Lavonne Grace "Bonnie" (Soderberg) McFarlin (2018)
MCFARLIN, SODERBERG
Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:03:10
Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Monday, December 3, 2018Weslaco, TX – Lavonne Grace McFarlin, known to her friends as “Bonnie”, passed away in her sleep on Thursday, October 25, 2018 at the age of 92. For the last 10 years Bonnie has been a resident of John Knox Village in Weslaco, Texas. She was born in Walnut Township, Adair County, Iowa on July 14, 1926 to Charles Martin Soderberg and Golda Floyd Soderberg.
Bonnie loved to make new friends wherever she went. Her many talents included the positions of office manager and secretary at a hospital and secretary for a congressman in Davenport, Iowa. She befriended many doctors, nurses, local politicians and staff at St. Ambrose University.
Our dear “Aunt Bonnie” and her husband Dale informally adopted the McConnell clan – all 6 children. Individually or in small groups, they took us for weekend trips to their farm in southeastern Iowa. They also cared for all of us occasionally when our parents needed an evening’s break. We loved and cherished them both.
Nurturing their love of travel, Bonnie and Dale drove by car, took their motor home or flew in their light airplane all over the U.S. and Canada. Some of the locations became regular stops where seasonal friendships were created.
Dale L. McFarlin, Bonnie’s father and her mother predeceased Bonnie. After Dale’s death, Bonnie moved to Georgetown, Texas and started another chapter of her life. Continuing her love of travel, Bonnie joined travel groups and took many trips to Europe, Africa, Mexico, South America, Asia and Australia. She often shared stories of her observations of wild animal migrations on the Serengeti plains and adventures in the land of the Dalai Lama, Tibet. She created many treasured scrapbooks of her unforgettable journeys.
Bonnie will be laid to rest next to Dale at Dalmanutha Cemetery, Guthrie County, Iowa. The date is yet to be determined.
You are invited to sign the online guestbook or share a memory at buckashcraft.com.
________________________Transcriber’s note: The Soderberg family lived in Earlham for many years, her father being a businessman at Earlham. The girls attended school and both graduated from Earlham High School, Bonnie in 1944 and Beverly in 1950.
Link to Gravestone Photo
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