Bonnema, Gerald James 1925- 2002

BONNEMA, MOHLMANN

Posted By: Kathy Carlson (email)
Date: 11/28/2019 at 20:51:24

Gerald J. "Doc" Bonnema, 76, of Bremerton died October 15, 2002, at Harrison Hospital.

He was born December 11, 1925, in Akron, Iowa, to Harry Bonnema, Sr. and Dorothea (Mohlmann) Bonnema. He attended LeMars High School in LeMars, Iowa, where he played football and basketball. Gerald served in the Merchant Marine for a short time before joining the U. S. Navy during World War II. He served aboard the USS Winged Arrow, a troop transport.

He married Luella "Lou" Salisbury on September 30, 1945 in San Francisco. Gerald was employed at Peninsula Feed in Port Orchard, Washington before becoming a shipfitter at Puget Sound Navel Shipyard for many years, retiring in 1973. He then was a bus driver for Bremerton School District until 1982.

Doc was devoted to his great grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them. He enjoyed travel, fishing, hunting and golf but softball was his passion. He loved the sport, the fans... he just loved playing ball.
After moving to Bremerton, he was asked to play fastpitch in 1947. By the season, he had turned himself into a pitcher.
Bonnema, a laid-back guy who didn't seem to let anything bother him, became one of the best. The legendary John Ridley and Bonnema were the top pitchers in town at that time-a time when there were 72 men's teams in Bremerton registered with the Amateur Softball Association.
Bonnema played during an era when Bremerton was a hotbed of fastpitch. His career spanned 27 years from 1947 to 1974. He started playing with Hal's Corner and ended his career with Pop's Inn.
There were lots of other teams and countless honours. He was an all-state selection in 1950, '56 and '57.
Bonnema played on the Bremerton based Outlaws team that placed third at the International Softball Congress World Championships in 1958 at Long Beach, California.
Bonnema was among the original founders of the Kitsap Oldtimers Association Hall. The first KOA Hall of Fame banquet was held in 1987 and Bonnema was among the inductees the following year.
Bonnema was a big guy and a big name in state softball circles. He was just a good guy. Everybody liked him. Bonnema was 49 when he hung up his spikes, but he continued to show up at the ballpark to watch games until finally there weren't any more men's fastpitch teams in town.

Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Linda Surette of Bremerton; a sister, Evelyn Ludwigs of LeMars, Iowa; a granddaughter, Kari Surette of Bremerton; two great grandchildren, Mikayla and Garrett Dobbins, both of Bremerton; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by four brothers, Harry Bonnema, Jr. and Orville, Marlyn and Franklin Bonnema.

Viewing will be from noon to 6 p.m. today and from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Lewis Funeral Chapel in Bremerton. A graveside service will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Bremerton followed by a 1 p.m. memorial service at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 11th Street and Veneta Avenue in Bremerton. A reception follows the memorial service, also at Our Saviour's. An online memorial can be seen at www.lewischapel.com. Memorial donations may be made to Sycamore Tree Preschool or to Our Saviour's Lutheran Church.