Bonnie May Goetzke, 65, died at her home in Memphis, TN on April 19, 2019 after a twenty year struggle with the effects of Pan Hypopituitarism. She was born on November 7, 1953 in Monticello, MN to Wesley and Marjorie (Carlson) Goetzke. Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Wesley and Marjorie; her brothers, Carl and Lester, and her sister, Judy.
She was an inquisitive and active child, and her interest in knowing everything about everything carried through her entire life. She loved music and books, and collected a wide and varied library of both, was an excellent singer, and played the piano and organ. Bonnie was a high school exchange student to Sweden. She was very proud of her Swedish heritage, and collected many types of Swedish art and craft work. She would study and research any topic that piqued her interest, and picked up hobbies and took classes and excelled in a wide variety of skills, such as stained glass, concrete counter design, jewelry-making with beads, sewing, glass cutting, woodworking, and many others. She collected antique children’s books, vintage silhouettes, paintings, bird art, primitive farm implements, and antique furniture, among others.
Bonnie graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, and then worked for UPS, only to be fired for union organizing. Her career in the United States Postal Service took her from Minneapolis to Postal Headquarters in Washington DC, where she designed, implemented, and continued to innovate the process of mail forwarding. Her efforts led to some of USPS’s first use of large computer systems in the 1980’s, and she revolutionized the process of forwarding mail accurately and efficiently, improving the lives of millions of Americans. She worked closely with executives from foreign posts who also implemented the same or similar innovations in their own countries. After she retired from USPS, she returned to the family farm in Monticello, where she lived with family. Eventually she bought a home in Memphis, TN to be near her closest friends and continue seeking new skills and hobbies, and worked as a contractor supporting the USPS Headquarters unit there.
She was an engaging friend with a wicked sense of humor, a wide variety of interests, and nurtured her friendships over long years of distance.
Bonnie is survived by her brother, Duane Goetzke of Monticello MN; sister, Gloria Goetzke of Culver City CA; nephew, Kirt; nieces, Vicki, Irina, and Lada.
A memorial service for Bonnie will be conducted by Rev. Paul Nichol on July 20, 2019 at 1 PM at Faith Lutheran Church, 12449 Clementa Avenue NW, Monticello MN 55362. Interment of Bonnie’s ashes and those of her mother Marjorie will be at Woodside Cemetery, 27175 Smithtown Road, Shorewood MN 55331 after the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to the MAGIC Foundation at https://MagicFoundation.org/give.
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