My Grandma Bonner

My sweet grandmother passed from this life into the next peacefully last Saturday. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend her funeral in Salt Lake this past week, and was touched by all that this amazing woman has done in her life time. Grandma was 90 years old when she passed. She and my grandfather have been married happily for 62 years, and amazingly my grandfather is still living.

Like many of the grandkids, I think my most favorite memory of my grandma is each time we would visit her. She would hug us and then wrap her soft hands around our faces to pull us just inches from her face, and then would say, "now who is this?" Grandma had gone blind 15 years ago and needed us to be that close to tell which grandchild we were.

There are so many wonderful stories I could tell about my grandmother, her life was one filled with love, and service, but I wanted to share just one that was told by my uncle at the funeral. One I never had heard before, but will always remember for as long as I live.

When my uncle was just a boy in elementary school he wore glasses..and was occasionally teased for this. One day he remembers walking from from school. 2 brothers who lived just on the other side of town beat up my uncle and in the process broke his glasses. When he got home my grandmother was more than upset (no one messes with your kids right) She asked my uncle where these boys lived and decided she would march right over there and have a talk with their parents. 'What kind of parent would raise their kids to be bullies or permit this kind of behavior", my uncle recalls her saying. Grandma was gone for a couple hours. When she finally got home, my uncle, eager to find out how things went asked my grandma what had happened. Grandma said that she had reached their home and been so shocked to see the run down dirty little home they lived in, and to meet the single mom raising all those boys on her own, that her heart had been touched and she had come home to get a package of food and supplies ready to take over to this poor family.


My grandmother has had such an impact on me. She lived a happy, righteous life, never complaining when times were hard, and always serving and helping others. My aunt said she was a very classy woman and loved the "finer things in life" but never sought after them. Instead she sought for a strong relationship with her Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ.
I feel so blessed to have had this sweet valiant daughter of God for my Grandma. I love you!

Even though the circumstances in which we were able to get together were sad, it was so nice to be able to see my family. Funerals always make you realize just how important we are to each other. The 24 hours we were together went by way too fast!

I love my parents! They are such good people and are wonderful examples to me. I wish we had longer to spend together.

On our way down the hill in the cemetary we passed this grave and had to stop. It is President Hinckley's grave. It was gorgeous, and there was such a peaceful feeling there.