Geraldine “Bonnie” West Spurr (née Boericke) was born on July 24, 1933 in the Miner'sHospital in Tonopah, Nye County, Nevada and peacefully passed away under the care ofEvergreen Hospice at “Home Again” Adult Family Home in Mountlake Terrace, Washington at7:30 am on May 23, 2018.
She was the daughter of the late Fredric “Fred” Schoff Boericke and the late GabrielleMarjorie ”Gay” (née Hopkinson-Evans) Boericke Chick. Her paternal Grandparents were thelate John James and the late Edith Gertrude "Mombie" (née Schoff) Boericke. Bonnie'smaternal Grandparents were the late Francis "Frank" and the late Dorothy “Collie” (née West)Hopkinson-Evans both born and raised in England and immigrated to Pennsylvania in theearly 1900’s.
Early on Geraldine was nicknamed “Bonnie” by one of her grandmothers because she wasmerry and very lively “bonnie lass”!
Bonnie's first home was the Round Mountain Gold Camp in Round Mountain, Nevada. Thecamp is located about 55 miles North from the Miner’s Hospital in Tonopah, Nevada whereBonnie was born. This is the same town her parents were married in following her fatherFred's 1932 graduation from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he earned aBachelor degree in Chemistry. Her father first went to work in the mine as a laborer and roseto become an assayer.
At age 5 Bonnie's parents took her back East to Pennsylvania for a visit with both theirfamilies. On September 18, 1938 Bonnie was baptized at St. Martins Episcopal Church inRadnor, Delaware, Pennsylvania.
Bonnie's family moved from Round Mountain, Nevada to Walnut Creek, California where herfather worked for U. S. Steel. They later moved to Contra Costa, California and in 1940 theymoved to Berkeley, California where her father Fred was employed as a Chemistry Professorat the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley).
Her parents divorced when Bonnie was a young teen and her father remarried. WhileBonnie's father and his new wife Edith Irene Boericke (née Rutter) ironed out their futurefamily plans Bonnie and her new Step-Sister who was also her Distant Cousin, BarbaraGrace Boericke daughter of her new Step-Mother, were sent off to live at the St. RoseCatholic boarding School in Santa Rosa, California.
Their family eventually moved to Pasadena where Bonnie graduated from South PasadenaHigh School and then attended San Jose State University in San Jose, California where shemajored in Elementary Education.
Seven days following her 20th birthday July 24, 1953 which was during the Korean War, Bonnieenlisted in the Women's Army Corp (WAC's) where she attained the rank of Private SecondClass. She was stationed in Huston, Texas where she attended and graduated on January29, 1954 from the Medical Laboratory Procedures Course, Class #109, Medical Field ServiceSchool, Brook Army Medical Center, Ft Sam Huston, Texas.She worked as a Clerk/Typist while stationed in Texas and Arizona.
Bonnie said that when she realized that she was pregnant during a relationship with James“Jaime” L. Harasha, who was also a military member she went to her superior officer who toldher that the WAC's was no place for a young pregnant woman. Sometime following that shewas honorably discharged at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on September 2, 1954.
Sometime after Bonnie’s discharge from the WAC’s arrangements were made in Elizabeth,New Jersey with an Episcopalian Priest and his wife who opened their home for her to stay inuntil after her son was born at a local area Catholic hospital. Some of our family believe thearrangement were made through Catholic Charities.
Bonnie's only stipulation regarding the adoption of her baby was the baby only be adopted byan Episcopalian couple to which the priest and his wife agreed to make sure would takeplace. Toward the end of her life Bonnie couldn’t remember the names of the Priest or his wifeand no one in our family knows their names either or if they were the couple who adopted
Bonnie’s baby boy.
Bonnie gave her son the birth name: Fredric Schoff Boericke II and named him after herfather. Incidentally, the birth father had an older brother who was named Frederick "Fred"John Harasha.
Her baby was immediately taken from her at birth and she was not allowed to see or hold him.
The priest and his wife drove Bonnie back to their home and a few days later drove her to thehospital to sign the final adoption release papers that are believed to have been done throughCatholic Charities in or around Elizabeth, New Jersey. Bonnie stated she didn’t drive backthen and was still groggy from medications given for the birth so she barely rememberedsigning the adoption release paperwork at the time she signed them.
Following the birth Bonnie called her father in California who wired her train fare to travel backhome.
Bonnie never forgot her baby son and over the years prayed for him and his adopted familyalways hoping one day she would find him and know how his life went and that he wouldknow that he was loved by her.
Bonnie married her first husband, Richard “Rich” Arnold on January 21, 1956 at PortugueseBend, California. Two years later they were divorced.
Bonnie married her second husband, Floyd "Buster" Bertram Nelson Jr., at the HollywoodPresbyterian Church on December 27, 1958 in Hollywood, California. Floyd was a woundedKorean War veteran who became a high profile war resister and protester. She divorced himin January of 1964.
Her third husband was Raymond "Ray" E Pearson of Los Angeles, California who was part ofthe Hollywood Bohemian art group Bonnie as a writer was involved with. Ray had become theillustrator for a book she was writing at the time. Bonnie loved to dance and said Ray was agreat dancer too. He proposed marriage and whisked her away to San Pablo del Monte,Tlaxcala, Mexico where on April 20, 1962 they were married. During her marriage to Ray theylived in Los Angeles, California where Bonnie owned and operated her own bookkeepingbusiness called “Pearson's Bookkeeping”.
Bonnie said that one morning she awoke to find her husband Ray had packed up all histhings and left some time in the night without talking to her or leaving a note of explanation.She had no idea the rest of her life why he had left.
It wasn’t until 3 years after Bonnie’s death that there was contact from Ray’s adult daughterwho’d been given away as a baby. The girl had found her birth mother though DNA testingand connected with that woman. While the girl was doing family tree research she saw herbirth father’s marriage to Bonnie and paperwork that’s posted on one of our online Ancestry
family trees.
The mystery of Ray disappearance was solved; he’d cheated on Bonnie with a younger woman named Geraldine who was also part of their Bohemian art group. The woman had toldRay she’d been pregnant with his child but gave the baby girl up for adoption and a veryangry Ray took off immediately. He left both women high and dry and ran away to Hawaiiwhere he lived for the rest of his life without telling his whereabouts to anyone.
Bonnie first met her fourth husband while she was working as waitress. They both had wenttheir separate ways and married other people. Then one day one of George Harry Balcom'ssisters who knew Bonnie called her saying George was now separated from his wife and thatthey were getting divorced. The sister gave Bonnie his apartment address and encouraged
her to go look him up. Bonnie said she drove by his apartment complex but was afraid to goup to his door, but later on she got courage and moved to a apartment in his apartmentcomplex. They soon renewed their relationship and were married at the courthouse in VirginiaCity, Nevada on February 20, 1966.
During their marriage Bonnie worked a secretary for the contracting company he owned inSan Jose, California.
Bonnie loved and enjoyed musical theater so it was natural for her to take her first youngStep-Daughter and Step-Son to see many live musical theater productions on stage in SanFrancisco and in many other places.
She loved California history and became a noted California historian who wrote for numerousCalifornia history newsletters.
One summer while her husband was attending a Boy Scout Leaders training camp she tookher 16 year old Step-son on a tour of California’s historic places which include visiting andproudly introducing him as “her son”; “her boy” to her various older cousins in California andback East as well.
Bonnie and her husband George and family were active members of Westhope UnitedPresbyterian Church in Saratoga, California. It was there in January 1977 that she wasordained as a Deacon and also served as their church secretary.
She and her husband George were church youth directors, creating and directing VacationBible School programs. They delighted in taking their Westhope youth groups on multiplehikes and camp-outs over the years.
Bonnie and her husband both taught Sunday school there in California. To this day there aregrown adults who still love and fondly speak of having Bonnie and George as their churchyouth leaders and Sunday School teachers.
George and Bonnie were also deeply involved in scouting, serving as Boy Scout and GirlScout leaders while living in San Jose, California.
She and George Harry were also enthusiastic members of the band boosters for theWestmont high school marching band that their son was a drummer in.
In the late 1970's Bonnie and husband George moved from California where they followedtheir beloved former Westhope United Presbyterian pastor and his wife to Arizona. There theybecame active church members of the Verde Valley Baptist Church (now known as VerdeCommunity Church), and became the church’s youth leaders.
They loved to camp and took their youth group on multiple camp-outs as well as leadingmultiple activities which included making puppets and putting on puppet show at the church.They also taught Sunday School classes and developed and directed the church’s VacationBible School programs in the summers.
During this time Bonnie worked as secretary at the Clarksdale Baptist Church, Clarksdale,Arizona. She also worked as Church Secretary at Christ Lutheran Church in Sedona, Arizona.She and her late husband George enjoyed rock hunting, collecting and polishing gem stonesas well as attending many rock hound shows. Bonnie herself enjoyed making jewelry and had
an extensive collection of jewelry making tools and supplies.
She loved camping trips and traveling with her husband George. Bonnie worked as theirCottonwood church secretary and her husband George by that time was the churchmaintenance man until he became to ill to work. Bonnie at that point became his lovingcaregiver.
Bonnie and George were happily married for 22 years until he passed away from cancer inJanuary of 1988 in Cottonwood, Arizona. They had made prior plans that he would becremated and he asked that his ashes be sprinkled on the creek they loved to camp by andBonnie made sure his wish was fulfilled.
A few years following her husband George’s death Bonnie met her fifth and last husbandRobert "Bob" Orin Spurr. Bob had become a mutual acquaintance of her and her husbandGeorge when Bob came to work as the Verde Valley Baptist school's Principal while Bonniewas church secretary and she and her husband George were the church youth leaders.
Bonnie said that approximately four years following her husband George's passing Bob got upthe courage to invite her to their church's Valentine's Day banquet. They hit it off so well thatwhen the banquet was over they went out to a coffee shop where they talked till the shopclosed and found themselves staying up talking until the wee hours of the next morning. Afterthat Bob and Bonnie were inseparable and to the delight of their many mutual friends at thechurch they were married there in Cottonwood on July 15, 1991.
During their marriage Bonnie became a member of the Auxiliary of The Gideon's Internationalin Arizona where her last husband Bob Spurr served as a President of the Arizona State Gideon's for a period of time. Together they worked tirelessly spreading the good news of theGospel via free Bibles given out at public schools and to the general public during variousGideon campaigns over the years. They had the pleasure of attended many Gideon'sInternational Conventions and conferences all over the nation.
In 1996 Bob and Bonnie heard and heeded the call to go to the mission field of Cote D' Ivoire(Ivory Coast) in West Africa where Bob served as Principal of International ChristianAcademy/Ivory Coast Academy which was the school for missionary's children from alldifferent denominations and while there Bonnie worked as the Academy’s secretary.
Bob's oldest child Dorrie and husband Dennis Hansen had been missionary's in Mali for yearsand had their children attending the same mission school. It was a delight for Bonnie to beable to see and work with their grandchildren while working at the school.
Bonnie loved working with all the missionary children and the many villages where they tookthe mission school students for outreaches. Weekly they took their students to a localorphanage where they shared the love of the Lord with the adorable African orphans. Bonniecherished the year they worked and lived in the Ivory Coast and were greatly loved in returnby students, school staff, local ministries and the many churches where they would go speakat.
Upon their return to America one summer they were thrilled to drive from Arizona to Bob'salum mater, Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois to attend his college class reunion. Theyenjoyed time along the way stopping to renew many old ministry friendships from past years.
During her lifetime Bonnie lived in the following cities: Round Mountain, Nevada; Contra Costa, California; South Pasadena, California; Elizabeth, New Jersey; Berkeley, California;Santa Rosa, California; San Marino, California; San Jose, California; Cottonwood, Arizona;Bouake, Cote D' Ivoire (Ivory Coast), West Africa; Bainbridge Island, Washington; Bremerton,Washington; Silverdale, Washington; Shoreline, Washington and finally when their health nolonger allowed them to live in a retirement community without round the clock medical care for Bob they move to two different Adult Family Homes, the last one named “Home Again” thatwas located in Mountlake Terrace, Washington.
Bonnie had a wonderful sense of humor and an infectious laugh. She was kind, loving andgiving to everyone she ever met. She had began writing stories and her personal history atthe age 14 and continued writing and desired to have her writings published throughout herlife time. Bonnie loved the history of California and carried on her family's tradition ofcollecting books on the history of America's Southwest and California. At one point in her lifeshe had an extensive library of books on those subjects.
Bonnie’s legacy is one of love for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She loved everyone shemet and most of all she loved the members of her family.
By her life she taught each of us how to unconditionally love everyone you meet during thislife journey, how to love life and enjoy small moments of joy and laughter found in each day.
Bonnie is Survived by:
Her son who’s given birth name is Fredric Schoff Boericke II. He was given up for adoption atbirth in or near Elizabeth, New Jersey some time in 1955. If and what his birth name waschanged to following his adoption is unknown.
Step-Daughter Phyllis Patten (née Balcom) of New Mexico.
Step-Son George Balcom and wife Maria of Washington.
Step-Daughter Adora "Dorrie" (née Spurr) and husband Dennis Hansen of Canada.
Step-Daughter Elizabeth “Liza” (née Spurr) and husband Dave Swanson of Washington.
Step-Son John Spurr and wife Michelle of California.
Half-Sister, Daphne Hyde Chick of Colorado.
Half-Sister Barbara Gay Chick of Baja California Sur.
Half-Brother, Richard Hyde Chick of Colorado.
Also: Thirteen Grandchildren, nine Great Grandchildren and numerous Nieces, Nephews andmany Great Nephews as well as many distant Cousins in America and in England.
She was Preceded in Death by:
Her Step-Mother: Edith “Deet” (née Rutter) Boericke, Pacific Grove, California. (1906-1979)
Her father: Fredric "Fred" Schoff Boericke, Pebble Beach, California. (1909-1983)
Her fourth husband: George Harry Balcom, Cottonwood, Arizona. (1926-1988)
Her mother: Gabrielle Marjorie ”Gay” (née Hopkinson-Evans) Chick, Salida, Colorado. (1911-
2004)
Her Step-Brother and Distant Cousin: Arthur Thacher Boericke Jr., San Anselmo, California.
(1927-2006)
Her Step-Sister and Distant Cousin: Barbara Grace (née Boericke) Weitz, Mill Valley,
California (1934-2012)
Her Half-Nephew: Harry Andrew Logue V, of California. (1934-2012)
Her fifth and last husband: Robert “Bob” Orin Spurr (1923-2017)
In Bonnie's later years she wanted to find the son she gave away at birth in the Elizabeth,New Jersey area when she was newly honorably discharged from the WAC's. Her desire tofind her birth son was so strong that she wanted and did a DNA test with the help of herHospice nurse a week before her passing.
Bonnie's desire was that someday she’d find her son Fredric, his wife, her grandchildren orgreat grandchildren or they would find her and learn that she always loved and prayed for himand that the adoption was done so he might have a better life with a Godly two parenthousehold than she couldn’t give him as a young single woman.
Her DNA results can be found connected to her family tree information on MyHeritage.com:
Her DNA results are also on FamilyTreedna.com that can be found on the following link:
https://tree.familytreedna.com/family-tree/family-view
Bonnie was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and didextensive family tree research on her famous American, German and British ancestors whomade awesome contributions to American as well as in their home countries.
Bonnie’s maternal Grandmother, Dorothy Collie “Tan-Tan” (née West) Hopkinson-Evans (1886-1958) was honored by Queen Elizabeth II of England on her Honors List in June 1953with the title of “Honorary Officer of the Order of The British Empire” for Dorothy’s work inAmerica as the National President of the “Daughters of the British Empire” in the United
States.
Many of Bonnie’s other ancestors were honored and revered by society as well as byAmerican Presidents for their many outstanding national contributions. Bonnie wanted herson to know about his awesome family ancestors who helped in the founding and panoramaof American's history.
Bonnie's paternal Great Grandmother, “Hannah Kent Schoff (née Hannah Kent), (1853-1940) is only one of many examples. She was an American welfare worker and reformer whowas influential in state and national child welfare and juvenile criminal legislation in the late19th and early 20th centuries.
Hannah was elected vice president of the permanent National Congress of Mothers and in1902 was elected president of the National Congress of Mothers. She established anendowment fund and a national headquarters in Washington, D.C., oversaw the multiplicationof member state branches from 8 to 37 with a total of 190,000 members, and edited theorganization’s journal “Child Welfare” (later National Parent-Teacher).
She organized several international conferences on child welfare sponsored by the U.S. State
Department and the Congress of Mothers. The National Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associations (later called the National Congress of Parents and Teachers andbecame a major force behind proposed legislation in the areas of child labor and education.
She studied the issue and drew up a series of bills for the Philadelphia legislature which waspassed in 1901. The legislation established a distinct juvenile court system (the nation’ssecond, after Chicago’s), separate detention homes for children, and a system of probationofficers. In its first eight years of operation she personally observed virtually every session ofthe Philadelphia juvenile court. She also assisted in the establishment of such courts inseveral other states and in Canada, where she was the first woman ever invited to addressParliament.
In 1909 she became chairman of the American Committee on the Causes of Crime in NormalChildren, established under the aegis of the U.S. Bureau of Education.
Her detailed survey of juvenile crime led to the publication of “The Wayward Child “(1915).Mrs. Schoff was also interested in home education and was in large part responsible for theestablishment of the Home Education Division within the U.S. Bureau of Education.”
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hannah-Kent-Schoff
It’s our family's hope and prayer that one day Bonnie’s adopted out son Fredric, his adoptedfamily or his descendants will come across or be given this obituary information about hisBirth Mother, Geraldine “Bonnie” West (née Boericke) Arnold Nelson Pearson Balcom Spurr.If this takes place we want him and them to know his step-Siblings, two Half-Aunts and Half- Uncle accept and love him. That his birth mother, Bonnie had wanted to find him and thatsome of our family has been actively searching for him for sixteen plus years.
Our family can be contacted by sending a message through Ancestry messages to “Eahlena”who created and manages the “Balcom – Boyer Family Tree” on the Ancestry website whereBonnie's family tree information that goes back over six generations can be viewed isincluded in our publicly viewable family tree at the following link:
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/2702093/person/-1818803387/facts
Bonnie's family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in the name of Geraldine “Bonnie” West Boericke Spurr to:
Evergreen Hospice Care
12822 124 th Lane
Kirkland, Washington 98034-3098
Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Geraldine West Spurr, please visit our flower store.
