Bonnie Blades

1927 - 2011

Bonnie Louise Blades
Bonnie Louise Blades, beloved daughter of Troy and Ruth Dory, was born on June 16, 1927 in the small community of Grenola, Kansas.  The effects of the Dust Bowl on their farm forced the family to leave the area and move to Chandler, Arizona, where Bonnie attended Chandler High School.  An early marriage brought her to the Lompoc area where she lived for most of her life.
Bonnie worked a variety of jobs throughout her life:  as a dental assistant for John Mosby, a bookkeeper for Zimmerman Trucking and a CNA for the Lompoc Hospital.  She loved to travel and visited many countries and regions of the U.S.  She loved to shop and was the main supplier of clothes for her grandchildren when they were small.  She had a green thumb, planting beautiful gardens, especially roses, wherever she lived and was the family go-to person for advice on all things growing.
She was a committed follower of Christ, finding great joy in the fellowship, teaching and music of her church home, the First Southern Baptist Church of Lompoc.  She loved reading the Bible and taught Sunday School to a generation of children now grown.  She impressed her family with the importance of giving.  As she recounted her blessings, she promised,  "You can't outgive God."  She prayed daily for the needs of all she knew.
Bonnie was a lively, well-read, beautiful and captivating person who took joy in living.  She had a treasure trove of memories from which to tell the stories from her family tree, keeping them alive for the next generation.  She lived her life with grace and dignity, even through the toughest of times.  She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, aunt, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dee Blades; long time companion, Robert Buswell; parents, Troy and Ruth Dory; brother and sister-in-law, Burnice and Lois Mae Dory; and beloved daughter, Diane French.
She is survived by her son, Michael (Erin) Simons; son-in-law, Al French of Lompoc; grandchildren, Kelly Horn of Grants Pass, OR; Ted (Shara) Fordyce, Renee Kephart and Jennifer Fordyce  (Milton) of Tampa, FL; Morgan (Matt) Grant of Lompoc; Elizabeth (Matt) Anderson of Brea, CA; and Jason (Kat) French of Carrollton, TX; great-grandchildren, Lee, Brian, Hope and Katelyn Horn of Grants Pass, OR; Gabrielle and Faith Grant of Lompoc; Samantha and Jacob Kephart, Xander Hernandez and Joy and Josh Fordyce of Tampa, FL.
A memorial service will be held for her on Saturday at 11:00 at the First Southern Baptist Church.
 
"The memory of the righteous will be a blessing." 
Proverbs 10:7