She died at the age of 88 of congestive heart failure. Not a heart attack but the slow deterioration of the functionality of her heart. She was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation in 1959 and was told that there was no cure and that eventually her heart would just give out. It did, after 54 more years of life.
Some of her favorite things were owls, bells (the small collector types), Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, collector dolls, coins foreign and domestic, Betty Boop, and the color red.
She was the eldest out of 5 living children of Benjamin Harrison and Ellen Beatrice (Van Dusen) Shapley (a baby passed away before she was born) and was the 4th one to pass away leaving only one more living child.
She left New York, her home state, and moved out to California in 1944. She took a bus and sent her mother many postcards along the way. A friend of hers accompanied her. No name is mentioned who that friend was.
In 1946 she belonged to the Mira Little Theater Guild and played in "Smilin' Through" at the Vallejo Senior High School Theater. Her brothers Victor and Francis also were in plays with her. Not sure when they came to California, that research is still in the process.
She met Manuel Lopez at a college cantina. The college was located in or near Vallejo, California. They married on 1 March 1948 in Reno, NV. They were living in Vallejo, California where two Lopez girls were born. He left and went to New York. A couple months later she followed him. While there, the 3rd Lopez daughter was born. Manuel filed for an annulment in Aug 1954, Johnson City, New York. He was a Catholic and she was not. In the Catholic Church, annulment was the only way for legal separation without spiritual ramifications. Later, in 1955, she and the children were baptized Catholic. Shortly thereafter she and the girls left for California. She and her children lived in Los Angeles, California for about a year (I, her eldest daughter, went to kindergarten there).
While a single parent of four children, she purchased her first home on Loretta Drive, Orange, California, in 1957.
She met John Paul Bonk and married him on 17 May 1958 in Orange, Orange, California. He passed away on 6 June 2016.
She had 7 children: 3 Lopez girls, 1 Shapley boy, and 3 Bonk children. Six children are still living, 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren (at the time of her death). Another 6 great-great-grand children have been born as of July 2022.
She worked as a bookkeeper for Gracy's record shop, a couple of banks, KFWB & KEZY radio stations and a software company throughout her life.
She believed in continued education, educating herself in cake decorating, landscaping, real estate, art and at the age of 67, took classes in computer science and in her early 70's took a class in Adobe Photoshop so she can work with photographs.
In her retirement years, she volunteered for many church and community organizations. She earned several ministry certificates: the Steven Minister training series 22 Feb 1998; the 35 hours of training in the Foundations for BeFriender Ministry 16 March 2001; completed the title of The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas 16 March 2001; the Center for Pastoral Life and Ministry Foundations for New Wine 18 May, 2002; the extended ministerial program for New Wine Diocesan Formation in Ministry. (there are more which I will add as I come across them).
She had a warm and loving heart, as everyone who knew her would say. She was a good example for her children. She was always concerned about her family, sending birthday cards and every conceivable holiday card there is to pass along happiness and love not to mention congratulations for marriages, births, anniversaries, graduations and sympathy for the bereaved and get well for the ill. She was just thinking of everyone.
And the most admirable thing about her, in this author's opinion, is when she had a child diagnosed with mental retardation with a 90% hearing loss, she continued caring for her child until the day she died. She was smart with finances in planning for her life, her retirement, and her departure to make sure her dependent child would be cared for when she was gone.
Obits:
Kansas City Star
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017&fhid=21278"
Wallace Funeral Homes
"https://www.wallace-funeralhomes.com/main/betty-bonk/"
Pleasant Hill Times
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017"
(scroll down to Betty's name)
The most correct obit for information is the Wallace Funeral Home web site as I, and my sister, who is the executor of her living will, were present for the final approval of the contents of the bit before it was posted. But even that obit left out her first marriage which this bio has included.
Family Members' memories:
Aunt Betty was a great person. She meant so much to her Bonk family and our Shapley family. She was one of the nicest and sweetest persons you could ever have known. She played a role in my life and influenced me to be who I am today. Thank you, Aunt Betty, for all your love and care for all of us. You will be truly missed. God has your soul now and may you rest in peace in heaven, love always your nephew Ward W Shapley.
***-----***
The last time I saw you were at the family reunion 2009. I suppose that is how you want me to remember you. You left a legacy of love and friendship. Not only did you leave a legacy of friends that knew you well, but you also left your writings of which I am seeing a whole new person, one that I did not know. Many of the times we talked about your life (after I was 30 yrs of age) you never mentioned any of the things I am seeing of you now, after your death. Even while growing up, you never talked to me about your life. I wished we could have talked more and more often. You were a wealth of knowledge (I see that by the clippings you saved and the notes you kept on various topics). You reached out your hand to many people in remembering birthdays and holidays by sending cards and gifts. You reached out your hand in helping those that needed it, me included. You even reached out your hand to help send a young girl to school in another country, Manal, and many other donations of money and time. You truly are in the service of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ~~ I love you Mother, Babs
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are the family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in the will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
Some of her favorite things were owls, bells (the small collector types), Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, collector dolls, coins foreign and domestic, Betty Boop, and the color red.
She was the eldest out of 5 living children of Benjamin Harrison and Ellen Beatrice (Van Dusen) Shapley (a baby passed away before she was born) and was the 4th one to pass away leaving only one more living child.
She left New York, her home state, and moved out to California in 1944. She took a bus and sent her mother many postcards along the way. A friend of hers accompanied her. No name is mentioned who that friend was.
In 1946 she belonged to the Mira Little Theater Guild and played in "Smilin' Through" at the Vallejo Senior High School Theater. Her brothers Victor and Francis also were in plays with her. Not sure when they came to California, that research is still in the process.
She met Manuel Lopez at a college cantina. The college was located in or near Vallejo, California. They married on 1 March 1948 in Reno, NV. They were living in Vallejo, California where two Lopez girls were born. He left and went to New York. A couple months later she followed him. While there, the 3rd Lopez daughter was born. Manuel filed for an annulment in Aug 1954, Johnson City, New York. He was a Catholic and she was not. In the Catholic Church, annulment was the only way for legal separation without spiritual ramifications. Later, in 1955, she and the children were baptized Catholic. Shortly thereafter she and the girls left for California. She and her children lived in Los Angeles, California for about a year (I, her eldest daughter, went to kindergarten there).
While a single parent of four children, she purchased her first home on Loretta Drive, Orange, California, in 1957.
She met John Paul Bonk and married him on 17 May 1958 in Orange, Orange, California. He passed away on 6 June 2016.
She had 7 children: 3 Lopez girls, 1 Shapley boy, and 3 Bonk children. Six children are still living, 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren (at the time of her death). Another 6 great-great-grand children have been born as of July 2022.
She worked as a bookkeeper for Gracy's record shop, a couple of banks, KFWB & KEZY radio stations and a software company throughout her life.
She believed in continued education, educating herself in cake decorating, landscaping, real estate, art and at the age of 67, took classes in computer science and in her early 70's took a class in Adobe Photoshop so she can work with photographs.
In her retirement years, she volunteered for many church and community organizations. She earned several ministry certificates: the Steven Minister training series 22 Feb 1998; the 35 hours of training in the Foundations for BeFriender Ministry 16 March 2001; completed the title of The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas 16 March 2001; the Center for Pastoral Life and Ministry Foundations for New Wine 18 May, 2002; the extended ministerial program for New Wine Diocesan Formation in Ministry. (there are more which I will add as I come across them).
She had a warm and loving heart, as everyone who knew her would say. She was a good example for her children. She was always concerned about her family, sending birthday cards and every conceivable holiday card there is to pass along happiness and love not to mention congratulations for marriages, births, anniversaries, graduations and sympathy for the bereaved and get well for the ill. She was just thinking of everyone.
And the most admirable thing about her, in this author's opinion, is when she had a child diagnosed with mental retardation with a 90% hearing loss, she continued caring for her child until the day she died. She was smart with finances in planning for her life, her retirement, and her departure to make sure her dependent child would be cared for when she was gone.
Obits:
Kansas City Star
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017&fhid=21278"
Wallace Funeral Homes
"https://www.wallace-funeralhomes.com/main/betty-bonk/"
Pleasant Hill Times
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017"
(scroll down to Betty's name)
The most correct obit for information is the Wallace Funeral Home web site as I, and my sister, who is the executor of her living will, were present for the final approval of the contents of the bit before it was posted. But even that obit left out her first marriage which this bio has included.
Family Members' memories:
Aunt Betty was a great person. She meant so much to her Bonk family and our Shapley family. She was one of the nicest and sweetest persons you could ever have known. She played a role in my life and influenced me to be who I am today. Thank you, Aunt Betty, for all your love and care for all of us. You will be truly missed. God has your soul now and may you rest in peace in heaven, love always your nephew Ward W Shapley.
***-----***
The last time I saw you were at the family reunion 2009. I suppose that is how you want me to remember you. You left a legacy of love and friendship. Not only did you leave a legacy of friends that knew you well, but you also left your writings of which I am seeing a whole new person, one that I did not know. Many of the times we talked about your life (after I was 30 yrs of age) you never mentioned any of the things I am seeing of you now, after your death. Even while growing up, you never talked to me about your life. I wished we could have talked more and more often. You were a wealth of knowledge (I see that by the clippings you saved and the notes you kept on various topics). You reached out your hand to many people in remembering birthdays and holidays by sending cards and gifts. You reached out your hand in helping those that needed it, me included. You even reached out your hand to help send a young girl to school in another country, Manal, and many other donations of money and time. You truly are in the service of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ~~ I love you Mother, Babs
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are the family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in the will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
She died at the age of 88 of congestive heart failure. Not a heart attack but the slow deterioration of the functionality of her heart. She was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation in 1959 and was told that there was no cure and that eventually her heart would just give out. It did, after 54 more years of life.
Some of her favorite things were owls, bells (the small collector types), Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, collector dolls, coins foreign and domestic, Betty Boop, and the color red.
She was the eldest out of 5 living children of Benjamin Harrison and Ellen Beatrice (Van Dusen) Shapley (a baby passed away before she was born) and was the 4th one to pass away leaving only one more living child.
She left New York, her home state, and moved out to California in 1944. She took a bus and sent her mother many postcards along the way. A friend of hers accompanied her. No name is mentioned who that friend was.
In 1946 she belonged to the Mira Little Theater Guild and played in "Smilin' Through" at the Vallejo Senior High School Theater. Her brothers Victor and Francis also were in plays with her. Not sure when they came to California, that research is still in the process.
She met Manuel Lopez at a college cantina. The college was located in or near Vallejo, California. They married on 1 March 1948 in Reno, NV. They were living in Vallejo, California where two Lopez girls were born. He left and went to New York. A couple months later she followed him. While there, the 3rd Lopez daughter was born. Manuel filed for an annulment in Aug 1954, Johnson City, New York. He was a Catholic and she was not. In the Catholic Church, annulment was the only way for legal separation without spiritual ramifications. Later, in 1955, she and the children were baptized Catholic. Shortly thereafter she and the girls left for California. She and her children lived in Los Angeles, California for about a year (I, her eldest daughter, went to kindergarten there).
While a single parent of four children, she purchased her first home on Loretta Drive, Orange, California, in 1957.
She met John Paul Bonk and married him on 17 May 1958 in Orange, Orange, California. He passed away on 6 June 2016.
She had 7 children: 3 Lopez girls, 1 Shapley boy, and 3 Bonk children. Six children are still living, 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren (at the time of her death). Another 6 great-great-grand children have been born as of July 2022.
She worked as a bookkeeper for Gracy's record shop, a couple of banks, KFWB & KEZY radio stations and a software company throughout her life.
She believed in continued education, educating herself in cake decorating, landscaping, real estate, art and at the age of 67, took classes in computer science and in her early 70's took a class in Adobe Photoshop so she can work with photographs.
In her retirement years, she volunteered for many church and community organizations. She earned several ministry certificates: the Steven Minister training series 22 Feb 1998; the 35 hours of training in the Foundations for BeFriender Ministry 16 March 2001; completed the title of The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas 16 March 2001; the Center for Pastoral Life and Ministry Foundations for New Wine 18 May, 2002; the extended ministerial program for New Wine Diocesan Formation in Ministry. (there are more which I will add as I come across them).
She had a warm and loving heart, as everyone who knew her would say. She was a good example for her children. She was always concerned about her family, sending birthday cards and every conceivable holiday card there is to pass along happiness and love not to mention congratulations for marriages, births, anniversaries, graduations and sympathy for the bereaved and get well for the ill. She was just thinking of everyone.
And the most admirable thing about her, in this author's opinion, is when she had a child diagnosed with mental retardation with a 90% hearing loss, she continued caring for her child until the day she died. She was smart with finances in planning for her life, her retirement, and her departure to make sure her dependent child would be cared for when she was gone.
Obits:
Kansas City Star
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017&fhid=21278"
Wallace Funeral Homes
"https://www.wallace-funeralhomes.com/main/betty-bonk/"
Pleasant Hill Times
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017"
(scroll down to Betty's name)
The most correct obit for information is the Wallace Funeral Home web site as I, and my sister, who is the executor of her living will, were present for the final approval of the contents of the bit before it was posted. But even that obit left out her first marriage which this bio has included.
Family Members' memories:
Aunt Betty was a great person. She meant so much to her Bonk family and our Shapley family. She was one of the nicest and sweetest persons you could ever have known. She played a role in my life and influenced me to be who I am today. Thank you, Aunt Betty, for all your love and care for all of us. You will be truly missed. God has your soul now and may you rest in peace in heaven, love always your nephew Ward W Shapley.
***-----***
The last time I saw you were at the family reunion 2009. I suppose that is how you want me to remember you. You left a legacy of love and friendship. Not only did you leave a legacy of friends that knew you well, but you also left your writings of which I am seeing a whole new person, one that I did not know. Many of the times we talked about your life (after I was 30 yrs of age) you never mentioned any of the things I am seeing of you now, after your death. Even while growing up, you never talked to me about your life. I wished we could have talked more and more often. You were a wealth of knowledge (I see that by the clippings you saved and the notes you kept on various topics). You reached out your hand to many people in remembering birthdays and holidays by sending cards and gifts. You reached out your hand in helping those that needed it, me included. You even reached out your hand to help send a young girl to school in another country, Manal, and many other donations of money and time. You truly are in the service of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ~~ I love you Mother, Babs
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are the family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in the will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
Some of her favorite things were owls, bells (the small collector types), Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, collector dolls, coins foreign and domestic, Betty Boop, and the color red.
She was the eldest out of 5 living children of Benjamin Harrison and Ellen Beatrice (Van Dusen) Shapley (a baby passed away before she was born) and was the 4th one to pass away leaving only one more living child.
She left New York, her home state, and moved out to California in 1944. She took a bus and sent her mother many postcards along the way. A friend of hers accompanied her. No name is mentioned who that friend was.
In 1946 she belonged to the Mira Little Theater Guild and played in "Smilin' Through" at the Vallejo Senior High School Theater. Her brothers Victor and Francis also were in plays with her. Not sure when they came to California, that research is still in the process.
She met Manuel Lopez at a college cantina. The college was located in or near Vallejo, California. They married on 1 March 1948 in Reno, NV. They were living in Vallejo, California where two Lopez girls were born. He left and went to New York. A couple months later she followed him. While there, the 3rd Lopez daughter was born. Manuel filed for an annulment in Aug 1954, Johnson City, New York. He was a Catholic and she was not. In the Catholic Church, annulment was the only way for legal separation without spiritual ramifications. Later, in 1955, she and the children were baptized Catholic. Shortly thereafter she and the girls left for California. She and her children lived in Los Angeles, California for about a year (I, her eldest daughter, went to kindergarten there).
While a single parent of four children, she purchased her first home on Loretta Drive, Orange, California, in 1957.
She met John Paul Bonk and married him on 17 May 1958 in Orange, Orange, California. He passed away on 6 June 2016.
She had 7 children: 3 Lopez girls, 1 Shapley boy, and 3 Bonk children. Six children are still living, 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren (at the time of her death). Another 6 great-great-grand children have been born as of July 2022.
She worked as a bookkeeper for Gracy's record shop, a couple of banks, KFWB & KEZY radio stations and a software company throughout her life.
She believed in continued education, educating herself in cake decorating, landscaping, real estate, art and at the age of 67, took classes in computer science and in her early 70's took a class in Adobe Photoshop so she can work with photographs.
In her retirement years, she volunteered for many church and community organizations. She earned several ministry certificates: the Steven Minister training series 22 Feb 1998; the 35 hours of training in the Foundations for BeFriender Ministry 16 March 2001; completed the title of The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas 16 March 2001; the Center for Pastoral Life and Ministry Foundations for New Wine 18 May, 2002; the extended ministerial program for New Wine Diocesan Formation in Ministry. (there are more which I will add as I come across them).
She had a warm and loving heart, as everyone who knew her would say. She was a good example for her children. She was always concerned about her family, sending birthday cards and every conceivable holiday card there is to pass along happiness and love not to mention congratulations for marriages, births, anniversaries, graduations and sympathy for the bereaved and get well for the ill. She was just thinking of everyone.
And the most admirable thing about her, in this author's opinion, is when she had a child diagnosed with mental retardation with a 90% hearing loss, she continued caring for her child until the day she died. She was smart with finances in planning for her life, her retirement, and her departure to make sure her dependent child would be cared for when she was gone.
Obits:
Kansas City Star
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017&fhid=21278"
Wallace Funeral Homes
"https://www.wallace-funeralhomes.com/main/betty-bonk/"
Pleasant Hill Times
"https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/betty-bonk-obituary?id=4141017"
(scroll down to Betty's name)
The most correct obit for information is the Wallace Funeral Home web site as I, and my sister, who is the executor of her living will, were present for the final approval of the contents of the bit before it was posted. But even that obit left out her first marriage which this bio has included.
Family Members' memories:
Aunt Betty was a great person. She meant so much to her Bonk family and our Shapley family. She was one of the nicest and sweetest persons you could ever have known. She played a role in my life and influenced me to be who I am today. Thank you, Aunt Betty, for all your love and care for all of us. You will be truly missed. God has your soul now and may you rest in peace in heaven, love always your nephew Ward W Shapley.
***-----***
The last time I saw you were at the family reunion 2009. I suppose that is how you want me to remember you. You left a legacy of love and friendship. Not only did you leave a legacy of friends that knew you well, but you also left your writings of which I am seeing a whole new person, one that I did not know. Many of the times we talked about your life (after I was 30 yrs of age) you never mentioned any of the things I am seeing of you now, after your death. Even while growing up, you never talked to me about your life. I wished we could have talked more and more often. You were a wealth of knowledge (I see that by the clippings you saved and the notes you kept on various topics). You reached out your hand to many people in remembering birthdays and holidays by sending cards and gifts. You reached out your hand in helping those that needed it, me included. You even reached out your hand to help send a young girl to school in another country, Manal, and many other donations of money and time. You truly are in the service of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ~~ I love you Mother, Babs
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are the family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in the will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
Inscription
Betty M Bonk
Wise Mother
Devoted Wife
Oct 31 1925 Dec 16 2013
