Bonnie Louise (Henderson) Smith

On April 29th, Bonnie Louise Smith left this world in search of her heavenly place. Bonnie started life on October 21, 1927 in Macomb, Oklahoma. She met and married the love of her life, Gordon Smith, on January 13, 1945.

She was preceded in death by Gordon after fifty-six years of marriage. She is survived by her son, Gary Smith (Glenda); daughter, Tracey Estes (Paxton); four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and one brother, Don Henderson (Ruthie).

Visitation will be on Friday, May 4th from 1 - 2 p.m. at Rocky Creek Baptist Church in Mission Valley immediately followed by the funeral service. Interment will be at Memory Gardens.

Words of comfort may be shared at www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com.

Bonnie Louise (Henderson) Smith, 90, of Victoria, Texas passed away on April 29, 2018. Bonnie was born on October 21, 1927 in Macomb, Oklahoma to the late William Frederick Henderson and Snoda D (Burden) Henderson. Bonnie graduated from Macomb High School in 1945. That same year in January she married her sweetheart, Gordon Odell Smith, in Tecumseh, Oklahoma. Gordon and Bonnie were married for 56 years. After getting married, Gordon served in the Army Air Force until the end of WWII. At that time, they made their home in Tecumseh, Oklahoma where Gordon worked two jobs and attended college. Gordon later served in the Air Force during the Korean War. After his service during the Korean War, Gordon was hired by Mobil Oil Corporation in 1951 which led Bonnie and her family to Vanderbilt, Texas.

Their son Gary was born in 1946 in Oklahoma, followed by their daughter Tracey in 1953 in Texas. During the fifties, Bonnie and family enjoyed camping and water skiing. In 1960, they were transferred to Corpus Christi, Texas. It was in Corpus that Bonnie began her career as a preschool teacher. Bonnie taught a combined 20+ years in Corpus Christi and in Houston where they were transferred in 1972. After Gordon retired from Mobil Oil, they built a new home in Mission Oaks, outside of Mission Valley, Texas.

During her lifetime, Bonnie travelled to all 50 states, 17 foreign countries, and 5 continents. Also, Bonnie was an active member of Rocky Creek Baptist Church, the Victoria Antique Car Club, and in her Mission Oaks Community. After Gordon’s death in 2001, Bonnie continued to live in her home for 15 years during which she worked at Citizen’s Medical Center as a volunteer, and continued her travels via excursion bus. In 2016, she moved to Vitality Court in Victoria, Texas where she continued to live out her dream. It is here that she celebrated her 90th birthday with a party full of friends and relatives. She was truly loved throughout her 90 years here on Earth and now has a new residence in heaven.

Once when returning from a trip to England and Ireland, Bonnie came down with a serious viral infection. She was hospitalized and severely dehydrated. During this state of semi-consciousness, she had a personal tour of heaven by Jesus. He showed her to her new home, but told her it was not yet ready, nor was it time for her to come with him. After recovering from the illness, she remembered her special tour and the home she saw. Months passed and then one day while browsing through a magazine, she saw the exact bedspread she witnessed on her bed in heaven. It was white with large reddish-pink roses. She clipped the picture of her bedspread from the magazine and after her death, her children found it tucked in her large Bible with her notes on her final wishes. Bonnie had a surety of where she would be after death, and that surety was Jesus Christ.

In addition to her parents, Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband Gordon Odell Smith, and siblings Zack Henderson, Bob Henderson and Ronald Henderson. Bonnie is survived by her two children, Gary Wayne Smith (Glenda) of Corpus Christi, Texas and Tracey Jeanne Estes (Paxton) of Goliad, Texas. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Brent Allen Smith (Amy) of Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, Tammy Jeanne (Estes) Peck (Trey) of Luling, Texas, Rodgers Cody Estes of Austin, Texas, and Austin Cole Estes of Fort Worth, Texas. Bonnie also leaves behind her great-grandchildren, Paxton Hunter Peck (17), Tyler Nicole Peck (16), and Carter Paxton Estes (4), and one sibling, Don Henderson (Ruthie) of Refugio, Texas.