Bonnie Moomaw, 96, of Wayne died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 at Wayne Countryview Care and Rehabilitation in Wayne.
No public service will be held. A private family memorial will be held at a later time.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home in Wayne.
Bonnie Lee Briggs was born Oct. 29, 1926 at Wray, Colorado to Helen and Leander Briggs. Her father died when she was nine years old. Bonnie was greatly influenced by her maternal grandparents as she grew up in Denver and Lamar, Colorado.
After high school graduation, she first attended college at Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma and then transferred to Manhattan Christian College in Manhattan, Kansas.
It was in Manhattan that Bonnie met Russell Moomaw. Russell and Bonnie were married on Aug. 21, 1949. Bonnie was mother to Sandi and Leah, who were born in 1950 and 1952 in Scottsbluff. Their family lived and worked at the Moomaw family farms and businesses called Moomaw’s Corner near Bayard.
In 1954 they moved to Joplin, Missouri for Russell to become a student at Ozark Christian College. Following college graduation, the family moved to Riverton, Wyoming and Russell became the Minister of the Christian Church at Riverton.
In those years, Bonnie was called upon to sing at weddings and funerals and to support her husband’s ministry.
The family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1964 where Russell was a graduate student at Colorado State University. Bonnie began a career as a librarian in the Larimer County Library system, including trips up the Big Thompson Canyon on the book mobile.
Following graduation from CSU with his master’s degree, Russell began a career with the University of Nebraska Extension Service in York. Bonnie worked at York University in the campus bookstore and later in the college library.
In summer of 1968, a move to Wayne led Bonnie to the library at Wayne State College. During the Wayne years, Bonnie and Russell were very active at Wakefield Christian Church and Journey Christian Church. In retirement, they served as volunteers for Meals on Wheels in Wayne and prepared meals for the Rescue Mission in Norfolk.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her step-father; her brother and sister-in-law; her husband of 69 years, Russell; all three of Russell’s siblings and their spouses; one nephew; and son-in-aw, Bill Thurmond.
Survivors include her daughters, Sandi Thurmond and Leah (John) Agler and eight grandchildren: Kristin (Don) Entzi; Karen (Michael) Flaherty; Kevin Thurmond; Kameron (Kara) Thurmond; Jessica (Sam) Addo; Karsten (Emily) Thurmond; Micah Agler; Rebecca (Michael) Bland and 13 great grandchildren; Clay, Layne, Chayse, Aydan Entzi of North Dakota; Emma, Connor, Lauren Flaherty of Colorado; Alex Thurmond of Omaha, Nora and Piper Thurmond of Minnesota, Millie, Sutton and Nash Thurmond of Lincoln and baby Addo of Kansas City.
The family is thankful for the friends across the years who remember Bonnie. They are especially grateful for those who cared for her in her home during the three years after Russell passed away. Many at Countryview enjoyed her spunky personality as they loved and cared for her in the months following November of 2021.
