Linda Lou (Ditmars) Bonnes
October 22, 1941 – April 29, 2018
Linda Lou (Ditmars) Bonnes was born on October 22, 1941 in Stoutsville, Missouri to William Henry and Lillian (Crow) Ditmars. The Missouri native, who later adopted Iowa as her home, passed away on Sunday, April 29, 2018, after spending several years dealing with the challenges of dementia. At the time of her death, she was a resident of Elm Heights Nursing Facility. She lived 76 years, 6 months and 7 days.
Linda lived in the Stoutsville community until her family moved to Imogene, Iowa in 1947. As the daughter of a railroader, Linda and her family boarded the train on the Wabash Rail and headed North. Linda and her eight siblings attended the Imogene Public School through the 8th grade. She completed her high school education at Farragut Community School in 1959 and there met her future husband, Henry ""Doc"" Bonnes.
After graduation, Linda attended Clarinda Junior College and worked towards her Associate's Degree. However, the distance to Ames where Henry was an undergrad proved to be too great. Henry and Linda wed on September 3, 1961 in Shenandoah, Iowa at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church. She joined her young husband in the Ames area and worked multiple jobs while he completed his veterinary degree at Iowa State University. Upon Doc's graduation in 1966, the couple moved with their young son, Todd, to Farragut so that Doc could set up practice. The union was blessed with 4 more children over the years; Tamara, Tara, Tasha, and Tiane.
Throughout the years, Linda could be found at the Bonnes Vet Clinic assisting Doc with answering the phone and managing the office. This gave her the flexibility to mold her young brood and provided her access to all the Farragut politics and gossip. During the farm crisis of the 1980s, Linda bravely decided to finish her education at Buena Vista University's satellite campus in Clarinda. She graduated in 1990 with her Bachelors of Education. She found great joy in her first job at the Farragut Elementary as a 2nd/3rd grade combination teacher and worked long hours to find creative ways to reach each of her students. She then moved on to the next phase of her career and dedicated her life to assisting individuals with disabilities at Nishna Productions. During her years at Nishna Productions, she held several positions. In 2009, after 17 years, Linda retired from Nishna Productions as the Director of Residential Services.
In addition to working, Linda was very involved in the community and supporting her children in every aspect of their lives. Linda was always on the sidelines cheering and actively helping behind the scenes. She attended athletic, academic, pageantry, music, 4-H, and theatre events and dedicated her time to ensure her children became well-rounded individuals. In the community, Linda worked with the American Red Cross, Farragut Community Club, Bridge Club, Garden Club, Pinochle Club, 4-H, and served on Farragut City Council. Linda helped to create and establish Christmas Tree Lane, a long time and beloved Farragut Community event.
Linda was preceded in death by her husband, Doc Bonnes; parents, William and Lillian Ditmars; a brother Carl Ditmars; sisters Margaret Skahill, Wanda Miller, Rita Taylor; and a granddaughter, Dorthea Heil.
Left to cherish Linda's memory are her children Todd (Melissa) Bonnes of Shenandoah, IA, Dr. Tamara (Wade) Bonnes-Heil of Loup City, NE, Tara (Donnie) Doyle of Imogene, IA, Tasha (Norm) Yates of Grove City, OH, Tiane Hennings of Shenandoah, IA; fourteen grandchildren, Todd Bonnes, Jr. of Shenandoah, IA, Tahrae (Tyler) Metzger of Algona, IA, Tanna (Stephen) Griger of Shenandoah, IA, Delanie, Danica, and Dillon Heil all of Loup City, NE, Brooke, Britney, and Blake Doyle all of Imogene, IA, Nathanial and Colby Yates of Grove City, OH, Sylvia, Simon, and Scarlett Hennings all of Shenandoah, IA; two great-grandchildren, Landry and Lieryn Griger, of Shenandoah, IA; four siblings, William ""Hank"" (Charlotte) Ditmars of Farragut, IA, Kay Fensholt, of Farragut, IA, Ed (Donna) Ditmars of Hawthorn, IL, and Beverly Trump of Kansas City, MO; along with many other relatives and friends.
