Bonnie Suss, Ph.D., age 89, of Boone, Iowa; died at her home with her family by her side on June 26, 2019. A gathering will be 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Friday, July 5, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa. A service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 6, with a gathering time from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa. A graveside service will be on Saturday, July 6, at 3:00p.m. at Valley View Cemetery Graettinger, Iowa.
Bonnie was born May 27, 1930 in Sac City, Iowa; the daughter of Clarence and Coline (Hamilton) Jenkins. Bonnie attended twenty different elementary schools as the family moved around because it was the middle of the depression. The family was finally able to settle in Sac City and then Graettinger where Bonnie found her life long love of music. She played many different instruments, the trombone being her favorite. She taught many other students to play instruments, often conducted the band and received many top awards in many state competitions. She graduated from Graettinger High School in 1949, and received a scholarship to study music; however, was financially unable. She then worked as a childcare giver for many different families, at Erickson's Grocery and the Graettinger Municipal Power Plant to help support her family. She married Howard Suss on January 26, 1951 in Jackson, Minnesota. The couple continued to live in Graettinger, where Howard had an Electrical Business and they opened an appliance store. In 1969 Howard died, the businesses were sold, and Bonnie and her sons, Scotty and Toddy moved out to the farm.
Bonnie received her AA degree from Iowa Lakes Community College in 1969 and her BA from University of Mankato Minnesota, in elementary education in 1971. She started teaching in 1970 at McKinley Elementary School in Special Ed. in Estherville, until 1975 while working on her MA degree in Special Ed., which she received in 1973. In the fall of 1975 she went to work for Lakeland AEA 3 as a Special Ed. Consultant. In 1976 she received her Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction. In the fall of 1977 she went to River Valley School in Rock Valley, as Assistant Administrator. In 1978 she moved to, Mt Pleasant, Iowa where she taught at Iowa Wesleyan College part time and also Great River AEA 16 part time as a Special Ed. Consultant . She also started working on her Ph.D., receiving it in 1985 from the University of Iowa. She then moved to Creston as Assistant Director of Special Education at Green Valley AEA 14. In 1987 she moved to Ames where she supervised all Special Ed. programs for the Ames Public Schools, later they added supervising school nurses to her duties and in 1992 she also became Principal at Wilson-Beardshear School, retiring in 1997. She would tell you it took three people to replace her. She then taught at Grandview College for 5 years; after which, she supervised student teachers at ISU until 2014.
Bonnie is survived by her son, Scotty Suss of Boone, nephews, John and Jerry Glazier and Gary Cornwell and niece Terry Davis and her loving Maltese dog "Rufus"
She was preceded in death by her parents, stepfather Eugene Steininger Jr., her husband Howard, her son Toddy, sister Marlene Cornwell, brother Jack Jenkins, special friends Tim Pepper and Rena Arant.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Boone Area Humane Society, P.O. Box 495, 226 W. 16th St., Boone, IA 50036. Online condolences may be directed to: www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com