Yvonne M. “Bonnie” McKenna, 84, died at 5:35 p.m. EST Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, at Hamilton Communities, New Carlisle, IN.
She was born Sept. 26, 1929, in Grand Rapids, MI, to Paul and Gertrude (Gardner) Brown and had lived in the LaPorte area for 22 years, coming from Kalamazoo, MI.
Bonnie was a homemaker and had also worked at Gilmore’s Department Store as a clerk in Kalamazoo, MI. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and volunteered at Handley Elementary School for many years. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, but above all, she was a devoted follower of Christ, where she lived out Micah verse 6:8, to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with her God.
On March 11, 1950, in White Cloud, MI, she married Edward J. McKenna, who preceded her in death Feb. 10, 1994.
Two sisters and two brothers also preceded her in death.
She is survived by one son, Thomas (Debra) McKenna of Kalamazoo, MI; three daughters, Diane (Edward) Stacker of Mishawaka, IN, Pamela (Max) Miller of LaPorte and Karen (Kevin) Alofs of Holland, MI; nine grandchildren, Geoff and Christopher McKenna, Daniel (Kristina) and Ben Stacker, Courtney and Callie Miller, and Ashley, Sarah and Alexander Alofs; six great-grandchildren, Dylan, Jordyn, Aidan, Josie, Kendra, and McKenna Grace; one sister, Doreen (Dale) Walgomuth of Grand Ledge, MI; several nieces and nephews; two sisters-in-law, Fran McKenna of Ada, MI, and Joanne McKenna of Tacoma, WA; and two brothers-in-law, Rev. Robert McKenna and Tom (Claire) Bettag of Washington, D.C.
A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, LaPorte, with Rev. Dennis Teles officiating. Visitation will be at the church Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, LaPorte. Essling Funeral Home, LaPorte, is handling arrangements.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be made to St Jude Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or Handley Elementary School, 408 W. 10th St., LaPorte, IN 46350.
Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP, as well as at www.esslingfuneralhome.com.