Obit: Johnson, Bonnie M. (1921 – 2014)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Johnson, Helm, Jaco, Norris, Hutchison, Stewart

----Source: Tribune/Record/Gleaner (Abbotsford, Wis.) 06 Aug 2014

Johnson, Bonnie M. (18 AUG 1921 – 31 JUL 2014)

Bonnie M. Johnson, 92, Spencer, passed away on Thursday, July 31, 2014, at The House of The Dove in Marshfield. Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m., on Thursday, Aug. 7, at Life Tributes Funeral Home in Spencer. Rev. Mike Carlson will officiate. Burial will take place in Reevesville Cemetery, in Reevesville, Ill., on Monday, Aug. 11, with a graveside service at 10 a.m. A visitation will be held on Thursday at the funeral home in Spencer from 4 p.m. until time of services.

Bonnie Jaco was born on Aug. 18, 1921, in Marion, Ill., to Willie Benjamin and Emma (nee Helm) Jaco. Her family then moved to Reevesville, Ill., where she attended grade school. She graduated from New Columbia High School in Johnson County, Ill., in 1940. Upon graduating Bonnie worked in Reevesville at Jim Hard’s grocery store and post office until enlisting in the WAAC in 1942 when she turned 21. She served in Denton, Texas, Ft. Ogelthorpe, Ga., and Alamogordo, N.M., on a B24 base where she worked in the base post office. She was honorably discharged in 1943. She then worked in Peoria packing K-rations until the end of the war. She then worked in Chicago at Illinois Central Railroad until her marriage to Roland E. Johnson on Oct. 17, 1946, at Vienna Methodist Church in Vienna, Ill. They lived in Coon Valley and Westby, where her four children were born. In 1964 Bonnie and Roland were separated and she moved to Belknap, Ill., and raised her family, living with her father, Willie, until his death in 1975. Bonnie worked at the Belknap Post Office as clerk until making postmaster in 1979. She retired in 1985 and in 1986 moved to Spencer, to a dairy farm operated by her son, Brent. She was a lifelong Christian and attended Spencer United Methodist Church. Her many interests included genealogy, gardening, writing, and her family.

Survivors include her four children, Mark (Mary) Johnson, Spencer, Scott Johnson, Spencer, Maxine Johnson, Spencer, and Brent Johnson, Spencer; her grandchildren, Mark (Joann) Johnson, Ben (Sara) Johnson and Seth Johnson; her great-grandchildren, Will and Sydney Johnson; one sister, Ella (Richard) Norris, Paducah, Kent.; one brother, John (Beverly) Jaco, Pittsboro, Ind.; and many other relatives and friends.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and three sisters, Tennie Hutchison, Faye Stewart and another in infancy.

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Arrangements are under the care of Life Tributes Funeral Home and Cremation Service-Spencer.