Bonnie J. Hare

Bonnie J. Hare was the true rock of her family. She was a constant provider of love and friendship with a compassionate ear to listen. We will miss her quick wit and her ever-giving personality. Her ability to find joy in the simplicity of life - whether it be fishing or being in the company of loved ones - will serve as a great legacy to her friends and family. We will dearly miss Bonnie in our lives.

Life was good in 1951 when Bonnie began her life. With WWII far off in the past, and by the observations of President Harry S. Truman, the economy was booming and unemployment was extremely low. There were so many people working and commuting that the New Jersey Turnpike was created; however, automobiles still needed improvements in terms of safety - in fact, turn signals were still considered merely a luxury option forcing drivers to use hand signals to communicate intention. In homes, families gathered around eagerly anticipating the new show, I Love Lucy and were marveling at the new direct dial telephone that made operators unnecessary for calling loved ones across the country. This new way of communicating was just in time for Harley and Viola M. (Pritchard) King because they had exciting news to share! Their precious baby daughter was born on May 1st in Columbia City, Indiana. They named her Bonnie, and she was one of the many precious children in their lives, as she came from a large family.

Her childhood was spent enjoying the simple things in life, and this was a trait she carried with her into adulthood. She and her siblings grew up in the countryside just west of Columbia City in the Lorain settlement. She learned the patience of fishing early on and spent many years waiting for the tugs on the line. When she did not have a bobber in the water, she searched for adventures in the outdoors. These adventures were shared with both her brothers and sisters, but she saved most of the teasing and picking on for her brothers.

As time progressed, and Bonnie matured, she celebrated graduation day from Larwill High School with the class of 1969. Shortly afterward, the love in her heart proved to cement fate in marriage to Richard Crabill. The couple joyfully welcomed two children into their lives; Tracy and Randy kept their parents quite busy. Bonnie not only was a full time mother, but she welcomed other children into her house for various babysitting jobs. When there was time to earn money outside of the household, Bonnie found opportunities working at several jobs including Magnavox earning 13 years of service credit. She also worked at Auto Liv from 1998 to 2009 when she celebrated the chance to retire officially; however, she was never one to sit idle for long because she was quite the workaholic. Luckily, she had many other interests to keep her busy.

Bonnies heart was open to the idea of a more mature love. She had known Ted R. Hare for many years, as he was a police officer in Columbia City. Before long, they fell in love and were married on November 1, 1991. This union provided more than companionship, it also provided a uniting of children to make a bigger and happier family. Bonnie welcomed all of the children as her own with great love and acceptance.

Difficult times came upon Bonnie when she was forced to say goodbye to Ted when he passed away in 2013. With the support and love of her family and friends, she was able to find the goodness in life again when she and Bill Parker met. The two shared great times of happiness together. Bonnie and Bill both liked to fish, and many of their days were spent reeling in great amounts of fish- and sometimes no fish at all, but great moments of peacefulness instead. Waters both near and far were witnesses of their casts, as they went fishing together locally as well as in Florida.

When the fish just were not biting or she wanted something else to do, she always had a plan. Her plans never needed to be fancy or extravagant because she truly valued the simple things in life for happiness. Loving the outdoors, Bonnie enjoyed camping with her family. She was great at bringing her family together and she loved all of them dearly. Her grandchildren provided a great deal of entertainment for her, as she loved spending time with each and every one of them. She especially loved it when they came to her house after school. Her grandchildren could always look forward to something exciting like learning how to sew, painting rocks, or finding treasures with the metal detector.

Bonnie tended to the life of her gardens, both flowers and vegetables. She was also a great cook, and she would use much of her harvest creating wonderful meals in the kitchen. A few of the favorites included her homemade pizza and the bluegill fish she caught herself! She loved sharing these meals with family and friends the most. When all else failed to entertain, Bonnie liked to play cards as well. When she needed some spiritual guidance, she attended Gospel Land Ministries where she had many dear friends.

Sadly, Bonnie passed away at her home on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 3, 2017. In her 66 years of life with us, she was always one to put others before herself. We will dearly miss her warm smiles and her great sense of humor in our lives. As we look to one another to find comfort in our shared memories, we will never forget the place Bonnie held in our lives.

Survivors include her daughter, Tracy (Jason) McClanahan, of Columbia City; son, Randy (Shantal Wilkerson) Crabill, of Columbia City; step-daughters, Cheryl (Scott) States, of Columbia City and Nicole (Robert) Fravel, of Decatur; step-sons, Kim (Diana) Hare, of Columbia City and Jason Hare, of Florida; sister, Peggy (Keith) Kidd, of Huntington; brother, Roger (Karen) King, of Columbia City; companion, Bill Parker; five grandsons; and numerous step-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; step-daughter, Shelly Cramer; brothers, Jerry, Larry, Ronald and Robert King; and sisters, Patty Ambrose and Trudy Fosnaugh.

Visitation is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Friday, October 6, 2017, at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services are 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home with Pastor Curtiss Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at Nolt Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside Ted. Memorial gifts may be given in her memory to American Heart Association. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send her family condolences online.