Bonnie (Barlow) Warrington Montgomery, 82

(Formerly of Blue Earth) – Bonnie (Barlow) Warrington Montgomery passed away on April 9, 2021, at Collier Hospice Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Dunnell. Bonnie will be laid to rest next to her grandparents, Sven and Beda Person, in a private ceremony at Lake Fremont Cemetery in Dunnell.

Bonnie was born on May 4, 1938, to Elna G. Person and Milton J. Barlow on a farm near Dunnell and was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Aug. 14, 1938. She graduated from Estherville (Iowa) High School in 1956 and Junior College in 1958. On June 29, 1958, Bonnie married her high school sweetheart, Edgar L. Warrington. They had two children, Susan and Mark. In 1965, the family settled in Blue Earth, where Bonnie made lifelong friends.

Bonnie and Ed divorced in 1975, and Bonnie soon met the love of her life. She and John R. Montgomery married on June 25, 1976, and Bonnie became stepmother to Kevin and Tammie. Bonnie and John made Missouri their home for nearly 40 years, first in the St. Louis area and then in Springfield. In 2013, Bonnie and John moved to Colorado.

Over the years, Bonnie held a variety of jobs, from carhop at an Estherville restaurant to compositor at the Blue Earth Post to veterinary assistant at a clinic in St. Louis. She loved to travel and visited several European countries, including Sweden, her ancestral home. Bonnie was passionate about animals; throughout her life she shared her home with many pets and seldom passed up a chance to offer a kind word and a pat on the head to any dog she encountered. Bonnie never met a stranger, was always up for an adventure, and loved a good party. Her irrepressible laugh brightened every occasion, and she was known to burst into song at a moment’s notice. Hugs and heart-to-hearts were among her specialties. Bonnie blessed her family with her fierce love and joyful spirit. She will be deeply missed.

Preceding Bonnie in death were her parents; her brothers, Loren and Vern; and her sisters, Dorothy Lind and Helen Ellingson. She leaves behind her husband, John, of Arvada, Colorado; her daughter, Susan (David Wagman) Warrington of Arvada; her son, Mark (Debbie) Warrington of Lake St. Louis, Missouri; her stepson, Kevin (Amy) Montgomery of Lawton, Oklahoma; her stepdaughter, Tammie (Leroy) Donley of Brazoria, Texas; eight grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cat, Nicco.

Memorial contributions to the Emmet County Animal Shelter (1703 7th Ave. South, Estherville, IA 51334 or emmetcountyanimalshelter.org/donations/) would be appreciated. Online condolences for Bonnie’s family may be left at henryolsonfuneral.com.