Bonnie B. Verworn

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Bonnie B. Verworn, 80, from Oxnard, CA. Bonnie passed away on May 5, 2022 in St. John's Hospital with her daughter, Penny, by her side.

She was born in Miller, South Dakota to Ted and Elna Stahl as the second child out of seven. She attended Missoula County High School in Missoula, Montana, where she met and fell in love with the love of her life Ralph Verworn. Bonnie and Ralph enjoyed a whirlwind romance and were married in 1958 in a beautiful ceremony in Milltown, Montana at the family house. Ralph and Bonnie settled in Oxnard, California and turned it into their home and made a life there.

She was a big believer in community service and found a family with the local Moose Lodge. During her 40+ years with the lodge she was very active with the Women of the Moose organization and held numerous chairs and earned several degrees including the prestigious title of Senior Regent. She was a founding member of the Oxnard Moose Clown Club and became renowned for her clown character Strawberry Patches. She dedicated decades of her love volunteering for the community putting smiles on the faces of countless people, both young and old. Her clown character, Strawberry Patches, became synonymous with the annual Strawberry Festival and was immortalized on the official Strawberry Festival poster for 1993.

Her volunteer work as a clown stretched beyond the local area as she was a regular fixture at the annual Harbor Days Festival, local children's hospitals, charity organizations, and countless other community events. Bonnie was also gifted and creative and loved crafting pieces of handmade art. This included hand painted wooden figures, plaster castings, signage, and posters for the Moose Lodge, crocheting doilies, assisting with the monthly Moosepaper newsletter, and much more.

In her twilight years, Bonnie was introduced to social media and loved connecting with family and friends from all over the world. Her efforts in this connected her to the family history and she was able to trace her family genealogy back to Germany and Canada where she discovered and connected with family from around the world. She took great pleasure and pride in her birthday wishes for all her friends.

Bonnie is survived by her two daughters: Julie Damin, of Evansville, Indiana; Penny Wall, of Oxnard, California, her two grandchildren: Matthew Wall, of Oxnard, California and Crystal Denney (husband: Malcolm), of Boonville, Indiana, and her three great grandchildren Tyler Denney, Lilee Denney, and Mackinzee Denney. She is also survived by her sisters: June Lopez, Teddi Hoffman, Sundy Martin, and brother: Butch Stahl, as well as an extended family including many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by her husband: Ralph Verworn, parents: Ted and Elna Stahl, and sisters: Peggy Hertz and Sheila Fischer.

You will be forever remembered, loved, honored, and missed. Thank you for the life you have lived and the lives you touched and shared.
 

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