Bonnie B. Severance, 81, of North Loup passed away peacefully Monday, June 4, 2012, surrounded by her family at the Valley County Health System Hospital in Ord.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 8, 2012, at the North Loup Seventh Day Baptist Church with Pastor Scott Hausrath officiating. Burial will be in the Hillside Cemetery at North Loup. A visitation will not be held. Memorials are suggested to the North Loup Seventh Day Baptist Church, North Loup First Responders, Scotia Rescue Unit or the Donor’s Choice. Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
She was the youngest of 10 children born to Martha and Clarence Babcock. Her given name was Benita Beryl, but she was “Bonnie” to all who knew her. She was born in North Loup on May 2, 1931. She married Bernard W. Keown in 1948, and graduated from Scotia High School in 1949. They were married for 10 years and had four children; Bernard, Colleen, Terry, and Thomas. Following Bernard’s death in 1959, Bonnie moved the family back to North Loup from Oklahoma and worked in the North Loup-Scotia Public School System for the next 42 years. In addition to her work at school, she wrote the local news for both the Scotia-Register and the Ord Quiz, owned B & C Ceramics, and managed the North Loup Drive-In Theater.
In 1968, she married Cecil F. Severance. Their son, Christopher, was born the following year, and became number 11 in their blended family. Cecil had also been widowed and had six children before marrying Bonnie. They were married for 35 years until Cecil’s death in 2004.
Bonnie’s family and faith in God were the two most important things in her life and she was a member of the North Loup Seventh Day Baptist Church for 68 years. She also served as North Loup’s mayor and was a member of the Harmony Club.
Survivors include: sons, daughters-in-law, Dr. Bernie and Deb Keown, Ord, NE, Terry and Carol Keown, Lincoln, NE, Tom and Joan Keown, Omaha, NE, Christopher and Stacy Severance, Frederick, CO; daughter and son-in-law, Colleen and Robert Reichert, Highlands Ranch, CO; stepsons and daughter-in-laws, Brice and Carol Severance, Norfolk, NE, Cletus and Shari Severance, Brighton, CO, Keith and Lynne Severance, Frederick, CO, and Galen Severance, Glendale, AZ; stepdaughter Katherine Dutcher, North Loup, NE; stepdaughter and son-in-law Shirley and Ron Cargill, Scotia, NE; 25 grandchildren and even more great-grandchildren; one brother, Gilbert Babcock, Ord, NE.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Bernard and Cecil; five brothers, Chester, Merwin, Carroll, Donald, Iradell; and three sisters, Lillian, Ida, and Marguerite.
