Bonnie Schroder

Bonnie Kay Schroder of Jefferson City MO, died Thursday, October 10, 2024 at the Saint Luke's Hospice House in Kansas City, MO.

Bonnie was born in Sedalia, MO, the first child of four born to Glenn and Margaret (Bolten) Schroder and lived in the Clifton City/Otterville area for the first two years of her life as a "farm" girl.

She was baptized on December 13, 1964, and was a member of Broadway Baptist Chapel in Sedalia and the First Baptist Church in Jefferson City.

Bonnie grew up in Sedalia, MO, and attended Washington Elementary School and graduated from Smith-Cotton High School in 1968. She attended State Fair Community College when it opened in 1968 and was in the first graduating class in 1970. She helped to register students during the Summer of 1968 as a student employee in the Student Personnel Office at the new College. She worked a year for the College after graduation and then went on to Central Missouri State College (now University of Central Missouri) graduating in 1973.

She started her career work in Jefferson City for the Missouri Department of Agriculture in 1973. Then worked as secretary to the Press Secretary for Governor Christopher "Kit" Bond from 1975-1976 and 1981-1985. She also worked as secretary to the City Administrator in the City of Jefferson for over ten years until she retired January 1, 2011. She earned the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) designation along the way.

She was a member of the National Secretaries Association (NSA) which became the Professional Secretaries International (PSI), Beta Sigma Phi in Sedalia and Jefferson City, and Business and Professional Women Association. Bonnie served as the first president of the Ink and Quill Chapter of NSA chartered in Jefferson City in 1975.

Bonnie enjoyed making large batches of LEP cookies each Christmas following the tradition of her paternal Grandmother Ola (Steele) Schroder whose recipe was over 100 years old (we think the recipe was that old at the time Ola made them). Bonnie was famous in the family for her dinner rolls that were enjoyed for years at every holiday. She got the recipe from her Great Aunt Ida (Mitchell) Schroeder.

Personalized birthday and holiday cards were made for family members for years. During retirement, she improved her efforts making these cards and shared them with friends as well.

Bonnie also loved flowers, plants and bunnies; she enjoyed tending her house plants and yard as long as she was able to do so. She enjoyed listening to Country music, coloring and helping family members whenever possible.

She enjoyed traveling and attended NSA/PSI International Conventions in: Vancouver British Columbia, Canada 1978; Hollywood by the Sea FL including a cruise to the Bahamas in 1979; Minneapolis MN 1983; Louisville KY 1985; Philadelphia PA 1986; Los Angeles CA 1987; Kansas City MO 1988; San Antonio TX 1989; Dallas TX 1991; Columbus OH 1992; Houston TX and New Orleans LA.

Bonnie attended the Business and Professional Women Association's convention in Hawaii in 1987. She attended the christening ceremony for the USS Jefferson City submarine in Norfolk VA in 1990 and attended the commissioning ceremony for the USS Jefferson City submarine in Norfolk VA in 1992.

She traveled with a group from Jefferson City to their partner city of Müenchberg, Germany in 2011. She attended the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena CA in 2014 - which was a lifelong dream. She also traveled to Pigeon Forge TN 2005, Savannah GA 2010, New York City/Philadelphia PA 2013 and Waco/San Antonio TX 2017.

Bonnie loved her family and when her nephews were very young, she was the first one down on the floor playing with them. She taught them as children to shape her rolls and helped them dye Easter Eggs. When the boys were teens (or near it) they helped her move into her new home that she built in 1994 in Jefferson City. And when her grandnephew and grandniece came along, she always enjoyed hearing about their activities and receiving their school photos. We loved her, too, and will miss her every day.

She survived breast cancer in 2020.

Predeceased by her parents - mother in 1997 and father in 2013; sister Glenda in 2011; sister-in-law Shirley in 2020; and her brother Dale in 2023.

Survivors include her sister, Dorothy Schroder of Sedalia, nephews Nick (Melissa) Schroder of Garden City MO and Scott (Jessica) Schroder and children, Chandler & Emma Schroder, all of Harrisonville MO; one special first cousin, Mike (Gina) Bolten of Fresno CA and many cousins and friends.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at Highland Sacred Gardens Cemetery in Sedalia. Memorial contributions are suggested to The Food Bank for Central & Northern Missouri, Saint Luke's Foundation (Hospice House) or the American Cancer Society. Arrangements are in the care of Heckart Funeral Home in Sedalia, MO.