Bonner, Frederick Sterling (1912-1968)

BONNER, ANKRUM, THIELEN, HANEN, SVALESON, SANDERS

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 2/26/2015 at 12:21:29

Daily Freeman Journal, Saturday, December 21, 1968

Funeral services for F. Sterling Bonner, 56, widely known Webster City resident, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Foster Funeral home with the Rev. A. E. Rau officiating and with burial in Graceland cemetery.

Mr. Bonner died suddenly following a heart attack suffered Friday morning at his home, 1021 Elm St.

Frederick Sterling Bonner, son of George and Henrietta Bonner, was born March 8, 1912 on a farm near Jewell. He attended the Webster City schools and grew to young manhood in this community.

He was united in marriage May 17, 1937 to Mabel Ankrum, and the couple had always since resided in Webster City. Mr. Bonner was employed as a scheduler expediter at the Franklin Mfg. Co.

He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Linda Bonner, who attends Westmar college at LeMars, and Susan Bonner, at home; by his mother, Mrs. E. M. Bonner, Webster City; one brother and four sisters, Boyd Bonner of Minneapolis, Mrs. Ted (Elinor) Thielen, Webster City, Mrs. Marge Hanen and Mrs. Raymond (Betty) Svaleson, both of Boone, and Mrs. Harold (Doris) Sanders, Hayward, Calif., and a number of nieces and nephews.

Mr. Bonner was a member of the Grace United Methodist church. Mr. Bonner was a member of the Webster City park commission and was serving his second term. Many of the recent park improvements were the result of his steady perusal of better park facilities and recreation programs. He was retired from the Iowa National Guard in 1967 after 24 years service, dating from January, 1928, when he joined Co. E., 133rd Infantry Regiment. He was a rated pilot and held a senior membership in the Civil Air Patrol, serving in the Webster City squadron. He was an expert rifle marksman and instructor, having been runner-up in the corps' area in 1937 when he was firing in competition with military units from several states.

He was also a member of Iowa National Guard teams which won state matches and competed as an individual in the national matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. He was an enthusiast in conservation of wildlife and was instrumental in the improvement of the Boone river waterfront in the Second and Bank St. areas. He also supported the Briggs Woods lake project and Tunnel Mill dam. More recently he was working closely with the Izaak Walton League on additional riverfront improvements. Through his efforts, a building was improved in Kendall Young park and made available to a new summer recreation program for retarded children.