Date of Birth:
Wednesday, December 11, 1946
Date of Death:
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Age:
63 years old

Bonnie Kay Lenz

The celebration of life service for Bonnie K. Lenz will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 18, 2010 at St. Pius Catholic Church with Father Paul Nelson officiating.  Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at Macken Funeral Home and one hour prior to the services at the church.

Bonnie, 63, of Rochester, Minnesota, formerly of Austin, Minnesota passed away peacefully Sunday, November 14, 2010, surrounded with love at her home after an eight-month battle with cancer.

Bonnie was born December 11, 1946 in Austin, Minnesota to Donald and Betty Kolb.  She was then raised by her maternal grandparents, who she called Mom and Dad, John and Daisy Buchanan.  She graduated from Austin High School in 1964.   On June 11, 1965 she married her high school sweetheart, Warren N. Lenz, at the First United Methodist Church of Austin.  Following their marriage Warren and Bonnie moved to Rochester, Minnesota and built their life together.

Bonnie was a stay-home mom until 1988 when she decided to go back to school to become a Registered Dental Assistant.  She said her graduation from this program was one of the proudest accomplishments of her life.  She then went on to work for Dr. Leon Ernster for 14 years.  She enjoyed this profession so much that she worked at a variety of dental offices after Dr. Ernster’s retirement.  She also volunteered her time at Good Samaritan Dental Clinic at the Salvation Army.  Bonnie also thoroughly enjoyed being a volunteer Driver Safety Program instructor through AARP.  She also worked part-time at Hy-Vee Barlow after her retirement from dental assisting.

She enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren and was so very proud of them, traveling and cruising the world with her husband, spending two weeks in the summer at Sandy Beach Resort, trips to the casino, sewing and doing crafts.  Bonnie loved life and the adventures that came along with it.

Survivors include her loving husband, Warren; her daughter Tammy (Scott) Simonson of Rochester, her son Wade (Jennifer) of Rochester; her grandchildren Haley, Gunnar, Jordan, Avery, and Bria all of Rochester.  Her “biological” sisters, Mary (Dolly) Kolb of Austin, Ann Kolb of Owatonna, Linda Dahmen of Rose Creek, Jean Tesch of Springfield, MO, Diane Krekelberg of Mapleview, and Judy Stender of Clarks Grove.  Brothers John (Jack) Buchanan of Springdale, AR, and Neil Buchanan of Rogers AR.  She is preceded in death by her parents John and Daisy Buchanan, her biological parents Don and Betty Kolb, her Buchanan brothers and sisters Floyd, John, Donald, Irene Ostergaard, Earl (Bud), Duane, James (Jimmy), Genevieve (Jenny), and Gordon (Gordy).

She and the family appreciated all the loving care she received at Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Hospice during her illness.

Bonnie requests that her friends and family may honor her by having a glass of wine and proposing a toast in her honor to friends, family, and life.  Bonnie prefers that this be a celebration of her life and not a mourning of her passing.

Memorials in Bonnie’s name may be given to Brains Together for a Cure,

www.brainstogetherforacure.org.

On-line condolences are welcome at caringbridge.org.  Sign-in using bonnielenz (all one word, no space).

Macken Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements.