DORIS BONHAM BLUM, AGE 97, PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 6, 2018, SURROUNDED BY LOVING FAMILY.

DORIS WAS BORN ON JANUARY 21, 1921. SHE LIVED ON A FARM, NEAR MERRIMAC, WITH HER PARENTS, NEVA  AND ORLIN, HER SISTER VERA, AND HER BROTHER FRANCIS (BUSTER) BONHAM.  SHE AND VERA WERE OFTEN TAKEN TO THEIR COUNTRY SCHOOL, BY SLEIGH IN THE WINTER. THEIR UNCLE BEN WOULD FIRST HEAT UP A SACK OF OATS, IN THE OVEN. HE WOULD PLACE THE WARM OATS ON THE FLOOR OF THE SLEIGH SO THE GIRLS COULD PLACE THEIR FEET BY THE OATS TO KEEP THEM WARM.

DORIS'S DAD RAN THE NIGHT VERSION OF THE MERRIMAC FERRY WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG. SHE AND VERA WOULD OFTEN ACCOMPANY THEIR DAD ON THE FERRY JOURNEYS ACROSS THE WISCONSIN RIVER. WHEN THEY TIRED THEY WOULD SLEEP ON A MATTRESS IN THE PILOT HOUSE.

WHILE IN THEIR 80'S, DORIS AND VERA OFTEN AMUSED THEMSELVES BY SPENDING EVENINGS AT HO CHUNK CASINO. DORIS LIVED WITH HER SON, DON, AT THAT TIME. IF SHE CAME HOME TOO LATE, SHE WOULD SNEAK IN THE HOUSE SO NO ONE WOULD HEAR HER.

DORIS BECAME A TEACHERS AIDE, LATER IN LIFE, WORKING IN THE SPRUCE STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE KIDS LOVED HER AND CALLED HER, "GRANDMA." WHEN SHE REACHED MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE  SHE CONTINUED TO SERVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS A VOLUNTEER.

DORIS WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS, NEVA AND ORLIN, HER HUSBAND, DON, HER SON, DON, HER SISTER,VERA, AND BROTHER, BUSTER. SHE IS SURVIVED BY TWO DAUGHTERS, KAREN HARPT (JERRY), JOAN HORNE (JIM), AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, JEAN. SHE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY 8 GRANDCHILDREN, 18 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, AND MANY SPECIAL NIECES AND NEPHEWS..

FRIENDS MAY CALL AT HOOVERSON FUNERAL HOME ON TUESDAY, JUNE 12. VISITATION WILL BE AT 10:00 AM WITH A PRAYER SERVICE TO FOLLOW at 11:00 AM.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO MAPLEWOOD NURSING HOME FOR THEIR LOVING CARE.

GRANDMA'S LAST WORDS, IN THIS WORLD, CAME IN RESPONSE TO THOSE WHO WERE COMFORTING HER. THOSE WORDS WERE, "I LOVE YOU TOO."