Evelyn M. Bonar

Evelyn M. Bonar, 87, of Auburn, formerly of Leo-Cedarville, died Thursday July 5, 2018 at Betz Nursing Home in Auburn. She was born September 3, 1930 in Fort Wayne, the daughter of the late Harold and Ellen Hines. She married Robert L. Bonar on July 24, 1954 in Cedarville Community Church. Evelyn is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Kim Meinzer of Noblesville and Kelly and Arni Placencia of Auburn; grandchildren, Ellyn (John) McCall of Noblesville, Logan (Nathan) Nicola  of Toledo, Ohio and Jordan Placencia of Auburn, Nikki (Jeremy) Moore of Westerville, Ohio and Gena (Jerome) Bishop of Mason, Ohio; great grandchildren, Avelyn, Jace, Seth, Evany, Coen, Nova, Elia and Anton; sisters, Doris Gray of Grabill and Carolyn and Walter Scott of Auburn. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert L Bonar; great grandchild, Eli; brother, Harold Hines, Jr.; sister, Ruth Colestock. A celebration of life service will be held 11:00 am Saturday with visitation one hour prior at Pinnington Funeral & Cremation Services 502 N. Main Street, Auburn. Visitation will also be held on Friday from 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. Her ashes will be joined with her husband Bob’s and scattered in the Gulf of Mexico near Clearwater Beach, Florida where the family enjoyed many happy years together. Memorial donations may be made to DeKalb Health Home Care 1316 E. 7th Street Auburn, IN 46706 or Hospice or Hear Indiana 40740 Suite 33 Kingsway Drive Indianapolis, IN 46205.

EVELYN M. BONAR LIFE STORY

When reflecting on the life of Evelyn Bonar, it is easy to see that her days were spent deeply loving those around her. Just look at a photograph, any photograph, and there she is: beaming. And those smiles beside her, they’ll tell you; they’re beaming because they loved her right back. Or perhaps because of the witty remark muttered under her breath. Or quite likely, both. She experienced so many of the best things life has to offer, but what mattered to her was sharing them with those she loved.

Those who loved her called her many things, none of them Evelyn. Ev or Evie or Mamazuma by her friends, and there were many. GM or Grandma, Bobbie or Great Mama by her adoring and adorable grand and great-grand children. Aunt Ev or Eleven or Crazy by nieces and nephews with whom she shared such special bonds. Ev Bonar was a devoted mother if ever there was one, but she might argue that nothing was better than becoming a grandmother and great-grandmother. And given that stubbornness and a competitive spirit were a part of her charm, that’s an argument she would win, hands down. She leaves behind a priceless collection of memories that her generation after generation after generation of loved ones will forever hold near and dear to their hearts, beaming.

Ev was born into post stock-market crash America on September 3, 1930. Given the times, given her older siblings Ruth, Harold, and Doris, and with baby sister Carolyn around the corner, life was not easy for her parents Harold and Ellen Hines. Harold worked hard at his auto shop, and managed to provide for his family. Ellen worked hard at home, and managed to raise her children to be loving and happy and unaware of the poverty of the times. Raised in the small town of Cedarville, Indiana, Ev was a proud Leo Lion, who loved school, if not schoolwork, and graduated from Leo High School in 1948.

New and exciting changes were in store for Ev after high school. She was excited to get to work, excited to save and save and buy her first car. She was excited to meet new friends who would last a lifetime. But the most exciting thing happened when she met the young man of her dreams. His name was Robert L. Bonar; Bob to his friends. They met in 1953 when her girlfriend, Vera, dragged her to the service station Bob owned, because Vera had a crush on him. Imagine Evelyn’s surprise when Bob showed up at the hospital after she was in a car accident; as it turned out, his crush was on her. Bob was kind and handsome and boy, could he dance; and he was crazy about her. Their love grew quickly, and he proposed to her on Christmas Eve of that same year. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Bob married his sweetheart on July 24, 1954, at Cedarville Community Church; and his sweetheart she remained until the day he died.

As young newlyweds, Ev and Bob lived in Leo for several years, then built a home in Fort Wayne.While Bob ran his car repair business, Ev continued to work at Lincoln Bank in downtown Fort Wayne until they started their family. Together they welcomed two daughters, Kim and Kelly, into their hearts and home. When their older daughter was in high school, they bought a few horses and built a home on property near the town of Garrett, where many family memories were made. Once their girls were grown, Ev and Bob shared their time between a Florida home and an Indiana lake property. Ev and Bob loved Clearwater, but they could only stay away from their girls, and particularly their grandgirls, for so long. While away, hours and hours of “Grandma talks” had to suffice.

Throughout her life Ev Bonar was a woman both interested and interesting. She was quite the fisherman from the time her mother taught her to fish as a young girl. For a number of years she lived on Story Lake in Hudson, Indiana, where fishing with her family became a tradition. In fact, she caught so many fish that her husband often told her, “Don’t keep more fish than I can clean before dark!” Ev liked to catch fish, to cook fish, to eat fish; but the cleaning she happily left to her husband. She also enjoyed bowling, golfing, playing tennis, and playing poker. Evelyn enjoyed gambling and she and Bob were known to go to Las Vegas once a year to “visit our money.” She would often take gambling trips with her sisters to the casinos in both Indiana and Michigan. Ev was a huge sports fan, closely following IU basketball. She was an avid Yankee-lover, and a Cub-hater (though out of consideration, or perhaps playfulness, she kept that bit about the Cubs from some of her lifelong Cub-loving pals). Ev loved singing, and oh could she sing! She rarely missed her Wheel and Jeopardy, and was always up on the news. But above all else, she loved spending time with her grandchildren, and they loved it every bit as much. The thing about Ev Bonar was, when she was with you, she wasn’t with a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a sister, a friend: she was with YOU.

When Ev’s mother was living, Ellen’s home was the hub of the family. Every day, sisters and cousins crossed paths there, without fail. Ev and her sisters were as close as humanly possible, and they lived as they sang: in harmony. Ev’s sisters were her best friends; they not only loved, but truly liked one another. They took sister gambling trips, they went on cruises, they took family vacations together. One of these memorable trips was in 1997 when they traveled by train from Indiana to Oregon with 22 family members, ranging from ages four to 74! 

All who knew Ev Bonar would agree that she was truly beautiful on the inside and out. And if we’re being honest, she wouldn’t disagree. Right up there with her fierce love and loyalty, her beauty and smarts and wit, her integrity and stubbornness and competitive spirit, was complete confidence. No one could take a compliment like Ev Bonar, and we love her for it. She lived a life of purpose and made the most of each and every moment she was given. There was no greater gift in her life than her family, and Ev’s favorite moments were any moments spent with the ones she loved. In times of trial, she was unwavering; and her strength, courage, and faith just shone that much brighter. Now, at the end of a life well lived, a race well run, she’s collecting life’s greatest compliment from the Lord himself.  Life here will never be the same without her, but so many of us will remain forever changed because of her touch. And we will remember, and beam. Until we meet again.

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