Her public persona was a quiet, dignified and modest Lady who preferred staying in the background. The absolute best mother and grandmother, she was adored by five children, Leslie, Kathy, Kim, Clark and Dagny, and three grandchildren, Indianna, Bowe and Bonnie Rose.  Her clever use of language, mischievous sense of humor, erudite conversation and boundless love will be missed endlessly.

Bonnie had carefully copied and saved in her “Keepers” file the following paragraph, attributed to Author Rosamunde Pilcher.  Her family felt it describes her pragmatic Norwegian attitude toward this last stage of her life and so wanted to share it. 

“Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, you are you, and the old life we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference in your tone. Laugh as we always laugh at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it always was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well."

In lieu of flowers, be patient and courteous and kind to one another, and as Bonnie did, you will leave the world a little better for your having been here. A private committal service will be held at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA. Bonnie will once again be joined, this time for eternity, with her cherished life partner and best friend, her husband Philip.