Bonita Helene “Bonnie” Thompson, 86, of McPherson, KS, passed away at 9:20 a.m., Friday, December 13th, peacefully, at Brookdale McPherson.
Bonita was born on her grandparents farm, rural Delavan, Kansas on June 7, 1933, a daughter of Wanda Ione (Zirkle) Briix and Robert “Bob” Clyde Briix.
Bonnie attended Delavan grade school, Junior High and High School, Delavan, Kansas and Herington High School, Herington, Kansas. For many years Bonnie desired to get her high school diploma, so she went back to school to receive her high school diploma from McPherson High School, McPherson, Kansas.
Bonnie Briix was united in marriage to Franklin Lavonne “Tommie” Thompson on January 10, 1950 at Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. This union was blessed with the birth of four children, three daughters and a son, Christine, Roxanne, Toni and Mike.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church McPherson, and a former member of the First United Methodist Church, Herington, Kansas.
Bonnie was a homemaker and took great pride in providing for her family in this manner. Through the years Bonnie owned and operated Thompson’s Liquor Store and retired from Farmers Alliance Insurance Company as an underwriter in the farm department in 2000.
Through the years Bonnie was a member of several insurance associations. Bonnie enjoyed gardening, playing cards, watching sports, especially the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs, and spending time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and family. She was an amazing seamstress, having made clothes for her family and many groups including choir and dance costumes.
She is survived by her children, Christine Maxey, of Madison, Mississippi, Roxanne Schmidt and husband Tim, of McPherson, Toni Ortiz and husband Ron, of Parkville, Missouri, and Mike Thompson and wife Kim, of McPherson; her brother-in-law, James Lowther, of Emporia, Kansas; 9 grandchildren, Paxton Mogenson and wife Jennifer, Shawn Mogenson, Jeremy Littrell and wife Jenny, Jarod Littrell and wife Tracy, Jordan Ortiz, Austen Ortiz, Olivia Knapp and husband Rob, Mallory Roberts and husband Aaron, Shea Thompson and wife Jordan; 10-Great-Grandchildren, Alex, Grayden, Kaden, Kaylee, Keaton, Weston, Wyatt, Brody, Ava, and Lucas.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Wanda Ione Jilka and Robert “Bob” Briix; her sisters, Carolyn Lee and Virgina Lowther.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 17 , 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to service time at the Glidden – Ediger Chapel, McPherson, Kansas.
Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 11:00 a.m. at Glidden – Ediger Chapel, McPherson, Kansas, with Reverend Jon Black officiating.
Burial will be at the Crestwood Memorial Park Cemetery McPherson, KS.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Down Syndrome Society, Women and Children Combating Cancer, Giving Hope Fund, or McPherson Brookdale; and they can be sent to Glidden-Ediger Funeral Home; 222 W. Euclid St.; McPherson, Kansas 67460.