Bonnie J. Hile

Gentle, kind, caring and all around awesome person, Bonnie J. Hile was truly one of a kind. She had a huge heart and her family was her first priority. She was humble and compassionate and if you were hurting, she was hurting. Bonnie loved her husband and children, but her life reward to being a great wife and mom was becoming a grandma and great-grandma. No matter what the circumstance was, she was there to support and cheer on her grandchildren in whatever they were doing.

With the United States' Great Depression becoming a faint memory by 1950, many families were moving out to the suburbs. Times were gentler with little violence around the country and the consumer revolution was about to start in a big way. The first independent credit card company was created in February and kids watched Howdy Doody on 12 inch black and white TV sets and spent Saturday afternoons watching cartoons at cinema matinees. On February 21, 1950 in Noble County, Indiana, Bonnie J. Murphy was welcomed into the world by her parents, Delford and Marjorie L. (Ebey) Murphy.

Along with her brother, Gerald, Bonnie grew up on the family farm north of Wolf Lake. One of her wishes growing up was to have a horse, but because of being allergic to tetanus, she was not able to ride her horse as much as she had wished once she got one. She was a member of Big Lake Church of God and when she was 15 years old, her father let her go to a Valentine's party through the church with Paul H. Hile and his parents. It would take Paul another year to get the courage to kiss Bonnie on the cheek.

Following her graduation from Albion Jefferson High School in 1968, she and Paul were married on August 4, 1968 at Big Lake Church of God. For 53 years they made many great memories. At the start of their marriage, they went through the challenge of a long distant marriage as Paul was drafted into the U.S. Army in January of 1969. Paul was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska when they welcomed their first born son, Paul W. and with 2 suit cases and the baby, Bonnie moved to Alaska to be with her husband. By the end of July in 1970, they welcomed their second born, Mark. That following November Bonnie moved back to Indiana with two children and two suitcases with Paul being honorably discharged and moved back in December.

They bought a house, fixed it up and made Merriam home for a short time. They would acquire a few acres from Bonnie's parents' farm where they built a home near Wolf Lake and lived there for the next nine years. During this time, their youngest child was born, Jennifer. With the opportunity available to move to the Hile family farm, Bonnie, Paul and children moved to the farm. In 1987, they moved into Columbia City to live in Westgate for the next four years. Bonnie and Paul would eventually move back out into the countryside north of Columbia City on County Road 250 North for the next 25 years before moving one last time in 2017 back into town.

Bonnie worked at Whitley County Memorial Hospital for 16 years and also at the Columbia City Dollar General. From 1999 until 2012, Bonnie worked in the kitchen at Indian Springs Middle School. For the past five winters, she enjoyed wintering in Florida. They drove their RV down to work at the United Methodist Church Camp on the Life Enrichment side in Fruitland Park. Even though she enjoyed the time there, she missed her grandchildren a lot and could not wait to get home to see them.

Thursday nights were reserved for family night. Bonnie loved to cook and she was great at it. Whatever a family member asked for, she would make. Even if it was something special for one person like a vegetarian meal or cheese toasty with tomato soup, she had no problem cooking anything to make them feel special. She never could cook a bad meal. Her breakfast for dinners with great French toast, pizza, macaroni and cheese and lasagna will be missed on those Thursday nights.

Her family's lives changed forever at 4:28 p.m. Saturday, April 14, 2018 as Bonnie J. Hile, 68, of Columbia City, Ind., passed away unexpectedly at her home. She was a past member of Big Lake Church of God and attended Columbia City Church of the Nazarene. Survivors include her husband, Paul H. Hile; son, Mark Hile, of Columbia City; daughter, Jennifer Button and her husband Ken, of Columbia City; brother, Gerald Murphy and his wife Beverly, of Columbia City; step-mother, Margaret Murphy, of Columbia City; grandchildren, Chasity Fralick and her husband Toby, Avery Hile, Courtney Hile, Emilee Button, Bryana Button and Aubrey Hile; and two great-granddaughters, Hadley and Emery Fralick. She was preceded in death by her parents and son, Paul W. Hile on August 6, 2014.

Visitation is 2-8 p.m. Thursday, April 19, 2018 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be 10:00 am Friday at the funeral home with Pastor Thomas Beers of Columbia City Church of the Nazarene officiating. Burial will follow at Christian Chapel Cemetery where she will be laid to rest beside her son, Paul. Memorial gifts may be given in her memory to American Diabetes Association or church of choice. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send family condolences online.