Bonita M. Nelson

Bonita Mary Nelson, 70

Bonnie died on August 19, 2022, at Woodwinds Hospital, Woodbury, Minnesota of an extended illness. She received excellent and loving care from the doctors and nurses of the hospital’s Comfort Care Team.

Bonnie was born on September 17, 1951 at St. John’s Hospital in Red Wing, Minnesota. She was the daughter of the late Virgil E. Nelson born in Clontarf, Swift County, Minnesota and Mavis M. Meiers, Lake Lenore, Saskatchewan, Canada.

From 1957 to 1965, Bonnie attended St. Boniface Parochial School, graduated from Hastings High School in 1969 and throughout the years, attended several semesters of classes at various vocational schools.

After high school, Bonnie was employed at Smead’s Manufacturing before she moved to San Jose, California in 1981 where she was employed in the accounting departments of an engineering firm and landscaping company. Bonnie returned to Minnesota in 1989 where she was a black jack dealer at Treasure Island Casino and thereafter she was employed by the United States Post Office-Bulk Mail Center until her retirement in 2015.

Bonnie had a fun loving and adventurous spirit and never hesitated to partake in sports such as, glider plane sailing, white water rafting, snorkeling, and greatly enjoyed years with her horse “Joe”. Throughout her life she had many interests: macramé, quilling, board games, and quilting. She was an avid reader, competitive and accomplished card player, Minnesota Viking fan, a lover of music, and played the guitar, accordion, and concertina. Bonnie and her high school friends were part of the original and talented “Hootenanny Choir” at St. Boniface Church in Hastings which the parishioners enthusiastically enjoyed for many years. Throughout the years she would design Halloween costumes for herself and her nieces, and each year, family and friends enjoyed viewing her latest Christmas Tree creation.

Bonnie is survived and will be dearly missed by three siblings, Barbara (John) Tutterrow, Bette (Fran) Thomas, and Michael (Susan) Nelson; nieces, great-nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Virgil E. Nelson and Mavis M. Meiers; nieces, Jacqueline Susanne Scott and Michelle Ann Pederson.

A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, September 16, 2022 at Starkson’s Family Life Celebration Chapel, 3075 Vermillion Street (Hwy 61) in Hastings. A Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will follow the service at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Cemetery, Hastings, Minnesota.

You are free, Bonnie! You will be so dearly missed!