Adeline Bonita "Bonnie" (Buhr) AAsum

Adeline Bonita "Bonnie"(Buhr) AAsum

March 29, 1932 - July 28, 2021

Adeline Bonita (Bonnie) AAsum (Buhr) passed away on July 29, 2021, at the Mennonite Village Care Center where she had lived for the past five years. Bonnie was born in Mankato, Minnesota, March 29, 1932, to Carl C. Buhr and Adeline D. Buhr (Weirauch). The family lived in the house her carpenter father built on South Street in Mankato, Minnesota. Bonnie was the youngest of three children and such the apple of her dad’s eye she was known as his “Bun-Bun”.

While a freshman in high school working as a carhop at the Owl’s Nest Drive-In in Mankato, Bonnie met a boy from neighboring Fairmont, Minnesota, they were smitten, and that year Tommy AAsum spent many weekends sleeping on the floor of the Buhr’s house. In the spring Tom graduated from high school and moved to Oregon but the two exchanged letters regularly over the next three years.

Bonnie was a leader at Mankato High School where she was a cheerleader, homecoming queen and was voted “All-Around-Girl.” After graduation in 1951, Bonnie enrolled at Mankato State to study Broadcasting and Art. She lived in a boarding house where she worked for her room and board.

In late fall of 1951 Tom sent Bonnie a train ticket and invited her to come to Oregon for Christmas. Against her parents’ wishes, Bonnie traveled to Oregon arriving 24 hours late to find Tom waiting at the Portland station. Following a New Year’s Eve proposal, the couple was married a week later in Stockton, California where Tom was stationed. Bonnie never returned for her second term at Mankato State, her college roommates packed and sent her things out West. For the rest of their lives together Bonnie referred to Tom as “her Tommy”, her “handsome sailor husband.”

After Tom was discharged from the Navy the couple moved to Oregon where Tom apprenticed for a funeral home. Tom and Bonnie moved back to California in 1954 and lived in South San Francisco where Tom went to mortuary college and Bonnie worked as a stenographer for the Federal Government in downtown San Francisco. In 1956 Tom and Bonnie moved to Corvallis where Tom worked at McHenry’s Funeral Home.

In 1962 Tom and Bonnie built the AAsum Autumn Chapel Funeral Home in Albany, Oregon. A year later Bonnie studied and took the day long test to become a licensed Funeral Director. During the first decade of their business Bonnie worked tirelessly beside Tom as they established themselves in the community. The family lived above the funeral home for a decade before moving to North Albany.

Bonnie was involved in many civic activities over the years including establishing Altrusa International’s Albany clothes closet to provide clothing to those in need, volunteering at the hospital leading tours for children and taking part in local theater productions including dancing and singing in the musical Oklahoma.

Tom and Bonnie were also deeply involved in their churches, Faith Lutheran in Corvallis, where they led the Luther League, and Immanuel Lutheran in Albany, Oregon where Bonnie taught Sunday school, helped with the youth group, and sang in the choir.

Bonnie loved the outdoors and spent the summers camping and waterskiing with the family all over the northwest. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of plants, trees and flowers and spent hours in her yard gardening. Bonnie filled the family pantry with canned fruits, vegetables and jams from her many fruit trees and berry bushes.

Bonnie cherished being a mom and grandmother and loved her extended family and their numerous gatherings. Bonnie and Tom’s house on Cloverdale was a welcoming home for all her beloved grandsons. Grandma Bonnie was a wizard in the kitchen and was known for her fresh bread on Saturday mornings, served with butter and honey. Bonnie was an accepting, supportive and adoring mother for her boys, Jamin and Jeff, and even traveled to watch Jamin compete at the Olympic Trials where she was thrilled to room with the athletes.

Tom and Bonnie opened their North Albany home to everyone, and you could always find the neighborhood kids playing in the backyard with Bonnie coordinating the games. Bonnie was a patient listener, counselor, teacher, and friend. Her love lives on in the many she touched.

Bonnie was proceeded in death by husband Thomas Raidar AAsum; brother Carl E. Buhr; sister Lenona Schalow (Buhr).  Survivors include sons, Jamin Leif AAsum of Portland and Jeffery Karl AAsum of Helena, Montana; sister in-laws, Connie Buhr or Mankato, Minnesota, Nancy V. Packer (AAsum) of Corvallis, Oregon, Anita (Hilary) Jean Wylie (AAsum) of Springfield, Oregon, Patty AAsum of Eugene, Oregon; brother-in-law, Scott Wylie of Springfield, Oregon; grandsons, Aaron Ring of Bend, Oregon, Jeremy AAsum of Eugene, Oregon, Thomas AAsum-Shetler of Portland, Oregon and Sam AAsum-Shetler of Silverton, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to The Corvallis-Albany Farmers Market (checks to "CAFM"), P.O. Box 2602, Corvallis, OR 97339.  Please note on check the donation is "In memory of Bonnie AAsum for Albany's Power of Produce Program."  This is the program that teaches kids about different produce throughout the summer.  The contact is: Rebecca Landis, landisr@peak.org, (541) 740-1542.

A visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, August 7 at AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home.  A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 14 at AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home followed by a graveside of cremated remains at Oaklawn Memorial Park.  AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling the arrangements (www.aasum-dufour.com).

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