Bonnema, Mrs. Mathilda 1927-1959

BONNEMA, MULDER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 8/29/2008 at 20:38:55

VICTIM OF FIRE LIVED IN COUNTY

The tragic death of Mrs. Mathilda (Mrs. Elmer) Bonnema, 31, of Ireton was published in Monday’s Globe-Post, but a fact which escaped mention is that she is a former resident of Fredonia Township, Plymouth County.

Mathilda was born April 3, 1927, at Sioux Center, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bastian Mulder whose post office address is Orange City. She lived with her parents on the Will Lang farm in Fredonia township as a child.

Funeral services were held March 12 at 12:45 p.m. from the Melvin Bonnema (Elmer Bonnema’s brother) farm home near Ireton and at the Christ Reformed church of Lebanon west of Sioux Center at 1:30 p.m. under direction of the Vander Ploeg Funeral Home. Rev. A. Arkema officiated. Burial was in the Lebanon Cemetery.

Casket bearers were: Richard G. Bonnema, Jay Bonnema, Dwayne Vos, Herb Vander Stoep, Henry C. Mulder, and Dick Van Zanten.

Survivors include the husband; three daughters, Mary Ann, 7, Lavonne, 5 and Barbara, 2; her parents and brothers and sisters including: Mrs. Ervin Lassen, Remsen; Marinus Mulder, Artesia, California; Mrs. George Jasper, Artesia; Dick Mulder of Orange City; Henry Mulder, Orange City; Mrs. Ed Roghair (Irena) Sioux Center, a twin sister of the deceased; Karl Mulder, Orange City; Dr. John Mulder of Eagle Grove; and Melvin Mulder of Iowa City.

Mrs. Bonnema was burned over 90% of her body when a puff of kerosene fumes caught her and exploded. She was trying to pep up the fire in their farm home furnace. Her husband heard her screams and rushed downstairs with a fire extinguisher. He was somewhat hampered by the necessity of avoiding spraying her face. The children were frightened and Mr. Bonnema took the three children out to the car. When he returned her clothes were not burning any more but the basement was afire. He took care of this and hurried the badly burned woman to the hospital at Sioux Center. She died a few hours later.

~Source: The LeMars Globe-Post, March 12, 1959