Bonita May Barbery

Bonita May Barbery (Wellman) went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at the age of 78.  She was born June 4, 1942, to Herman and Vivian Wellman.  She is survived by the love her life, Eugene (Harold) Barbery whom she married October 3, 1966.  That year, Bonita asked Harold to use some of his tickets to help her get all her nieces and nephews into the General Motors annual Fourth of July picnic.   She was an hour and a half late because her fried chicken wouldn’t get done.  Harold waited and it must have been really good fried chicken, because they were married 3 months later and have been together 54 years.  Bonnie is also survived by her daughter and son in law, Vivian and Rick Brewer; her son and daughter in law Gene and Teresa Barbery; 5 grandchildren Patricia, Miranda, Gene, Christian, and Camron; 3 great-grandsons; her sister and brother in law Rose and Bob Green and many nieces, nephews and personal friends. 

Bonita was a very hard-working woman.  She worked at General Motors, several restaurants as a waitress through the years and finished her working career at Micro Center Distribution Center.  She loved to work in the garden and flower beds and spring was her favorite time of year.  She couldn’t wait to get the first vegetable plants in the garden.  Anyone who knew her knew she was an amazing cook.  She loved to make new dishes and then call someone to be her “guinea pig”.  She would make a huge spread for holidays and family meals and she always made you feel special because she would make each person’s favorite dishes.  Christmas time would find her baking and making candy.  From banana nut bread to fudge, every treat she made was delicious.  Everyone looked forward to her Christmas trays each year.  But nobody panic, she made sure Harold knows how to make the fudge!

Beyond cooking, Bonnie was a very talented seamstress having made prom and wedding dresses to complete outfits.  She loved to crochet and many of us have been blessed to receive her afghans, blankets, tablecloths, scarves and more as gifts. 

Bonita was a strong, Christian woman who made sure her family knew the love of God and how deeply she loved each of them.  Her handwritten notes with scriptures and words of encouragement would turn up with they were needed the most.  Her children looked forward to getting the morning Bible reading scriptures that she had read and wanted to share.  She was a loving wife and mother and loved to help others.  She would never hesitate to help someone in need and even if she really didn’t have it to give, she found a way.

Bonita loved her animals and rescued hundreds of strays over the years.  Her favorite pastime over the last few years was watching her birds, squirrels, raccoons, bunnies and any other animal that came into the yard to eat the food her and Harold would put out for them. 

Bonita requested to be cremated with no funeral or memorial service.  Donations in her honor can be made to the Fayette County Humane Society.  Porter-Tidd Funeral Home, 331 W. Main Street, Mount Sterling, OH, 43143, assisted the Barbery family.