Home > United States of America > Iowa > Bremer County > Tripoli > Grace Lutheran Cemetery > Leroy “Lee” Bonorden

Leroy “Lee” Bonorden

Birth	:	14 Feb 1944 Tripoli, Bremer County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	10 Aug 2021 Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA
Burial	:	Grace Lutheran Cemetery, Tripoli, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.7954900, -92.2378100
Description	:	LeRoy "Lee" Bonorden, age 77, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Saint Marys Campus, surrounded by God and his family. Lee was born February 14, 1944, in Tripoli, Iowa, to Otto and Ina (Sauerbrei) Bonorden. He grew up in Tripoli and graduated from Tripoli High School in 1962. Lee served his country in the United States Navy, enlisting twice; all spent in San Diego, CA. He attended Kansas State University, San Diego State University, and the University of North Iowa. He met and married Katherine Lopez in Oelwein, Iowa on... Read More	LeRoy "Lee" Bonorden, age 77, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Saint Marys Campus, surrounded by God and his family. Lee was born February 14, 1944, in Tripoli, Iowa, to Otto and Ina (Sauerbrei) Bonorden. He grew up in Tripoli and graduated from Tripoli High School in 1962. Lee served his country in the United States Navy, enlisting twice; all spent in San Diego, CA. He attended Kansas State University, San Diego State University, and the University of North Iowa. He met and married Katherine Lopez in Oelwein, Iowa on January 22, 1972. The couple was blessed with two children. They later divorced. Lee worked as a photographer and newspaper reporter his entire career. His work took him to Iowa, Wyoming, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and finally settling in Austin, MN. He worked for the Austin Daily Herald for 24 years, before retiring in 2009 due to health issues. His very first assignment in Austin was covering the Hormel strike in 1985. He was a renowned writer and had quite the following for his stories and weekly columns. Circulation was always highest on Thursdays, his column day. He was honest and blunt in his writings; not afraid to voice his opinions or say the things everyone was thinking but afraid to say. You may not have agreed with what he wrote, but you respected his words. And lots of times, you couldn't stop laughing after reading. He loved talking, writing, and just listening...to anyone. "Everyone has a story to tell," he'd say. He loved cruising the rural roads (smoking his pipe and listening to music) and writing about all the small towns and their people. He developed a special affinity for "those Adams folks," as he called them. He was a gifted writer and could make the most mundane story interesting and anyone feel special about whom he wrote. The week of the Mower County Fair was a favorite time of the year. He was known to enter a celebrity tractor pull or milking contest, in between covering all the 4-H kids and their animals. He volunteered and served with many organizations, including; Grace Lutheran Church, Austin Mentorship Program, Salvation Army Board, Mower County Historical Society and Spruce Up Austin. He had many heroes; Micky Mantle, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, John Lewis, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Barack Obama and Tom Brady. He loved smoking his pipe, walking at the Hormel Nature Center, music (Elvis, Johnny Cash, ZZ Top and the Foo Fighters) reading books, dogs (especially grandpups Zoe, Gemma and Athena) and watching television (Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Bob Newhart, Cheers, 60 Minutes and The Sopranos) and movies. He was a diehard Iowa Hawkeyes, Duke basketball, Boston Celtics, New York Yankees, and New England Patriots fan. But most of all, he loved God and his family. When asked where he would go if he could go anywhere in the world, he replied, "wherever my kids and grandkids are." Survivors include his daughter, Sara Bonorden; son, Ryan (Melissa) Bonorden; eight grandchildren; Delores (Tim), Quinton, Katie (AJ), Deontay, Serena, Zeke, Zellia, and Chaz, and seven great-grandchildren; Makayla, Carter, Logan, Lyric, Serenity, Egypt, and Zuri. Five of those grandchildren have the middle name Lee! He was preceded in death by his parents, Otto and Ina Bonorden; three brothers and sisters-in-law, Ruthfurd (Helen) Bonorden, Everett (Neoma) Bonorden, Virgil (Naomi) Bonorden.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Leroy “Lee” Bonorden's memorial?
Leroy “Lee” Bonorden's memorial is located at: Grace Lutheran Cemetery, Tripoli, Bremer County, USA.
When did Leroy “Lee” Bonorden death?
Leroy “Lee” Bonorden death on 10 Aug 2021 in Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Leroy “Lee” Bonorden's memorial?
Latitude: 42.7954900
Longitude: -92.2378100

Family Members:

Parent

Otto H Bonorden

(1895 - 1952)

Ina E Sauerbrei Bonorden

(1903 - 1991)

Siblings

Ruthford G. Bonorden

(1923 - 1993)

Virgil Otto Bonorden

(1928 - 1996)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Grace Lutheran Cemetery
Tripoli, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7954900, -92.2378100

2. Fremont Cemetery
Tripoli, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7818985, -92.2388992

3. Faith United Church of Christ Cemetery
Tripoli, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8208008, -92.2585983

4. Saint Paul Cemetery
Frederika, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8614006, -92.2566986

5. Saint Pauls United Church of Christ Cemetery
Sumner, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7874400, -92.1444130

6. Saint John Lutheran Crane Creek Cemetery
Tripoli, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7440630, -92.3023920

7. Bremer County Farm Cemetery
Tripoli, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7666480, -92.3251810

8. Pinhook Cemetery
Frederika, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8656693, -92.2089920

9. Saint Johns Lutheran Cemetery
Sumner, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8446999, -92.1607971

10. Walling-Fifield-Gillett Cemetery
Frederika, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8555340, -92.3085120

11. Saint Matthews Cemetery
Readlyn, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7154950, -92.2298440

12. Saint John Lutheran Cemetery
Buck Creek, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7553690, -92.1410300

13. Saint Pauls Lutheran Cemetery
Artesian, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7565980, -92.3376690

14. Saint Paul Lutheran Cemetery
Seigel, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8325130, -92.3393690

15. Saint John's United Church of Christ Cemetery
Tripoli, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8286280, -92.3555960

16. Mentor Cemetery
Frederika, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8891983, -92.2192001

17. Saint Pauls Cemetery
Readlyn, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6996994, -92.2380981

18. Zion Lutheran Cemetery
Readlyn, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6996994, -92.2391968

19. Zion Cemetery
Sumner, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8758011, -92.1607971

20. Alcock Cemetery
Frederika, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8636017, -92.3380966

21. Grove Hill Cemetery
Readlyn, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7153015, -92.1457977

22. Union Mound Cemetery
Sumner, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8507996, -92.1097031

23. Mount Calvary Cemetery
Sumner, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8400002, -92.1018982

24. Saint Pauls Evangelical Cemetery
Denver, Bremer County, USA
Coordinate: 42.6906013, -92.3161011