Hazel Marie Bonnette

Hazel Marie (Jenkins) Bonnette, age 102, was the oldest living original Arthurdale homesteader. She entered into eternal rest on Friday, July 3, 2015, at her home surrounded by her loving family. Hazel was born on January 11, 1913, in Morgantown, a daughter of the late Howard and Golda Pearl (Mansberger) Jenkins. She grew up on her family's dairy farm on the Greenbag Road, in Morgantown; the only surviving sibling and eldest of four sisters and three brothers. Hazel attended school and church on Dorsey Avenue, where she sang in the choir and met her husband, the late Claude William Bonnette. In 1936, during Eleanor Roosevelt's "New Deal" cooperative venture, Hazel and Claude moved to Arthurdale where their first home was a white, two-story, rectangle on B-Road. It had a long, upper porch and a screened-in porch downstairs that Hazel used for laundry and cooking. They were happy in Arthurdale, and soon began to raise a family. After several years, the Cooperative offered Hazel and Claude an opportunity to move into a stone house on M-Road, where they would be happy and content for the rest of their lives. Every year, Hazel and Claude grew lovely flowers and a vegetable garden and filled the bins and shelves in the root cellar with enough food to last them the winter. After her children were grown, Hazel worked in the Arthurdale School Cafeteria. The holidays were always a special time with lots of good food and family warmth. Hazel loved being at home working in her gardens, baking bread and working with latch hook designs. In her later years, Hazel could be found on her patio or swing, and was quite the collector of hats. Hazel is survived by her four children: Jean McLaughlin, Thomas Claude Bonnette, Sandra Sue Davis and Claudette Marie Webb. She is also survived by her eleven grandchildren: Kelly Collins; Amber Crimm; Sean Bonnette; Jennifer Funk; John McLaughlin; Catherine Bechtold; Amanda Canonica; Claude Webb; Carol Webb; Lisa Broadwater and Nancy Shelton; and twenty-three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Claude William Bonnette in 2001. Friends will be received at the Morgan Funeral Home in Reedsville on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 from 2pm until the time of the 7pm funeral service. Cremation will follow and inurnment will take place at a later date. Morgan Funeral Home is honored to serve the Bonnette family.

Condolences: www.morganfuneralhomewv.com.