Obituary of Bonnie Carll

Bonnie Lou Carll, a much-loved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend and servant of the Lord, Bonnie Lou Carll, 78, of Tionesta, died peacefully with family present on Saturday, July 14, 2018, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Colona, Illinois, while traveling for her 60th wedding anniversary trip.

Bonnie was born in Oil City, Pa on August 14, 1939, to the late Glenn and Violet Shaffer.  

She graduated from West Forest High School in 1957 and worked in the nursing field for many years in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, having retired from the Clarion/Forest Visiting Nurses Association. 

Bonnie married William "Bill" Carll on July 12, 1958. She is survived by her husband and five children: Carla (Mark) Woodside of Tionesta; Karen (Mark Ziga) Carll of Acme, PA;  Lynette (Brian) Greathouse of Tionesta; Dean (Kim Donato) Carll of Leeper; and Doug (Amy Bowles) Carll of Tionesta. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 14 great-children as well as sisters Eileen Flick, Emlenton and Sonja Hawkins, Oil City and three nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents who died in a tornado on May 31, 1985, and two grandchildren, Derek Carll Hileman and Sara Renee Carll.  She was also preceded in death by her brother Craig Shaffer and brother-in-law Bill Hawkins, a nephew Matt Harrington and in-laws Ellsworth and Ethel Carll. 

Bonnie was joyfully quilting in expectation of three new great-grand babies due this fall. She loved traveling, spending time reading, gardening, and sewing. She also enjoyed hunting and fishing alongside Bill.  Bonnie was renowned for her cooking and baking skills. She loved hosting annual family gatherings with lots of food, activities for the children and silly games that everyone looked forward to. "Gramma Bonnie's" grandchildren and great-grandchildren were her heart and joy. 

When asked as a child in Sunday School "What do you want to be?" her answer was "I want to be a missionary in Africa."  Bonnie was blessed to work in the mission field over the years as a humble servant of the Lord, having served in Wounded Knee, South Dakota; Chetumal, Mexico; New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and Bacalar, Mexico.  Her childhood dream was fulfilled in 2004 when she and husband Bill were commissioned as Special Assignment Missionaries by the Church of God, Anderson, Indiana and were stationed in Kisumu, Kenya for a period of 15 months, where she worked as a campus nurse and taught domestic skills to the village women. 

Bonnie was a member of the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church and a lifetime member of Titusville VFW Post 5958 Auxiliary.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church on Saturday, July 28, 2018. The family will receive visitors beginning at 10:00 am with the service beginning at 11:00 am. The family will gather for a Celebration of Life picnic following the service. The church is located at 9870 Route 36, Tionesta, PA. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Wesley Woods Christian Youth Camp or the Sarah Stewart Bovard Memorial Library.