Bonnie L. Johnson

All who knew Bonnie Johnson would agree that she was truly beautiful on the inside and out. She was actively involved in the community she called home, and with her warm and genuine personality she drew others near with ease. It was easy to see that Bonnies greatest delight was found in her family, and perhaps there was no role she treasured more than that of grandmother. She was known for her strong work ethic, which was fueled by her desire to serve others, and throughout her life she touched the lives of countless others in such a special way. Life will never be the same without Bonnie here, but she leaves behind a priceless collection of memories that her friends and loved ones will forever hold near and dear to their hearts.

Although the 1920s were a vibrant and prosperous time in America, the 1930s were a much different story as the entire decade was cloaked in the hardship of the Great Depression. It was just as the 1930s were dawning that Ralph E. and Juanita G. (Bienz) Ward were pleased to announce the birth of the baby girl they named Bonnie Lucile on January 30, 1930, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a young girl she enjoyed tap-dancing at Trulove Dance Studio in Fort Wayne and loved gymnastics and vocals, performing on the Shrine Stage in Fort Wayne. After moving to Laud with her parents in 1938, she was no longer able to participate in some of these activities.

Living most of her life in the Whitley County area, Bonnie was a young girl of her generation. She attended Jefferson Center Elementary and High School and was in the Sunshine Society, Brownies, and Girl Scouts. Bonnie enjoyed being part of her school plays, was a cheerleader, and received the Good Citizenship Award her senior year of high school. In addition to holding down her studies, as a sophomore Bonnie started working at her familys grocery store until graduating in 1948. After graduating, she took a job at International Harvester in Fort Wayne, working there for two years.

Bonnies life was forever changed when she met and later married Galen Johnson in 1949. In 1950 they were blessed with the birth of their son, Stanley, and it was then that she became a stay at home mom. Pam was born in 1952 and Ronda in 1959, completing their family. Bonnie loved taking her family along with her parents to Fred Thomas Resort in Birchwood, Wisconsin, for a fun-filled summer vacation. Sadly, her son was killed in a car accident in 1988.

Over the years Bonnie spread her warmth and spirit of generosity to so many others through her work. Two years before Ronda started first grade, Bonnie began selling Avon products and often took Ronda with her to call on her customers. In 1966, she began working as a secretary for Max Gandy at Columbia City Joint High School. From there she spent 25 years working as Don Weeks secretary, retiring from Columbia City High School in 1995 after 29 years of devoted service. After retiring, Bonnie worked for Dennis Research in Fort Wayne for one year, but in 1997 Randy Grimes, from DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home, asked Bonnie to work as a greeter. She later began working in data entry in the advanced planning department there. The funeral home was like a second family to Bonnie, looking after her since her daughters lived further away. She viewed all of the employees as her children, which only made it harder for her when it came time to leave the funeral home in 2014.

In November of 2014, Bonnie moved to the brand new senior living community, NorthRidge Gracious Retirement Living. There, she made numerous friends and converted everyone into I.U. fans! Bonnie enjoyed playing bingo, euchre, and dominos, and she also joined their choir and discovered a new love - adult coloring.

Throughout her life Bonnie was very involved in her community. She was a member of the American Business Womans Association from 1983 until 2001, on the board of directors for the Junior Miss Pageant at Columbia City Joint High School, volunteered at the YMCA, and was part of the Kids on the Block program where she taught school children valuable lessons using puppets. Bonnie also served on the Star Bank Golden Star Advisory Board and enjoyed traveling with the group. She was a member of the Laud Christian Church where she served on the advisory board, building committee, and was a deaconess, as well as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution since February of 2012. In 1998, Bonnie was a recipient of the Whitley County Community Foundations Heart of Gold Award.

As an avid sports fan, she was a diehard Indiana Hoosiers fan. Everyone knew not to call Bonnie during a game, but it was not uncommon to get text from her about how the game was going. She was also a passionate Indiana University basketball fan who even sent the coaches letters detailing either how pleased she was with the season or informing them of how they could have done a little better and were not performing to her standards. Bonnies companion of 12 years, Garland Hurd, introduced her to being a Green Bay Packers fan, and together they also shared their love of camping and fishing.

Of course there was nothing Bonnie savored more than being with her family. Her five granddaughters, Erin, Kayla, Lindsay, Rachel, and Sara, as well as her five great-grandchildren, Jack, Reagan, Hadley, Brady, and Emery, were the light of her life. Bonnie especially loved when they visited her, often taking the young ones down to enjoy the all you can eat ice cream at NorthRidge. Bonnies granddaughters could count on her to answer the phone when they made late night phone calls to her. It shocked most of her granddaughters friends that their grandma was always there for them and also texted them nearly every day. Bonnie taught her granddaughters to crochet and was always there to support them in their sports. She looked forward to family euchre tournaments and was not afraid to cheat a little to win. Bonnie also worked diligently on filling out her NCAA family brackets for the Sweet 16.

Gracious, kindhearted, and as sweet as they come, Bonnie Johnson was a blessing to all who were within her reach. She treasured her family, loved her community, and continually gave of herself to countless others. Bonnie will never be forgotten.

Bonnie L. Johnson, of Fishers, Indiana, and formerly of Columbia City passed away at 6:46 p.m. Thursday, March 31, 2016. Bonnies family includes her daughters, Pamela S. (Lynn) Lehman of Fishers and Ronda R. (Steve) Hurst of Carmel; granddaughters, Erin L. (Matt) Waldner of Hingham, Massachusetts, Kayla B. Gross of Carmel, Lindsay R. Gross of Indianapolis, Rachel D. (Jim) Anderson of Stillwater, Minnesota and Sara R. (David) Glenn of Carmel; step-grandchildren, Amy Marra of Fort Wayne, Brian (Jennifer) Goodspeed of Carmel, and Kellen (Jennifer) Hurst of Noblesville; and five great-grandchildren, Jack, Reagan, Hadley, Brady, and Emery. Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph E. and Juanita G. Ward; son, Stanley A. Johnson; and son-in-law, Richard D. Goodspeed.

Visitation is from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday, April 4, 2016, at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Park Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home with Sharon Brockhaus, Certified Funeral Celebrant officiating. Burial will follow at Jefferson Chapel (Sand Bank) Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given in her memory to the Whitley County Community Foundation or Laud Christian Church. To send family condolences or light a candle in her memory, visit www.demoneygrimes.com .