Bonnie Jean (McKenna) Pierce
February 6, 1937 - March 1, 2021
Bonnie Jean (McKenna) Pierce passed away peacefully at home on March 1, 2021 in the loving care of her family. She was 84 years old. She lost her battle with COPD after living with the unrelenting disease for more than 20 years.
Bonnie was born on February 6, 1937 in Gusher, Utah to Thomas McKenna and Fannie Allred. Bonnie and her two older brothers didn’t get the chance to know their father as he drowned in the Green River in Utah while attempting to save another swimmer when Bonnie was only six months old. Fannie married again and had four more children. The six siblings were raised together around their family homestead in Myton, Utah. Bonnie had an adventurous spirit and, following high school, set her sights on California and traveled with her cousin Pete to Oakland where she began working for the phone company. After a trip to Lake Tahoe in 1959, she trained and pursued a successful career in casino gaming. She moved her young family to Tahoe and began working at Harrah’s casino. In 1967 Bonnie moved to Carson City where she raised her three children and continued to work at Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe until she retired in 1976. She then worked for many years at the Golden Spike, Carson Nugget and Ormsby House casinos in Carson City. She also spent time in eastern Nevada, hunting for arrowheads and tarantulas, and traveled back and forth to Utah, but she always returned to her home in Carson City.
Bonnie enjoyed fishing, bowling, reading, country music, dancing and Shirley Temple movies. She traveled to Canada, Hawaii, Cayman Islands and New York City. She also realized her dream of seeing the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She was a huge fan of Giants baseball and rarely missed a game. As her lung disease progressed, taking her energy and ability to get around, she stayed busy playing scrabble with her grandkids, working crossword and jigsaw puzzles and reading. She was a talented seamstress and could make anything with knitting needles or a crochet hook. She crocheted beautiful Afghans for each of her children, grandchildren and many of her great grandchildren. She also enjoyed watching game shows and testing her knowledge against the contestants. She especially loved going out for Sunday breakfast and playing a few games of Keno with her family at the Carson Nugget.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents Thomas and Fannie, her brothers, Don and Von McKenna and sister Patsy Felter as well as her infant son, Brad (1955), infant daughter Vikki (1966) and grandson Kenny John Prestella (2006). She is survived by her son Kenneth Sumner, daughters Kathryn Shabi and Kim (Paul) Christiansen of Carson City, sisters Dixie Kosec and Helen (Willis) Wymer and brother David (Kathy) Felter of Myton/Roosevelt, Utah, seven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and her faithful dog and constant companion Luna.
Bonnie lived a full life, was well loved, and will be greatly missed by her family.
A graveside service will be held on March 19, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at Lone Mountain Cemetery.
A heartfelt thank you to Infinity Hospice and Carson City Meals on Wheels whose care and service allowed mom to live independently and stay at home which was her wish.