Bonnie Ruth Alley

Bonnie was born in San Angelo on January 1, 1930, to Riley and Audrey King of Sterling City, TX, and was the first baby born in Tom Green County in 1930.

Services will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 2PM at the Johnson Funeral Home Chapel with graveside services and burial at the Sterling City Cemetery. Tommy King of San Angelo and Don Davis of Sterling City officiating. The arrangements are under the direction of Johnson’s Funeral Home in San Angelo.

Family will receive friends Friday from 6-8pm at Johnson’s Funeral Home.

She attended schools in Sterling City, then attended Abilene Christian College for a semester, before attending the San Angelo Business School. She attended there for two years and one of the requirements was to maintain an average of 95 or higher.

She was then hired by John Hay, PCA but never got to work there because her younger brother was killed in an auto accident and she stayed in Sterling City to help her parents.

While remaining in Sterling, she worked at Ford Motor Co., then at the US Ag. Conservation Office at the Court House. Her boss at this job was a man fresh out of Texas A&M University and new to Sterling City, Marvin Eugene Alley. (She thought he had a funny name.)

They began dating after about three months, and then he left for a unique job opportunity in Saudi Arabia as a US Farm Manager for King Saud. After two years, they were married on December 6, 1952, and went directly to Saudi Arabia. This was a very new experience for Bonnie as she had never traveled farther than Oklahoma to visit relatives and had never been on an airplane. They lived in the desert in a US compound for a little over two years.

Once back in Texas, they began ranching in Sterling County and were there for about 16 years. During this time, Bonnie gave birth to their only child, Robert Eugene Alley on August 7, 1963.

They moved to Midland where Gene took a job as a land appraiser for the State and Bonnie worked as a teacher’s aide.

Robert, her only son preceded her in death at the tender age of 18, when he was killed in an automobile accident on October 27, 1981. Her great faith saw her through this horrible time in her life.

Gene and Bonnie continued to stay in Midland and traveled some after he retired in 1989 until his death on January 5, 2000.

Besides her son Robert and husband Gene, Bonnie was also preceded in death by her brother Bobby, her sister LaVerne King Petty, and parents Riley and Audrey King.

Bonnie is survived by her nephews and his wife James Petty and Lulu of Brady, Eric Olson of Midland, Scott Alley of Round Rock and Steve Alley of Houston, her nieces Kim Swaner and husband Kyle of New Braunfels, Lori Olson Powers and Suzanne Alley Whitworth both of Sonora. She is also survived by several cousins including Courtney and Elaine King of Sterling City, Wayne and Beverly King of Blackwell, Kim and Robyn King of Brady, and Diane and John Scovell of Dallas. She is also survived by several great nieces and nephews as well as great-great nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Gary Lee of Fort Worth, Ruben Resendez of College Station, Ben Swaner of New Braunfels, Lonnie Greenfield of San Angelo, Jon Richardson of Odessa, and Tyson Verastegui of New Braunfels.

Honorary pallbearers will be Glen Richardson of Sonora, Courtney King of Sterling City, Wayne King of Blackwell, Kim King of Brady, Alan Price of San Angelo, Van Pearcy of Midland.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the House of Hope in San Angelo, the Johnson Street Church of Christ Building Fund, the West Texas Boys Ranch, the Sterling City Cemetery Fund, or the charitable organization of your choice.

Arrangements under the direction of Johnson's Funeral Home, San Angelo, TX.