Bonnie Lee Barron
12/9/1941 - 2/24/2023OBITUARY FOR BONNIE LEE BARRON
Born December 9, 1941 to Star & Marge Barron in Smith Center, KS, she died unexpectedly on February 24, 2023; never awakening from a Hip Surgery performed on February 15th.
Being an only child, one might expect her to be spoiled; not so with Bonnie. She was genuinely kind, unselfish, and had a cute onery personality that everyone loved. She was always willing to help others, and. when you became her friend, you knew you were blessed with a forever friend.
Bonnie was active in high school; yearbook and school paper staff, president of pep club and played clarinet in band. Her classmates remember her as always up for a good time and her positive attitude was infectious, making it a joy just to be around her.
During high school, even though Bonnie did not need to work, she got a job at the local grocery store in the meat department. Yep, she was a butcher. She would tie that white apron around her waist and go to work cutting meat to each customer’s satisfaction. Nearly everyone in that small town knew her and loved her!
Her mother Marge had one sister, Sylvia “Sweetie”, who married Roy Bolton; they had one son, Dede. Star & Marge had one daughter and that was Bonnie. The two grew up together in Smith Center, much like a sister and brother rather than 1st cousins. Dede & wife Faun had 3 children; Jim, Vicki & Fletch. The three kids were like nephews & niece to her. She loved her family and always tried to be back in Smith Center for the holidays. Holidays, Old Settler’s Day, and High School Reunions were all special times she liked to share with her family and friends in her hometown of Smith Center, Kansas.
After completing a 2-year Associates Degree at Fort Hays College in Hays, Kansas, she moved to Denver, Colorado in September 1961 and began taking classes in key-punch. At that time, a single computer filled an entire room. Key punching became the go-to trade if one wanted to advance in computer accounting. She got a key-punch job with Wells Fargo (name change from Denver US National Bank that became United Bank, then Norwest, and now Wells Fargo).
Because key-punch classes only filled a part of her week, and she had no car, she would hop the bus, made friends with “Bud” the bus driver, and kept him company on his daily route from North Denver to Aurora and back. She always had an entertaining story to share from her daily treks with Bud. Naturally, her bus rides with Bud were free!
Well, over the years, she rapidly advanced in her field at Wells Fargo and became the Manager of all Customers’ accounting, a very prestigious position. Bottom line was that she and her staff were responsible for closing month-end for each customer, adding interest and miscellaneous debit/credit items, and rolling over correctly for the next month’s accounting. Many month-end nights for Bonnie meant staying all night to avoid any glitches in this process. Since her retirement, tech industry is such that now it is all done via computers with no hands-on.
During her growing up years in Smith Center, her Mom and Dad took her to local Stock Car Races in surrounding towns; naturally, she became a Stock Car Racing enthusiast. After moving to Denver, she enjoyed attending the Stock Car Races at Lakeside Amusement Park, as did Star & Marge when they were visiting her.
Bonnie loved softball. She located a girls softball team during the summers with Denver Park & Rec and spent a few years in that league as their catcher. Though she was small in stature, she could catch any ball the pitcher threw and she had an arm that could throw to 1st, 2nd or 3rd base in the blink of an eye.
After her Dad passed away, Bonnie fulfilled her promise to him that she would take care of her Mom. She and her mother Marge bought a home in Sun City West, AZ to enjoy winters, each maintaining their respective homes in Denver and Smith Center.
It was in Sun City West where Bonnie met Dianne Phelps; they became fast friends. She and Dianne cared for Marge in her waning years and, ultimately, the two shared a home in Sun City West and Lakewood (suburb of Denver).
Also, it was Sun City West where she took up golf. The women in her golf group quickly realized as a friend, she was a keeper… always cute, funny, light-hearted, a bit onery, and a joy to be around.
March was Spring Training in the Phoenix area and she always had to catch a game or two of the Colorado Rockies.
During her early years, she loved hunting with her Dad and kept her rifle ready to go on a moment’s notice. Being a crop-duster, her Dad was a very skilled pilot and Bonnie never tired of taking an airplane ride with him; it could be a short ride overlooking the farmlands or maybe traveling to Kansas City for a baseball game. Horseback riding on Sunday afternoons was another favorite. She took up bowling in her hometown and then continued in the Bank Bowling League in Denver, and, like her Mom, always had a book that she was currently reading. Later years, she enjoyed traveling in her RV… making her way to Crater Lake and along the coast of Oregon, always eager to find a “Mo’s” Restaurant where she loved their fresh fried halibut & chips! She absolutely loved the Ocean; perhaps as much as she loved the Mountains of Colorado and Wheat fields of Kansas.
Bonnie requested there be no service; she wanted her loved ones to remember her the way she was -- enjoying life to the fullest! It was her wish to be cremated and her ashes scattered in the Mountains, the Ocean, and a Kansas Wheat Field. Memorial contributions may be made to Smith County Memorial Hospital or Smith County Hospice.
