Bonnie Jean Hamill (Boehler)

Lovingly nicknamed “Lance Parkertip, Noted Notary” by family members, Bonnie Jean Hamill,  passed away June 5, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. Bonnie, formerly of Montrose, Colorado, was born to the late Henry and Minnie Boehler (Klein) on August 30, 1929 on the family’s farm in Trenton, Nebraska. Bonnie and her late husband, John M. Hamill, often joked that her 1929 birth “ushered in the Great Depression”.

Bonnie called Montrose home for 23 years, volunteering in the surgery reception area at Montrose Memorial Hospital and Heirlooms for Hospice store. When not volunteering, or cruising the local farms and orchards for canning supplies, crafting or painting beautiful watercolors, she could be found at the Pavilion “cutting a rug” on the dance floor with friends and husband John.

Sleepytime Tea was Bonnie’s beverage of choice. She would gather her grandkids prior to bedtime, set out the teapot, cookies and tiny porcelain tea cups, pour thimblefuls of tea for each grandchild, add heart-shaped ice cubes in their cups for cooling, ensure copious amounts of sugar cubes were available and listen as the children excitedly recalled their lives’ adventures while sipping tea.

Bonnie loved adventure, the ocean and specifically the beaches in Southern California, the same state where she met her husband John. On their first date at an LA movie theater, there was smoke in the theater, causing the fire department to evacuate the audience — it was truly a “hot date”. The romance continued and together Bonnie and John celebrated 50-plus years of marriage.

Organizing her five children was a herculean task. This led Bonnie to keep detailed records; household bills, meal plans, school schedules and reports, clothing for kids, titles for junker cars the kids would bring home, college admissions forms, birth certificates and so on. Knowing Bonnie always had exact records at her fingertips and her notary seal at the ready, her children dubbed her, “Lance Parkertip, Noted Notary” in honor of keeping all the children organized. The name stuck and stayed with her for decades.

Bonnie is survived by her children Bruce Hamill (Sydni), Diane Hammon (Duncan), Blair Hamill (Lauri), Laurie Perea (Chris) and Brad Hamill (Miki). She loved her role as Grandma to Rebecca Hammon (Jordi), Jessica Mendez (Jacob), Braelyn and Whittaker (Leah) Hamill, Lindsay (Brian) Cocos, Taylor (Amy) Hamill, Brian (Berry), Jonathan (Lauren) and Samanatha Perea, and Josiah (Emily)  Hamill. She was “GG Hamill” to Ethan and Noah Mendez, Jamie, Arlo and Peter Mata-Fink, Jonah and Talia Cocos, and Logan Perea. Left with decades of fond memories is her younger sister Shirley Hedgpeth (Herb).

A memorial service will be held June 14, 10am, at Crippin Funeral Home, 802 E. Main St., Montrose, Colorado. A viewing precedes the funeral at 9am. Private family burial service will commence at Cedar Cemetery after the memorial service.

Donations in memory of Bonnie may be made to your local Hospice.