Yvonne Delene "Bopnnie" Stodt, 85, died Wednesday, June 28, 2023, while surrounded by family at Klein Center in West Burlington, following complications of Parkinson’s Disease.
Bonnie was born Jan. 3, 1938, in Minneapolis, Minn., the daughter of Lily Amanda Bolz Rettkowski Hawk and Harry Teisman Hawk, Sr. In 1944, she moved to Burlington, with her parents and seven of her twelve siblings. Upon arrival, the children were immediately registered at Messiah Lutheran Church. At that church, Bonnie served as a Sunday school teacher, was in junior and senior choir, and completed her confirmation classes at age 14. Two of her proudest moments were when she graduated to the senior choir and “got her robes”, and when she received her Bible after completing confirmation classes. Bonnie later attended Faith United Presbyterian Church for several years, then First Assembly of God. She began attending Burlington Foursquare Gospel Church more than 35 years ago, and remained a current member.
Bonnie attended Burlington public schools but had to leave in 1955 to help raise her two younger brothers after her mother’s sudden death from stroke. Later, at the age of 44, she returned to school and earned her GED.
Throughout her lifetime, Bonnie was industrious. Her jobs and places of employment included Cloyd’s Bar-B-Que, The Burlington Hotel (Orchard Room), assembling Easter baskets at a Burlington candy factory, Handy Corner (seasonal window paintings), Clean Towel Service, Harrison House, Grier’s Restaurant, Woolworth’s, Doc Bacher’s Drug Store, Home Plate Café, Selby’s, Central Soya, Ross Manufacturing (aka IRC), SCC Cafeteria, J’s Super Value (café head cook), and Area Agency on Aging as the Long-Term Care Committee Coordinator for Southeast Iowa. Bonnie also operated some self-employment ventures, such as a child care service, baking and decorating beautiful wedding and other occasion cakes, and Create-A-Party, which offered services including party planning, catering, balloon bouquet deliveries, and singing telegrams in full costume.
Bonnie was so blessed with artistic talent, homemaking skills, and an abundance of creativity. She loved cooking, painting scenery, sketching people, writing stories of her childhood, gardening and crafting. She was the “idea lady” for school festivals, scouting events, church projects, Sunday school crafts, and youth camps. She served several years and “room mother” at Corse Elementary School, twenty years as a leader with Shining Trail Council of Girl Scouts, and helped coordinate and carry-out five of the annual Scout-O-Rama gatherings at Burlington Memorial Auditorium. The totem pole that once stood near the main lodge at Camp-L-Keeta was designed, carved, and painted by Bonnie and a good friend. During her time at the Burlington Area Agency on Aging she acted as Senior Olympics Coordinator for two years and wrote articles for The Hawk Eye about senior activities in the area. She also became a published author when Our Iowa magazine paid to print one of her short stories.
It was in July of 1958, while working at Selby’s, that Bonnie met the love of her life, Victor Marton Stodt, Jr. One memorable day, she saw him through a second-story window as he walked to his car. At that moment, not even knowing his name, she said to herself, “I’m going to marry that man!” Five dates later, Mart proposed under the street light at Adams and Division while they were out for an evening stroll. Soon afterward, he was afraid Bonnie had changed her mind when a misplaced wedding gown caused her to be forty-five minutes late to her own ceremony, but on October 4, 1958, she and Mart were married at Messiah Lutheran Church. They spent their fiftieth anniversary in Hawaii and celebrated their sixty-fourth anniversary last October.
Of all God’s blessings, Bonnie treasured most her Savior, family and dear friends. She leaves us with wonderful memories, echoes of her laughter, permanent dents from her powerful hugs, and the certainty that, through Jesus, we will be with her again.
Bonnie is survived by her husband; their son, Anthony Stodt of Burlington; two daughters, Tracey (Thomas) Bradley of Burlington and Chalee Crawford of Burlington; six grandchildren, Christopher (Julie) Stodt, Alexander Bradley, Nathaniel Bradley, Victoria (John) Hansen, Braden Crawford, and Brianna Crawford; ten great-grandchildren; one brother, Harry Hawk Jr.; and many nieces and nephews.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents; three infanr brothers, Frederick Rettkowski, August Rettkowski, Myron Rettkowski, Allen Hawk, and Gary Hawk; sisters, Leona (Rettkowski) Maddy Graves, Lillian (Rettkowski) Flynn, Lila (Rettkowski) Bean, Judith Hawk and Harriet Beverly (Hawk) Saben.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 7 at Lunning Chapel where the family will receive friends.
The funeral service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, July 8 at Lunning Chapel. Pastor Sam Fratt will officiate. Following the funeral service, cremation will be accorded.
Inurnment will be held at a later date in Greenwood Cemetery, West Burlington.
A memorial has been established for a Baptismal for Foursquare Gospel Church in memory of Bonnie.