Bonnie McNinch

Bonnie Jean (Harkness) McNinch was born in Dillon, Montana, on January 30, 1927 to Ernest B. and Ruth Kent Harkness. Bonnie grew up on the family ranch up Big Sheep Creek west of Dell, Montana, working with sheep and cattle. When Bonnie started the sixth grade, she moved to Dillon to live with her grandparents. Going home to the ranch for holidays and summer vacations was the highlight of the next six years until she graduated from Beaverhead County High School. Upon returning to the ranch she helped in the house or outside with the ranch work (which she preferred).

She married Richard (Dick) McNinch on June 11, 1947. They lived and worked on the Harkness family ranch along with Bonnie's parents and her brother, Bernard, and his wife, Shirley Jean.

Dick and Bonnie had two girls, Diana and Evelyn. Both girls grew up on the ranch knowing how to run all of the equipment or doing whatever needed to be done to keep the ranch operating.

Bonnie was a hard-working woman who didn't hesitate to take on a project if it needed to be done from putting a new roof on the barn to re-roofing the house. She even dug a basement under the old house to make room for a fuel oil furnace. She was tired of the mess from the wood stoves.

In 1993, the family ranch was sold and Dick and Bonnie moved to the outer limits of Lima where they retired and resided since. Bonnie wasn't happy to just sit and do nothing. She proceeded to create a lawn and planted many trees around the property, saying that she wanted privacy.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dick, and her daughter, Diana. She is survived by her daughter, Evelyn (Chuck) Larsen, son-in-law, Dick Walrath, one niece and two nephews, four grandchildren, and four great-granddaughters. There are numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.

Bonnie will be missed greatly by everyone.