Services
Obituary
Lawrence “Larry” LaVerne Bonjour, 77, formerly of Dows, passed away on Saturday, May 3, 2025 after a long illness.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 PM on Friday, May 9, 2025 at Ewing Funeral Home, 119 East Ellsworth Street in Dows.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at First Lutheran Church, 206 West Ellsworth Street in Dows. Burial will follow the service at Fairview Cemetery.
Larry was born in Hampton, Iowa on April 26, 1948, the first child of LaVerne and Edith (Vietor) Bonjour. Eight playmates (siblings) soon followed encouraging laughter and a bit of mischief. Larry started his life on a farm near Hansell; the family later moving to farm near Dows. He graduated from Dows High School in 1967, after which Larry was drafted into the US Army and served during the Vietnam Conflict before being honorably discharged in 1970.
On May 10, 1969, Larry was united in marriage to Karen Heiden at First Lutheran Church. The couple settled on an acreage south of Dows to raise their family and small zoo of animals that his daughters turned into pets. Larry loved being outdoors; whether gardening, tinkering with projects, riding his horse, or playing with the many good dogs he owned during his lifetime. In their later years, Larry and Karen would often hop in the car for adventures with no particular destination in mind; simply enjoying their time together.
Larry had a lengthy career driving long-haul semitrucks, having driven 3 million miles accident free. He enjoyed including his family on trips in the truck or calling his daughters on the CB radio to let know he would be pulling in the driveway soon. And he really enjoyed sharing the stories of his travels.
Larry is survived by his four daughters: Kristine (Howard) Tyler, Lisa (Chris) Chaplin, Susan (John) Penz, and Amy Bonjour, along with eight grandchildren: Elizabeth, Andrew, Drew, Matthew, Abigail, Wil, Angel, and Stephanie. He is also survived by siblings Margaret Gillock, LaMae (Rob) Gerst, Jon (Gloria) Bonjour, Thomas (Kathy) Bonjour, Charles “Chuck” (Karyl) Bonjour, Wade (Jean) Bonjour, Dale (Annie) Bonjour; and their families. He was preceded in death by his wife, Karen; parents; and brother, William Bonjour.