Bonna Irene Gehring

Bonna Irene Gehring

Marion

Bonna Irene Gehring, 92, of Bulverde, Texas, formerly of Marion, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at Bella Groves Memory Care Assisted Living in Bulverde. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at Murdoch Funeral Home in Marion, Iowa. A Graveside Service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, August 3, 2023, at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in West Union, Iowa, with Pastor Don Best officiating. A dessert and fellowship time will follow at Bethel Presbyterian Church in West Union.

Bonna was born on June 5, 1931, in West Union Township, the daughter of Clifford and Agnes (Saltsgiver) Bishop. She graduated from West Union High School in 1949. Bonna was united in marriage to Leroy Gehring on August 13, 1950, in West Union. They had three sons and one daughter, and lived in several small towns in Northeast Iowa, before settling in Marion, where they spent most of their years together. They were married 58 years, before his death in 2008.

Bonna attended Upper Iowa University, where she obtained her degree in elementary education in August of 1965. She taught one year in Alburnett, Iowa, and 28 years at Linn-Mar in Marion. Bonna was passionate about helping struggling readers and making reading fun.

After her retirement in 1994, Leroy and Bonna spent several winters in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, attending many music jams and playing Dominoes and Phase 10 in the clubhouse. They moved to San Antonio, Texas in 2007.

Bonna loved reading, gardening, quilting, camping, and walking several miles a day, even well into her eighties. She made delicious fried chicken and angel food cake from scratch and canned many jars of fresh vegetables and pickles from her garden. Bonna was an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Marion and San Pedro Presbyterian Church in San Antonio. She loved cheering for the Chicago Cubs, Iowa Hawkeyes and the San Antonio Spurs. While living at Independence Hill in San Antonio, Bonna participated in their volunteer partnership with Northeast School District, and she received the Superintendent’s Volunteerism Award in 2013. Bonna was a two-time cancer survivor and a “farm girl” through and through, tough as nails and always wanting to join in whatever work was to be done. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Bonna is survived and lovingly remembered by her children, Michael (Karen) Gehring of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jon (Elizabeth) Gehring of Helena, Alabama, Dennis (Jeannine) Gehring of Marion, and Irene (Kevin) Konzen of San Antonio, Texas; nine grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; five step-great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and one brother, Neal (Jo Ann) Bishop of Clermont, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Leroy Gehring; twin sister, Vonna Buchholz; two brothers, Harry Bishop and Clarence Bishop; and sister, Esther Sivert.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to The Cure Alzheimer’s Fund at curealz.org.

Please share a memory of Bonna at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.