Bonnie Pizel

Bonnie Dell Barber was born on March 10, 1935 --- the first-born child of Madge and Wayne Barber. She was born in the family home south of Laird, CO. In December of 1937, she helped welcome her baby brother, Charles Dewayne. He became her life long buddy and dance partner. The family moved 8 miles south of Burlington in 1942 where she grew up and lived until her marriage. She often spoke of doing her chores and helping her Mom. Chuck always helped with chores and spent many happy moments filling Bonnie’s hip pockets with milk as they milked the cows. Bonnie went to school in Burlington and graduated in 1953. She was a member of the high school marching band and the pep club. She enjoyed her business and accounting classes the most. She did attend one semester of college at DU and then came home to marry Allen Pizel on May 19, 1954, in Albuquerque, NM. Allen adopted her daughter, Connie, later that year and she helped welcome a new baby sister to the family when Donna Diane was born on March 16, 1955. The family mourned the loss of a first-born son, Allen Junior, in December of 1956; then joyously welcomed a second son, Michael Allen on October 23, 1958. Bonnie was a loving mother and a hard working life partner with Allen. She was a busy woman raising her family and working at Montgomery Wards, Burlington Floral Shop, and State Farm Insurance over the next years. Already a busy homemaker, she became a very active member of the Happy Hours Home Demonstration club baking pies by the dozens and making enough sloppy joes to feed most of Kit Carson county at the farm sales. She happily welcomed additions to her family when Connie married Fred Niles in 1972 and Donna married Ralph Gorton in 1973. Bonnie found her calling and heartily embraced being Grandma when Eddie Niles joined the family in 1972. Randy Gorton and Aaron Niles followed him in 1976. The grandsons spent many wonderful summer days with her – riding motorcycles, helping on the farm and in her kitchen, and taking swimming lessons. Bonnie even managed to work in a few hobbies of her own – she bowled, kept the books for the farm and Mike’s business, learned to make wonderful chocolate candies, and began crocheting her famous and much loved afghans. She became known for her beautiful crocheting and all the love she worked into every stitch. Grandma Bonnie’s brood grew by one more when Mike and Jamie Burmeister presented her with their son, Dalton, in 1991. Bonnie was a pro by then, and Dalton got all the benefits of her many years of Grandma experience. They spent many happy hours together at the farm expanding his culinary skills. Dalton returned the favor by expanding Grandma’s horizons – he taught her the finer points of soccer as he played. Bonnie gained an extended family in 1993 when Jeremy Franz drove his brothers and sister to the Pizel farm to ask her and Allen to be their Grandpa and Grandma. The Franz kids provided Grandma Bonnie many years of enjoyment. As the world entered the 21st century, Bonnie’s health began to fail. She lived with increasing pain and disease for many years. Leaving those struggles behind, Bonnie went home to her heavenly Father on April 16, 2010. Her parents, Madge and Wayne Barber; her brother, Chuck Barber; and her infant son, Allen Junior, preceded her in death. She leaves to mourn her passing; her husband Allen, her son Mike, and grandson Dalton of Lakewood, CO; her daughter Donna and husband Ralph and grandson Randy of Centennial, CO, her daughter Connie and husband Fred and grandchildren Eddie and fiancée Chrysel Noble and Aaron and Stacey Niles of Brighton, CO, and her extended Franz Family; Tammy of Burlington, Jeremy of Stratton, Shawn and Ashley and their children, Kalyn and Dylan of Burlington, Mandy and Nicolas Scott and their children, Tyka, Taylor, Triniti, and Tanner of Burlington, Cory and Kristi and their children, Alexis, Logan, and Ashlyn of Goodland, KS, 3 loving aunts, nephews and nieces, numerous cousins, and a world of friends.