Bonnie Lee (Gibbons) Smith

Bonnie Lee Smith of Yearick St., Argos, Indiana passed on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 11:55 p.m in Pilgrim Manor, Plymouth, Indiana after a one month illness.  She was the daughter of O.C. and Freda Flagg Gibbons. She was proud of her July 4, 1936 birthday, and the past few years it was celebrated at Hacienda Restaurant with family and many friends.  She was a resident of Fulton and Marshall Counties.

In 1955, Bonnie graduated from Culver High School. She was a ten-year Marshall County 4-H member, and she showed the grand champion steer not once but twice at the Marshall County 4-H fair.  After graduation, she worked at the Culver State Exchange bank.

On September 10, 1961, she married Lee R. Smith at Santa Anna United Methodist Church.   They made their home in Fulton County. From this union came two daughters Mary Lou Durkes and Donna Lee Louk.  After the birth of her oldest daughter, Bonnie left the work force and stayed home with her daughters.

Her two daughters were paramount in her life, and one can say, she lived for her children.  Bonnie carried ice at the summer parades for the Marching CCHS band. She was a Girl Scout leader, assisted her daughters with their 4-H projects, drove them to and from school, sport practices and other engagements, and attended all their activities.  She not only loved local history, but she could discuss it for hours.

She enjoyed bird-watching and building bird houses.  With great love, she cared for her ailing mother for many years and later her husband.  After her husband’s death, Bonnie eventually moved to Argos, Indiana where she shared an apartment with her cat Fulton.

She was a member of the Santa Anna Church located in Marshall County.  During her life, she taught different Sunday school classes and was the Homebuilders class treasurer for many years.  

She was an avid IU Basketball fan.  When she wasn’t cheering the cream and crimson, she was watching either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the William sisters play tennis.  She loved watching sports, and her news choice was Fox News. Her daughters knew never to call her at 5:00 P.M. as that was time for her to watch The Five on Fox News.

Bonnie successfully beat three different types of cancer since 2006.  She was not able to defeat this aggressive lymphoma. She is survived by her two daughters, Mary Lou Durkes and Donna Lee Louk, and  care-giver Deb Drach. Deb was not only her care-giver but also Bonnie’s best friend, companion, buddy and pal. Mary Lou and Donna called Deb a saint for the care she gave to their mother.  She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.

Graveside Funeral Services will be on Saturday July 27, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the Maxinkuckee I.O.O.F. Cemetery at Poplar Grove, State Road 10, Culver, Indiana with Rev. Henry V. Sprunger of the Santa Anna United Methodist Church.

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