Bonnie Lou (Overly) Fels went to be with her Lord and family, October 18, 2022, after a short-term illness. She was 92 years of age. She was born December 21, 1929, in Pickaway County, Ohio to the late Marlin K. and Hazel B. (Arnold) Overly. They lived on a dairy farm in the Atlanta and New Holland farming area. She was the youngest of five children.

Bonnie attended grade school in Clarksburg, Ohio. Later she would become a graduate of Atlanta High School, Atlanta, Ohio in 1947, in a class of 10, where she was also a cheerleader. After graduating high school, she met Paul Edwin Fels, who was a friend of her date that day. Paul was from Mt. Sterling, Ohio. There must have been “love in the air” because they fell in love and were married on June 6, 1949, in Greenup, Kentucky.

Paul and Bonnie lived in a very small trailer on the Overly farm, where they started their family. Over the next decade they had four children together. Philip Edwin Fels, Gregory Alan Fels, Teresa Ann (Fels) Hayes, and Tami Jean (Fels) Barrett. In the early 50’s, Paul and Bonnie bought a house in Atlanta, Ohio, and around 1962, they built their second home. Bonnie’s first job at Cudahy Dairy, packing cheese and ice cream. In August 1966, she and Paul packed up the kids and dog and moved to Springfield, Missouri, where Paul worked for the Federal Medical Center. Bonnie became a member of the Schweitzer Methodist Church in Springfield, Missouri for many years. She enjoyed shopping, playing card games and bingo. She was an artist, and loved playing piano, drawing and sketching people and outdoor scenes in pencil and charcoal. Bonnie especially loved having family dinners and togetherness. In her later years she enjoyed feeding her backyard animal friends, the birds, squirrels, raccoons, and opossum.

Bonnie was preceded in death by husband Paul Fels, Marlin Overly Jr. (Uncle “Goose”), Eugene Overly (Uncle “Shorty”), Janet (Overly) Mendenhall, and Joe Overly.

She is survived by her four children, Phillip (Rebecca) Fels, Gregory (Louise) Fels, Teresa (Ron) Hayes, and Tami (Bart) Barrett; ten grandchildren; and eleven great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held October 26, 2022, at Greenlawn Funeral Home East, 3540 E Seminole, Springfield, Missouri, 65809, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. A graveside service will be following at 1:00 at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:

Seasons Hospice, 1831 W Melville Rd, Springfield, MO 65803

Jacob’s Ladder Hospice, 2343 N Delaware Ave, Springfield, MO 65803