Bonnie Jean (Conkel) Little

Bonnie Jean (Conkel) Little was born December 30, 1939 at home on a farm in Chillicothe, Ohio. She was the daughter of Howard and Ruby (Glassburn) Conkel, the oldest of a dominate family of five boys. Her generation was one made of tough of strong people which was Bonnie to a tee. She was an extremely hard worker who took a Forrest Gump approach to life as she wore many hats. She was known to have two or three jobs at a time, all different from one another. She lived a transitional life, learning new and exciting skills along the way. Bonnie met the love of her life, James Little in 1958 and they were wed October 3, 1959. They eventually settled in Columbus, raising their three boys on Clarendon Avenue just houses from where Bonnie grew up. Bonnie lived most of her life on Clarendon Avenue. She relocated to West Jefferson, Ohio a few years ago with her sister-in-law and brother. Bonnie began her career as a bookkeeper. She then worked in several other skilled areas including food service, warehouse, home design and decorating, seamstress, landscape design and various charity work. She embraced her talents and passions and worked jobs that made her life more fulfilling. She truly was an example of living life to the fullest.

Bonnie was a Jaqueline of all trades. She had an explosive mind with a propensity for endless talent. She could do anything she set her mind to never letting fear or inexperience hold her back. One of her greatest passions was the Ohio State Fair. She was a prominent fixture involved in the arts and crafts where she won many ribbons and best of shows. Some of her skills she showcased were macrame, hook rugs, wood burning and painting. She also made scarecrows several years in a row and won prizes for those as well. She had a natural talent as an artist. She loved making gifts for her family as well including quilts, paintings, wooden signs and clocks. She also enjoyed landscaping and was constantly looking for new plants and flowers to make her yard more beautiful. Bonnie also enjoyed shopping, particularly thrift store and clearance racks. She was known for buying items for her family. If she saw it and thought you would like it, she would drop it at your door. You always knew who the random bag of goodies was from. She lived to do for others, especially her family. It brought her great joy to make others happy. Bonnie was also an animal lover and she was often found recusing animals. She also enjoyed incubating and raising water fowl. She loved her Chihuahua Lola who lived a long life of 18 years and went everywhere Bonnie went, even to the grocery store.

Bonnie left this world on December 8, 2021. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Jim and one brother. Bonnie is survived by her boys Jimmy (Sandy), Jeffrey (Nancy) and Joseph (Tracy); grandchildren Jennifer, Timothy, Meaghan, Jacob, Jackson, Jessica and Joshua Little; brother Neil (Loretta) Conkel and their children Lorie ‘Lora Jean’ (Joe) Cafagno, Allen ‘Arlie’ (Jenny) Conkel, Renee ‘Jeannie’ (Brock) Ballah and several other family and friends. Per Bonnie’s wishes, she will be cremated and her and Lola will be put in their final resting place with her beloved Jim. There will be no services. The boys would like to thank Aunt Loretta for taking care of their mom these last few years and giving her the best life until the end.

The Rader-McDonald-Tidd Funeral Home, 1355 West Main Street, West Jefferson, OH 43162 (614)-879-9222, assisted the family. Please visit www.radermcdonaldtiddfuneralhome.com to share your favorite memories and to send your condolences to the family.