Bonnie Joyce Krall, age 80, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 1, 2021, surrounded by loved ones.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 15 at the Grand Rapids United Methodist Church in Grand Rapids, MN. A celebration of life open house will be held Saturday, May 22 1-5 p.m. at the Ruthton Community Center.
Bonnie Joyce Lange was born September 16, 1940, to Russell and Phyllis Lange in Aetna Township, Pipestone County, MN. She grew up learning to cook, sew and play piano but bragged most about her time spent actually farming with her dad. She received her education in Ruthton and graduated from Ruthton High School in 1958. She was very proud of the part she played in keeping her classmates in close contact with each other.
During high school she was a waitress at Lange’s Café and was also a live in nanny her senior year. After high school she worked at First National Bank in Pipestone.
She met the love of her life, Cordall, in high school. They wed on June 4, 1960 and were married for 60 years, raising 4 beautiful children. She raised her kids to be strong in their faith, hardworking and set an example of caring for others. They made their home in Ruthton where she administratively supported the family business, was active in the Community Club, Hiawatha Club and a member of the Ruthton Clowns. In 1987 they moved to northern MN fulfilling a dream of owning a Dairy Queen where they worked side by side. In 1990 the couple moved to their current home along the Mississippi River in Cohasset, MN. She graciously welcomed visitors to the “Blue Barns of Bass Brook.” They have also enjoyed the warmer winters at their second home in Gold Canyon, Arizona where she loved watching the hummingbirds, peaceful views of Silly Mountain from the patio and spending time with her sister. Bonnie and Corky have been members of the Grand Rapids United Methodist church since 2004 where they have faithfully supported and served in many capacities. It would be difficult to guess how many gallons of her famous potato salad she assisted with for church events! She was an avid Vikings fan and thoroughly enjoyed a trip to US Bank stadium to see them play in December 2019 with family!
She was a perfectionist in every aspect of her life! She loved to sew in her spare time mostly for family. Her pieces included sewing for weddings, special events and years of costumes that have been handed down among the grandchildren and now great grandchildren. In addition to sewing, she was an accomplished pianist playing piano and organ many years for weekly church services at Ruthton United Methodist Church. She also played at weddings, funerals and for the Hiawatha singers. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend who will be greatly missed by all those she leaves behind.
Grateful for having shared her life is her loving husband of 60 years, Corky Krall. She will remain in the hearts of her devoted children, Kristen (Chad) Lubben, Big Stone City, SD; Rebecca (Tod) Sanderson, Ruthton, MN; Michelle (Gary) Black, Sioux Falls, SD; and Bradley (Jennifer) Krall, Tyler, MN.
She was the best grandma ever to Travis, Amanda, Bryan, Matt, Dane, Amy, Tanner, Conner, Brooklyn, Gracee, Gabby, Dawson, Carter and Caycee. She was also a proud great-grandma to Dominique, Andre, Christopher, Julian, Sutten, Rohry, Digz, Cruz, Knox and Sydney. She enjoyed creating special memories and sharing experiences with all of them!
She is survived by her siblings, Robert (Gayle) Lange, Burnsville, MN; Betty (Gary) Krall, Baxter, MN; Barbara (Wayne) Sperr, Chester, CA; Beverly (Jerry) Kreun, Edgerton, MN; and Richard (Peggy) Lange, Holland, MN.
Bonnie was welcomed to heaven by her parents Russell and Phyllis Lange and her great- grandson Cordell Sanderson.
In lieu of flowers Bonnie’s family requests that memorials be directed to a charity of your choice or just help a friend in need!