Gordon Bonzer

Gordon R. Bonzer age 80 of Nashua, died Monday, January 13, 2014, at the Hospice room of the Floyd County Memorial Hospital in Charles City. According to Gordon’s wishes, a visitation will not be held. A private family inurnment will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery at a later date. Gordon Raymond Bonzer was born November 29, 1933, in rural Floyd County, Iowa on the Bonzer family farm. He was the son of Edwin and Mildred (Waite) Bonzer. He attended country grade school in Riverton Township and was co-valedictorian of the Nashua High School Class of 1952. After high school, Gordon enlisted in the United States Army and served his country for two years. Due to his father’s declining health, Gordon was Honorably Discharged. Gordon came home to start farming with his father on the family farm. He was introduced to Peggy Tolliver and the couple was married September 8, 1957, at the First Methodist Church in Charles City. To this union four children were born; Mark, Sue, Lisa and Scott. Gordon was a life-long advocate for farming and farmed around the Nashua area for roughly 30 years. He was a leader of Riverton Good Cheer 4-H Club and participated in the Floyd County Fair for numerous years. Gordon was also a member of the Corn Growers and Beef Producers. For many years he operated Bonzer’s Building Repair where he reconstructed buildings damaged by storms, old age, rot and various other reasons. In total, he completed over 1,100 reconstructions of various buildings. Gordon always got a lot of enjoyment and sense of pride when the job was complete. Gordon spent a majority of his life dedicated to researching his genealogy. In 1950 he began this process and compiled a family tree of over 8500 people from several European countries. Crossword puzzles, completed in pen, were a part of Gordon’s daily life, yet he rarely uttered a cross word. He had a passion for traveling with Peggy, photography and was a meticulous woodworker. Above all, the most important thing in Gordon’s life was family. Left to cherish Gordon’s memory are his wife of 56 years, Peggy; four children, Mark (Deb) Bonzer of Charles City, IA, Sue (Bob) Simmons of Sheffield, IA, Lisa (Wayne) Koehler of Charles City, IA, Scott (Leslie) Bonzer of Nashua, IA; eleven grandchildren, Chad (Melissa) Simmons, Holly Simmons, Zach Bonzer, Megan (Ben) Rottinghaus, Michael, Nick and Alex Koehler, Kaitlyn, Andria, Ethan and Rylee Bonzer; two great-grandchildren, Jonathan and Jessica Simmons; sister, Helen Waidelich of Nashua, IA. Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Stanley; nephew, Gary Bonzer; two brothers-in-law. If desired, memorials may be directed to the family.