Bonnie (Pounds) Schmitt Mitchell, 81. Born April 25, 1928, in Rye, Colorado, the youngest of nine children of Lewis and Maude Pounds, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with her children at her side on Sunday, December 6, 2009. Bonnie married Tom Schmitt after high school. Together they had three children. She taught their children the importance of church, hard work, and caring for others. In 1968, she married Robert Mitchell with whom she spent 34 years until his death in 2003. Together they performed duets and sang in church choirs as witness to their strong faith and love of Jesus Christ, traveled with their always present and wellloved dogs, enjoyed gardening while sharing their bounty, and celebrated the love of their joined families at every opportunity. Colorado became a special retreat for them each year. Their blended family was blessed with a special closeness that comes from friendship. As Robert's health declined, Bonnie was his devoted care-giver, never taking time for herself but still managing to host family celebrations with other's happiness always at the forefront. She had been a long-time member of the First Evangelical United Brethren Church which later joined the Methodist conference and became the Hale Heights United Methodist Church. When she and Robert married, they began attending the First Christian Church of Broken Arrow. After his death, she joined the Boston Avenue Methodist Church and attended with her daughter, Sarah and son-in-law, Cisco. She was a member of the Round Table Sunday School Class. When her health declined, she was devoted to watching the Boston Avenue Sunday services on television. Bonnie was a longtime employee of World Publishing (Formerly Newspaper Printing Corporation). A graduate of Central High School in Tulsa, she went to work for The Tulsa World and Tribune from 1946 – 1950. After her children were in school, she returned to work for the newspapers from 1960 to 1984. During that time, she worked in classified advertising, accounting, and then display advertising, serving as secretary to the sales staff as well as to the advertising director. She was known for her efficiency, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and homemade Christmas candy which she shared with everyone on the "eighth floor" advertising staff. Bonnie is predeceased by her parents, Lewis and Maude Pounds, her brother Kenneth, sisters, Roberta, Elma, Phyllis, Mary, Maxine, and Geraldine, as well as a son, Nathan. She is survived by her sister, Helen (Billie) & brother-in-law Paul Brink; her children, Tom Schmitt III, his wife, Claudia, & grandson, Christopher Schmitt, her daughter, Sarah Schmitt Maldonado, her husband, Cisco, and her step-daughter, Marna Hyatt. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Boston Avenue Methodist Church TV Ministry or the charity of your choice. Graveside: 10:00 am, Thursday, December 10, 2009 Ft. Gibson National Cemetery. Memorial Service 1:00 pm, Boston Avenue Methodist Church Rose Chapel, Tulsa. Visitation 9 am to 8 pm Wednesday, December 9, 2009.