Bonnie Mims Kerschner

Bonnie is preceded in death on her birth family by her parents, Willie L and Lois Bryce Mims, a Baby Sister, and cousin R Derrell Mims, and a Baby niece. On her married side she was preceded by her late husband of 40 years, Ralph E Kerschner, his parents Levi S and Francis Price Kerschner, brothers and their wives, Howard and Mary, Loren and Selma, Kenneth and Angelina, Robert and Helena, Richard and Alice and Lorna, Frank and Alta, and sister Ruth K and William Schaffer. Nieces and nephews Leona K Cavin, Joyce K Lobato, Steven L Kerschner, David L and wife Terry Hancock Kerschner, Lonny Mayhugh, and Ron Kurtzer. Paul H and wife Carolyn Niesen Kerschner.

She is survived be their son Ralph E Jr and wife Deborah Godfrey Kerschner, sister Betty M Cook, brothers Willie F (Billy) and Mattie Sansing Mims, Bob and Sonna Callens Mims. Nieces and nephews, Don and Jan Kerschner, Gene and Karen Kerschner, Glen and Edith Kerschner, Bob Cavin, Ron and Judy Kerschner, Richard C Kerschner, Janet K and Steve Bedsole, William and Mary Schaffer, Dan and Jan Schaffer, Jim and Betsy Schaffer, John Kerschner, Dan Lobato, Judy K and Tim Grauberger, Vickey Harper Kerschner, Linda K and Harry Thompson, Barbara K Mayhugh, Lori K and Steve Smith.

Jenny C and Larry Withers ,John A Cook, Ron and Beckie Cook, Earnest (Skip) and Michelle Cook, Jim Cook, Richard and Lesley Mims, Kevin and Tammy Mims, Cliff and Kristi Mims, Clay and Nina Mims, Clay and Beth Mims, Crista M and Kris King. Many, many more in the next 3 generations.

Born in Louisiana, Bonnie, her parents and sister moved to a farm in the Coila MS area around 1935. She attended Gravel Hill School and graduated from Greenwood H.S. Her father was a farmer,black smith, butcher, and school bus driver. Her mother was the homemaker. Her brothers came along in 1944 and 1948. Her first driving was in her fathers school bus. As she liked to tell, she told James(a share cropper) to stop and she would drive the last mile home from town. She rarely took no for an answer. It started off OK, but then she missed a gear and could not stop in time to turn into the driveway. Going downhill all she could do was start beeping the horn and hoped not to meet someone on the old one lane bridge just around the bend. She and James survived. at least till she got home. Her mom had a lot to say but dad just asked if she learned anything. I suspect another limb from the Peach tree was removed. She tried to wring a chickens neck for Sunday dinner once, It chased her around for awhile with its head flopping. The axe was soon brought out. (So I get chicken stories from both her family and dads).

She moved to the YWCA in Memphis a few years after High School. In Memphis she worked operating Telephone switch boards, running elevators in different buildings around Memphis and various other jobs. One night while at the YWCA, she and her girl friends went to to the recreation room to play games and what ever they did back then. This night they found a room full of Marines from the Navy base playing pool, Apparently the girls did not know that the GIs were allowed in because the Rec room at the YMCA was under renovations. That is when she meet the man from Willard Colorado that would become her husband. Married in Jan 1953, her wedding gift to him was to take her Sears and Roebuck charge card and go buy himself 4 New Tires so they would not spend their honeymoon on the side of the road. She followed him across the country to Corona Naval Air Station at Riverside, California. I came along in Feb 1954. And off to Willard, Co we went. There dad worked the farm and in the oil fields and she learned to be a wheat farmers wife. She already new about being a mom from helping raise her two brothers. After a year or so we all came back south to Memphis for dad to go back to school. We ended up in Birmingham where they both worked for Hayes Aircraft. Mom learned to be a Key Punch operator there. After going through several layoffs Dad got on with the Government and to Mobile we went. A year later, 1962 we ended up in Huntsville, Al. Bonnie was able to get a job close to dad at the Army Missile Command on Redstone Arsenal. She worked numerous assignments, from clerical to the Provost Marshall doing badging and finger printing. She ended up doing Procurement and Acquisitions writing contracts. She lived in the same home till a few weeks before she and the Lord came to an agreement.

Bonnie was a friend to all that wanted a friend, She was an extra mom to many including the rowdy bunch that often came in with me and sometimes without me.

A special Thank You to the wonderful neighbors thru the years that helped watch after her when dad was called home. The late Bruce and Mary Porter and their children,Raymond, Thom, John, Pattie, Elissa, and Theresa and all their extended families. Mel and Sylvia McIlwain and the kids Mary, Dianna, Christopher and their families. Gloria and the late Lonny Keys, Mattie and Frezell Patton, and Dianna Lankford, one of my little sisters.

Visitation will be Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 9:00 am until 11:00 am at Valhalla Funeral Home, 698 Winchester Road NE, Huntsville, AL 35811. A Celebration of Life Service will begin at 11:00 am in Valhalla's Celebration Chapel.