Bonnie Jean O'Doonan

Bonnie’s early years were marked by significant loss and transition. Her mother passed away when she was just three years old. With her father unable to care for her due to his work running a restaurant and living in a hotel room, Bonnie was sent to live with her aunt and uncle. When they were expecting another child, Bonnie went to live with her grandmother in Farrar, Iowa. After her grandmother’s passing three years later, young Bonnie stood on a chair and asked, “Who’s going to take care of me now?” The Lord graciously provided again, and Bonnie went to live with her beloved Aunt “B,” with whom she remained through her high school and nursing school years.

Bonnie came to trust Jesus Christ as her Savior as a young girl. Though she could not recall the exact date, she had full assurance of her salvation, resting in the promises of John 3:16, John 5:24, and 1 John 5:11–13. Her heart was first tender toward the Lord while living with her grandmother, and around the age of nine, after hearing Billy Graham preach the gospel on the television, Bonnie knelt beside her bed and asked Jesus to come into her life and save her. She was baptized by immersion in 1954 and later dedicated her life to the Lord while attending Iowa Regular Baptist Camp. From her youth and throughout her life, Bonnie lived with a deep desire to see others come to know Christ. She often said that although she didn’t become a missionary in a foreign land, she was a missionary everywhere the Lord led her. Bonnie believed and proclaimed that salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and that those who are born into God’s family can never be born out of it. Her life was shaped by the truth of Scripture and by a deep love for her Savior, whom she now sees face to face.

Bonnie graduated from Bondurant High School in 1963 and went on to attend the Iowa Methodist School of Nursing, made possible in part by a $1,000 gift from her father and help from other family members. She faithfully served others through her work as a nurse for over 30 years, beginning at Methodist Hospital, then serving part-time at Lutheran Hospital, in an office with Dr. Hach, and at John Deere as an industrial nurse—also serving alongside her first husband, Don Hitz, as a farm wife throughout these years.

As a teenager, Bonnie began attending Ankeny Baptist Church with her Aunt B, after hearing Pastor A.D. Mohr on the radio. It was there she met Don. Bonnie and Don were married for just over 30 years before Don was called home to be with the Lord on July 16, 1997.

After Don’s passing, the Lord brought Dr. Mike O’Doonan back into Bonnie’s life. Mike and his first wife, Gladys, had been longtime friends with Don and Bonnie during their years of service and fellowship at Ankeny Baptist, before Mike and Gladys moved to Colorado. After Gladys’ passing in 1995 and Don’s in 1997, the Lord wrote a new chapter. Mike and Bonnie were married in 1998, and shared 27 joy-filled years of marriage together.

Mike and Bonnie were true partners in life and ministry. They loved singing together—Mike having earned his doctorate in music—and took joy in gardening and caring for their property. But above all, they were united in a deep passion for the gospel. Bonnie was bold and loving in her witness. Together, she and Mike shared Christ with waiters, cashiers, repairmen, delivery drivers, customer service agents, and countless others. Whether through a kind word, a gospel tract, or a heartfelt conversation, Bonnie made it her aim that others would know the Savior she loved.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her first husband, Don Hitz, and now stands in the presence of her beloved Savior, whole and rejoicing in the glory of His presence—forevermore. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Mike O’Doonan and many dear friends.

A funeral service for Bonnie will be held Thursday, July 3, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Ankeny Baptist Church, 2842 SW 3rd St, Ankeny, IA 50023. Following the funeral service will be a graveside service from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Lincoln Township Cemetery, 12700 NW 16th Street, Slater, IA 50244.