Alice "Bonnie" Bonita Self

My Mom, Alice Bonita “Bonnie” Self, died June 22, 2020 in Norman. Mom was born to Claud and Ruie Allen on August 23,1929, in Whiterock, Arkansas. She was the 6th of 8 children, having 3 brothers and 4 sisters, she had a deep loyalty to family. She started school and finished the 11th grade in Mountainberg where she was a good student and pretty good athlete playing on the girls basketball team. She lived a good portion of her young life in Locke, Arkansas on a small farm, where everyone had chores to do. She never learned to swim but would go in water up to her shoulders if she knew the depth wouldn’t change and never learned to ride a bike. Mom loved music, she sang at school in chorus and in the church choir. She also liked to dance but didn’t go to dances because there was drinking there, instead she went to functions called “Play Parties” to dance where alcohol was not allowed…there was a time though when Mom stayed over at a girlfriends house and got dared into trying a spoonful of “Peach Brandy” her friends’ Grandpa had made, she said it nearly burned her “Google Box”out. Mom wanted to be a nurse, but stopped that pursuit when her mom was against it. Mom married young, she met a returning sailor, Frank Self, who she had known when they were kids in the Locke community. They started their lives together in Arkansas, moving to Washington State at the invite of her youngest brother Merle and worked there for a time, before moving to California where Frank went to work for Douglas Aircraft learning to be a Sheet Metal mechanic. Mom always worked part time jobs for the extra things families need. My sister Karen and I were born in California, Mom took on the added role of parent, home maker, fry cook, problem solver, and confidant. It seemed like Mom had an answer for every problem. Mom was proud of her family and it showed in everything she did for us. California really does have lots of things to do, Mom saw to it that we did plenty, weekends at the beach or a drive into the mountains, great summer vacations, Knotts Berry Farm, the original Disneyland and so many others. We also attended the Bretheren church in Lakewood regularly. In 1963 Douglas Aircraft had a massive layoff of workers and dad was one of the 2500 involved, we moved to Arkansas to be close to family, not many jobs available, then to Tulsa for a short time, finally to Norman which turned out to be our final stop. Dad went to work for a small aircraft company. Mom set about being a homemaker and working part time jobs to help finances. We attended the First Baptist church of Norman regularly, mom wore many hats for the church, Sunday school teacher, youth trip chaperone, sang in the choir, and was part of a prayer team. Mom had decided she wanted to be a beauty operator but the timing wasn’t quite right. Mom finally got her opportunity and went to beauty college beginning a 20+ year career as a beauty operator. Mom had lots of special qualities and I would have been blessed to know her even if I weren’t her son. Mom was a wonderful Christian woman, not perfect, none are but she loved the Lord and wanted everyone to know that Jesus saves and you can have life eternal. I know what an influence she had on my life. Thank you Mom for showing me the paths of righteousness and the road to eternity.