- Date Of Birth: April 15, 1929
- Date Of Death: October 11, 2020
- State: Indiana
Bonieta Fern (Drake) Maxson passed away at 5:30 AM on Sunday October 11, 2020 at Golden Living Center following a 15 year battle with progressive dementia and recently succumbing to COVID19. She was 91 years 5 months and 6 days.
On April 15, 1929, she was born to the late Charles and Mabel (Cripe) Drake at the family home four miles north of Southwest. She was the fourth of ten children.
Surviving children are Gary Lee Edwards, Edwardsburg, MI; Connie Jo Little, Elkhart, IN; and Franklin Geene (Sharlene) Herington Elkhart, IN and special friend Linda Lofti, Stroh, IN. Also, surviving are two sisters Norma Jean (Maurice) Miller, Topeka, IN; Anna Marie (Thomas) Clark, Goshen, IN; and one brother Harold Laverne Drake, Lorida, Fla. Step children include: Millie, Pat, & Kenneth Wogomon and Vera Wagner. She has 19 Grandchildren, 39 great grandchildren and 15 great-great grandchildren and additional step grandchildren and step-great grandchildren.
She outlived all of her husbands who were George Otto Edwards (to this union there were 5 children), Etson Cornwall, Herman “Jr” Roeder, Geene Herington(to this union was born 1 child), Harold Wogomon, and Robert Maxson.
She was also preceded in death by the following children and in-laws: Marcia Kay Maxson (James, Fred), Steven Edwards (Jeannie, Carolyn), and Linda Toppins (Grady); Siblings and in-laws: Calvin Drake, Virgil (Edith) Drake, Robert (Bethel) Drake, Willard (Alice) Drake and Lamar (Isabell) Drake and sisters Elsie (Kenneth) Miller and sister-in-law Sue Drake. Great-grandchildren: Aiden & Jocelyn Edwards and Scarlet Marie Van De Mark; step daughter; Vera Wagner and step grandson; Harry Wells
Bonieta “Bonnie” lived in the Elkhart-Goshen area throughout her life. She went to the Harrison-Calvin Center grade school. She worked as a waitress in local restaurants, the Moose and local VA lodges. She also work at several factories in the area including Elkhart Plastics and Shipshewana Blinds as a seamstress. Later in life she was a volunteer at the Harvest Basket of Elkhart. She was a member of the Church of the Brethren and Elkhart First Church of God. She taught Sunday school and volunteered in church functions.
She was known to many as “Grandma” and “Aunt Bonnie”. Her positive influence expanded when she served as an Elkhart County foster parent for several years. She enjoyed visiting her grandchildren at school functions and even participated as a great-grandma. She loved to sing and go to yard sales. She was known for her green thumb, once earning an award for the “most unusual” garden at the Middlebury Crystal Valley Apartments. When she lived at Stratford Commons, she was often found out and about walking her dog, playing a game or putting together puzzles with her friends. While at the nursing home, she was often heard singing a song and gave a smile to those around her. Her family will miss her smile, silly faces, her good-bye waves and warm hugs.
