends may view the obituary online and send condolences at www.honoringmemories.com