Bonnie Mae Schneider was born in Grand Junction, CO on May 1, 1923 and passed peacefully on September 10, 2018. She came into this world weighing 1 1/2 pounds and measuring 12 inches…she didn’t change much…leaving us at 90 pounds and 54 inches. Her father used to get really angry if anyone teased her about her size. She may have been little, but boy was she mighty.
Bonnie was many things, a wife preceded in death by both Joseph O’Reilly and Donald Schneider; a mother preceded in death by Kathy O’Reilly Chorn Mireles and survived by Patty Beumer; a mother-in-law to David Beumer; grandmother to Danny Saler (Leslie Lawrence), Jeremy Beumer (April), Dawn Crumrine, Robin Taylor (Keith), Eric Mireles (Delia), David Mireles (Wailani Tanaka). Great Grandmother to Hannah Baker, Leah Saler, Jayme Lawrence, Josh Lawrence, Lane Beumer, Sam Baker, Brian Beumer, Elijah Mireles, Adrianna Mireles, Josiah Mireles and John David Mireles; as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. She was also an adopted mother, grandmother and great grandmother of too many “kids” to mention here. She was also preceded in death by her two brothers, Jesse Clenton Goodwin and Robert (Bobby) Goodwin (her baby brother) and her sister Geraldine (Jeri) DeClair and their spouses.
Bonnie spent most of her life in Southern California although she and husband Don owned and operated Balls Ferry Fishing Resort in Northern California as well. She and Don returned to Colorado in 2002. She was an accountant, office manager, worked for ship services and she worked on aircraft during the war. She took some computer classes to help further her education. When she was widowed in 1960 she went back to school and became a cosmetologist. She and her father converted the garage of her house to a salon, so she could be close to home for her kids. She was a very talented woman and never failed to meet a challenge.
She loved to play Scrabble, Yahtzee and Cribbage and usually came out the winner. She loved making her own greeting cards and scrapbooking. She loved to shop and could always find an excuse to go to Michael’s or Kohl’s, “I have a coupon”. She loved clothes and shoes…when they moved to Colorado she had the grandsons inside wardrobe boxes unpacking shoes after shoes after shoes. Her tiny feet required her to buy kids shoes.
One year she and daughters Kathy and Patty were getting ready to go shopping and she was so excited that she had found a pair of shoes that didn’t have some kind of Disney characters on them, they were just white. What she didn’t know, and Kathy and Patty refused to tell her, was that they had lights! It wasn’t until a man stopped her at the mall and commented on them that she found out. She was so angry with them for not telling her.
She loved the holidays and celebrating with family and friends. She decorated to the max and things had to be just perfect, no shortcuts. Oh and of course shopping for presents was one of her favorite things to do.
Bonnie was a Life Member of Xi Tau Chapter of Sigma Phi Gamma International Sorority, a friendship and service organization and enjoyed going to meetings and conventions and getting together with all of her sorority “sisters”.
She was an amazing mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend and will truly be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and sent to Patty Beumer, 7740 Darvey Ln, Longmont, CO 80504.
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