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Viola Bonek Obituary
Vi was born Feb. 2, 1911, in Owen, Wis., to Samuel Thoreson and Cecelia Olson, who emigrated from Norway.
In 1924, as a young girl, Vi's mother was killed by a tornado, which destroyed the family home. The Thoresons moved to Suttons Bay in 1925 and set roots in northern Michigan.
Vi graduated from Traverse City High School in 1927. She married William M. Bonek in 1933 in Lake Leelanau. He preceded her in death on Jan. 4, 1986.
Vi and Bill resided in Suttons Bay since 1934, and together they established the Bonek Insurance Agency. In 1941, when Bill was appointed the Suttons Bay Post Master, she became the primary insurance agent and manager.
Vi was a longtime fixture in the Suttons Bay community. She was very proud of her Norwegian heritage and often said "mange takk" (thank you).
She was a member of the Sons of Norway and St. Michael's Parish of Suttons Bay and their former church organist.
Viola is survived by her two daughters, Mary C. (Thomas) Simmon of Ludington and Sally (Jack) Moser of Naples, Fla.; eight grandchildren, Marcia Bonnville of Ludington, Cheryl A. Widdis, DDS, of San Francisco, Calif., Shelley L. Kocher of Dallas, Texas, James R. Widdis Jr. and Alex Simmon of Grand Rapids, Jacqueline Moser of Milwaukee, Wis., Mark Moser of Naples, Fla., and Kelly Sorini of Ann Arbor; and several great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased in death by her son, W. Jan Bonek in 1977; and grandson, William G. Widdis in 1982.
Visitation will be held Friday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., with the rosary to be prayed at 7 p.m., at the Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay. The Mass will be held Saturday, Oct. 4, at 11 a.m., at St. Michael's Parish of Suttons Bay. Burial will follow in St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery.
Memorials may be directed to American Cancer Society, 525 West 14th St., Ste. 5, Traverse City, MI 49684; American Diabetes Association, 30200 Telegraph Road, Ste. 105, Bingham Farms, MI 48025; and/or to Mass Intentions.
Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay.
I'm Vi Bonek, and I approve of this message.
This obituary was originally published in the Record-Eagle.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
4 Entries
Joan Beuerle-Warden
October 4, 2008
I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. My prayers are with you at this time.
Sharon Nelson
October 3, 2008
We send our sincere sympathy to you. I will always remember how good and kind Vi was to my grandma, Mary Reincke and others. She often shared delicious homemade cookies with her and I was always glad to be a recipient of some. Vi called me the cookie girl. We still
make her Chop Suey casserole recipe.
I also remember when my good friend, Susie, first started working for Vi and the Bonek Agency.
Sincerely,
Sharon and Carol Nelson
Ranve Martinson
October 3, 2008
My sincere condolences to the entire Bonek family. I shall always remember Mrs. Bonek as a sweet and kind lady who would keep me fascinated as a young girl with her stories as well as encourage me to further my piano education. She was an inspiration and will be greatly missed and her beautiful yellow house on the corner will always be the Bonek house to me.
Much love,
Dolly Martinson
October 3, 2008
My memories of Mrs. Bonek are fond ones. She was always very supportive of my piano-playing, and encouraged me to continue lessons even when I felt that I was "missing out" on lots of things my friends had time to do and that I didn't due to practice schedules, recitals, and travels to competitions. While she couldn't convince me to also take organ lessons, she would cheerfully offer to teach me herself whenever I saw her. (I was always impressed that she had an organ, complete with foot pedals, right in her living room when she lived in Suttons Bay!)
Mrs. Bonek was a kind lady and the very definition of gracious.
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