Date of Birth:
Wednesday, June 26, 1940
Date of Death:
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Age:
83 years old

Barnette “Bonnie” Hammel

On November 16, 2023, Bonnie Hammel died at Chosen Valley Care Center in Chatfield, MN.  She was 83 years old.

Barnette “Bonnie” Bernadette Hammel was born June 6, 1940 in Taunton, MN, to John and Rosa Maria (Delores Eischens) Kloos.  She was the sixth of seven children.  Bonnie graduated from Minneota High School in 1958.  Shortly after graduating, Bonnie left home to move to Rochester, MN to start a career at St. Mary’s Hospital.  That career was short-lived once she met her prince, Luverne “Vern” Hammel, at the Pla-Mor Ballroom, where they shared their love of dancing well into their marriage.  Vern and Bonnie were married on November 4, 1961, in Taunton, MN, at St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church.  At the time, Vern was renting a farm outside Eyota from Dr. Khalil Wakim, which they purchased in 1969.  Vern and Bonnie raised their six children while farming dairy, hogs and beef cattle, and finally just field crops. After their children graduated from high school, Bonnie worked in childcare and as a lunch lady at Dover-Eyota school.

Bonnie was proud to be a founding member of the Dover-Eyota Post Prom committee, a member of the Holy Redeemer Church Women’s Circle, and active in a women’s bowling league. Bonnie especially enjoyed playing cards, flower gardening, reading books, collecting and telling jokes, and time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bonnie is preceded in death by Luverne Hammel, her husband of 61 years; her parents John and Delores Kloos; brothers Ray Kloos, Bobby Kloos and LeRoy Kloos; sister Rose Mary (Tootsie) Fales.  She is survived by her brother Myron Kloos, sister Margie Breyfogle, and her children Deborah Tooley, Tony (Nancy) Hammel, Tom Hammel, Ron Hammel, Julie (Nigel) George, and Scott (Mimi) Hammel; grandchildren Ben (Carolyn) Hammel, Kara Tooley, Amber Hammel, Octavia George, Isaac George, Logan Nguyen Hammel, and Quinn Nguyen Hammel; great grandchildren Elias Hammel, Sage Garcia-Hammel and Marlow Hammel.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please make a donation to TV Mass of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.

A visitation will be held from 4 pm to 7 pm on November 24, 2023 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home and at 10am on November 25, 2023 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.  Bonnie’s funeral mass will be held at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Eyota on November 25, 2023 at 11am. Burial will be in Holy Redeemer Catholic Cemetery.