Obituary
Bonnie Louise Tew, 92, of Grinnell, died on Friday, March 1, 2019 at Grinnell Regional Medical Center in Grinnell. A visitation will be held Thursday March 14, 2019, at Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell from 3:00p.m.-8:00p.m. with the family present from 5:00p.m.-8:00p.m. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 15, 2019 at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. Interment will be at Hazelwood Cemetery. Memorials may be designated to Poweshiek County Historical Society or Grinnell Fire Dept-Water Rescue, mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112. Bonnie Louise Elertsen was born on Tuesday, February 24, 1927 in Mingo, Iowa, the daughter of Peter and Bertha (Hufford) Elertsen. Bonnie attended Richland #1 “Frog Pound” rural school and graduated from Grinnell High School in 1945. She then worked in the Highway Commission Office and Bill’s Coney Place. Bonnie was united in marriage to Clayton E. Tew on April 13, 1947 at the First Baptist Church in Grinnell, Iowa. The couple lived in Grinnell and owned Tew Construction and Tew Apartments. After retiring they took their crafts and lapidary to craft shows and traveled with the Heritage Club of Grinnell State Bank. She was a member of First Baptist Church, ABWM, twenty-year volunteer in the gift shop at GRMC, Hospitality Chairman for funeral dinners for many years, trustee, church clerk and was a member of the sewing club. Bonnie is survived by her children, Judith (David) Richards of Indianola, Randall Tew of Mary Esther, Florida, Barbara (Bruce) Anderson of Pleasant View, Colorado, Carolyn (Tim) Wilson of Flower Mound, Texas; nine grandchildren; one step grandson; eight great grandchildren; her sister, Doris Steward of Albion, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents; step father, John Mc Ilrath, her son, Jerry in Vietnam in 1971, her husband Clayton, daughter in law, Lt. Col. Karen Tew, two stepsisters and their spouses, Helen (Jim) Fuller and Alberta (Don) King, two stepbrothers and their spouses, Raymond (Alice) Mc Ilrath and Kenneth (Doris) Mc Ilrath, her in laws, Everett and Florence Tew, two sister in laws and their spouses, Frances (Clarence) Johnson and Charlotte (Jerry) Press and her brother in law Earl Steward. .
Events
03:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Grinnell, IA 50112
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Grinnell, IA 50112
11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
11:30 AM - 02:00 PM
Grinnell, IA 50112