Bonita Meillier

Bonita C. (Bonnie) Meillier, age 78, of Faribault, MN, passed away Tuesday, October 10, 2017, at the Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, October 20, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault. Interment will be at the St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.

Memorial visitation will be held on Thursday, October 19th from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. at the new location of Parker Kohl Funeral Home, 1725 Lyndale Ave. N., Faribault, and on Friday for one hour prior to the services at the church.

Bonita Carolyn was born on April 27, 1939 in Sleepy Eye, MN to Henry and Anna (Gewerth) Hoffmann. She was raised in Morgan, MN and graduated from St. Michael's High School with the class of 1957. Bonnie pursued further education in Mankato to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. She was united in marriage to Gerald Meillier on September 1, 1962 in Morgan. She and Jerry moved to Faribault in 1964, where she worked as a surgical nurse at District One Hospital until her retirement in 1978. Following retirement, Bonnie continued working at JoAnn Fabrics until 1983.

She had a passion for sewing, creating many outfits for family and friends. Bonnie was an amazing cook, baker, and canner. She enjoyed quilting, knitting, painting, and Christmas crafts. Bonnie was a talented pianist, and she instilled her passion for music within her children. She loved caring for indoor plants and flower gardens. She was also an avid sports fan, watching all Minnesota Professional teams and Gophers, having a great knowledge of each sport. Her favorite of all pastimes was playing cards, and hours upon hours were spent with family and friends at the dining room table in games and laughter.

Bonnie was a devout Catholic, and in the final years when she couldn't make it to mass, she prayed the Rosary every day, including her family and friends continuously in her prayers.

She is survived by her four children, Lisa (Patrick) Payne of Chaska, MN, LuAnn (Robert) Heacock of Independence, MO, Joseph (Daina) Meillier of Burnsville, and Paul (Peggy) Meillier of Minneapolis; ten grandchildren, Meghan and Nicholas Payne, Bridget, Olivia, and Samuel Heacock, Mathew, Joshua, Tucker, and Olga Meillier, and Brooklyn Meillier; plus many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry; parents, Henry and Anna Hoffmann; and four brothers, Leonard, Norbert, Arthur, and Cletus Hoffmann.

Memorials may be directed to Divine Mercy Catholic Church in memory of Bonnie.