Bonita (Bonnie) Jean Eaton
Bonita (Bonnie) Jean Eaton, Age 79, of Sacred Heart, MN passed away on May 21, 2023. Memorial services will be held on Friday, May 26, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Dirks-Blem Funeral Home in Olivia. Burial will be at a later date in Our Savior’s Lutheran Cemetery in Sacred Heart. A celebration of her life will follow the memorial service at the community center in Sacred Heart. Visitation for Bonnie will be held on Friday one hour prior to the memorial service at the funeral home in Olivia. Memorials can be made to Renville County Rebels Special Olympics.
Bonita was born on April 23, 1944, in Polk County, Minnesota to Odean and Lillian (Butenhoff) Rosaasen. She grew up in rural Sacred Heart area and was baptized and confirmed at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sacred Heart. She attended Sacred Heart High School and later graduated from Hutchinson Vocational College as a Special Education Teacher Aide. Bonita married Richard Eaton on October 5th, 1963, in Renville, MN and together they had three daughters, Lorie, Leah, and Alena. Bonita worked CNA/TMA at the Renville Nursing Home for 10 years. The highlight of Bonita’s career was the 17 years she spent in Redwood Falls working with people with disabilities at REM and Services Enterprises Inc. She spent many years coaching Special Olympics and cherished the times she spent travelling with her brother, Ordean, attending self-advocacy meetings. Bonita had a love of history, reading, shopping and loved to spend time with her family and grandchildren at Powwows.
Bonita is survived by daughters: Lorie (Luke) Tjaden of Sacred Heart, MN, Leah Wellnitz of St. Paul, MN, Alena (Wade Modeen) Boklep of Wood Lake, MN; her grandchildren: Laura (Scott), Amber (Brandon), Jon (Anna), Ryan, Wyatt, Walker (Tiffany), Lynn (Erich), Bridget (Wendel), Cody (Karlie), Michaela (KaMar), DeShawn (Saba), and Emmanuel; her 12 great-grandchildren: her brothers: Orvin (Linda) and Orlyn (Kris) Rosaasen. She was preceded in death by her mother Lillian, her father Odean, her stepfather Orville Buttenhoff, her husband Mitch Dusterhoff, her husband Richard Eaton, and long-time partners Jerry Hanson and Guy McCollum, her brother Ordean, and her grandchild Darwin Wellnitz.
