Des Moines
Bonnie Hunnell, 87, passed away on Monday, December 17, 2012. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday at Highland Park Christian Church with burial at Evergreen Cemetery in Collins, Iowa at 2 p.m. Visitation will be Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the church.
Bonnie Mae Hunnell was born in a log cabin on May 8, 1925 to Monty and Nan Mills in the rural area near Celt, Missouri. The family moved to Mingo, Iowa, where Bonnie graduated from Mingo High School in 1942. She then took “Normal Training” to get her teaching certificate and taught in a one room country school. She married William (Bill) Arthur Oswalt on February 27, 1944. They farmed in the Colo area where Bonnie would help out on the farm, driving the tractor. They were blessed with the birth of twins on March 24, 1946; Carol Diane and Darrel William. Darrel passed just hours after his birth. Bill passed away December 20, 1946. After Bill’s passing, Bonnie and Carol moved in with her parents on a farm northwest of Runnells. She secured a job at Employers Mutual Casualty in Des Moines. She lived in Des Moines during the week with Jean, who later became her sister-in-law, and traveled to the farm on weekends to be with Carol. She attended church at Woodland Community Church, where she and Dwight met. They were married in the Assembly of God Church in Omaha on September 18, 1950. They were blessed with three daughters, Cheryl, Deborah and Rebecca. In addition to raising their children, Bonnie helped with her many grandchildren, and assisted Dwight in his ministry and construction/pool business. Bonnie enjoyed reading (especially westerns), music, and collected angels and bells.
Her favorite color was red.
Bonnie is survived by her husband of 62 years, Dwight; daughters, Carol (Jack) Dunn, Cheryl (David) Lowe, Deborah (Randy) Cameron and Rebecca (Russell) Starmer; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; brothers, Dale and Jerald Mills; and sister, Nancy Martinez. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Dorothy Altes; brothers, Ferd and Delbert Mills; first husband, William Oswalt; and infant son, Darrel Oswalt.
Memorial contributions may be directed to On With Life or the St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Today, the family is wearing red and her angel pins in loving memory. The bells you received will be rung in her honor.
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