Funeral Service: Friday, October 6,2006 at 2:00 p.m. at Stevenson and Sons
Interment: follow at the Custer County cemetery
Bonnie Keithley Holmlund was born on July 30, 1915 in Big Timber MT., the second child of Henry Taylor and Estella Ludlow Keithley. The family lived on a homestead at Melville. When Bonnie was three years old, her mother passed away. Having been crippled by a horse, and losing his wife, Henry sold the homestead and moved the family to Big Timber to live with his parents, Theodore W. and Nellie Keithley, while he worked at whatever jobs he could find.Bonnie attended grade school in Big Timber, and spent her freshman year in Minneapolis, living with a cousin, HelenSoule. In 1930 she moved to Miles City with her Father and two brothers, graduating from Custer Co. High School in 1933.After graduating from High School, she worked at a boarding house, then later at Ole's Hamburger Joint. She also worked with a traveling saleslady selling ladies clothing across Eastern Montana.One Saturday night she went to a country dance with a friend, and took a liking to the fellow who was playing the banjo. Little did she know she would be married to him for 51 years, and raise three boys.
Bonnie and Sid Holmlund were married March 14, 1936 in Baker, MT. After their wedding, she moved to Angela where Sid owned the Angela Store and Post Office. They operated the store, post office, garage and service station until 1978, when they sold out, retired and moved to Miles City.Even with the shortage of water at Angela, Bonnie managed to have a beautiful flower garden. Most of the water she used had to be hauled, but it made her happy to have the flowers and everybody felt it was worth it. After their retirement, she had all the water she needed for flowers, and she was in seventh Heaven.
Along with running the Store, helping in the Post Office, caring for her family and aging father, she enjoyed making clothes for herself and others. She also took the time to make doll clothes for her nieces, granddaughters, and some of the girls in the neighborhood. There is no telling how many afghans, cathedral window quilts, baby blankets, baby caps and the like she knitted or sewed, but it has to be in the hundreds. She also enjoyed wetting a hook in some of the local reservoirs.She was a member of the Angela Homemakers Club; the Trinity Lutheran Church of Angela - Rock Springs and later of Miles City; a charter member of the Miles City Genealogical Society; and various knitting and sewing groups in Miles City.After Sid passed away in 1987, Bonnie continued to live at her home in Miles City until January 2006, when for health reasons she needed assistance. She moved to an apartment in an adult foster home operated by Joyce Conley, where she remained until two months prior to her death.
Bonnie passed away September 29, 2006 at Holy Rosary Extended Care in Miles City, MT.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her Parents, Henry and Estella Keithley; Husband, SidneyHolmlund; Brothers, Walter and HaroldKeithley; Grandson, Kevin Holmlund, and Step Great granddaughter, KorennaHelmuth.
She is survived by Three Sons - Keith (Margie), Ken (Joyce), Wayne (Wanda); Four Grandchildren. Angie (Kris) Lohrke, Kurt (Darcie) Holmlund, Jaimi (Shane) Balsam, and KrisHolmlund; Five Step Grandchildren -Waylon Reno, Joni (Mike) Hauber, Tara (Justin) Ash,Kimber (Paul) Gebhardt, and Piney (Josh) Helmuth; Seven Great grandchildren - Sydney, Alyssa, and Kole Lohrke; Jaycee and Dylan Holmlund;Kolette and Heath Balsam; Eight Step Great Grandchildren - Tristan, Bailey Jane and Riley Reno;Brianna Ash; Chase and Veronica Gebhardt; Kylie and Dalton Helm; two very special Sisters-in-Law,Gert Holmlund and HelenKeithley; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Range Riders Museum, Trinity Lutheran Church, Holy Rosary Hospice, or the charity of one's choice.
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