.jpg)
Friends and family are welcome for a celebration of life following the ceremony at the home of Todd and Sana Antisdel, 34975 New Lancaster, Paola, KS 66053. Lunch will be served. Arrangements entrusted to the Mullinax Funeral Home, Drexel Chapel (816-657-4400). Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com
Bonnie was born August 6, 1925 in Omaha, NE to Frank Amos Peckenpaugh and Jessie Louise Burkholder. She was the oldest of their 4 children, and she was both proud and wistful to have outlived her younger siblings Dona Jean Kern, Ruth Ann Olds and Roger William Peckenpaugh.
Bonnie was born August 6, 1925 in Omaha, NE to Frank Amos Peckenpaugh and Jessie Louise Burkholder. She was the oldest of their 4 children, and she was both proud and wistful to have outlived her younger siblings Dona Jean Kern, Ruth Ann Olds and Roger William Peckenpaugh.
Bonnie was raised in a musical home and began learning to play the piano at a very young age. Singing and playing the piano were skills she practiced her entire life and continued to enjoy into her early 90’s. Bonnie learned to sew from her grandmother Minnie Burkholder, and she became an excellent seamstress, sewing clothes, Halloween costumes, draperies and any other thing her friends and family could talk her into.
Bonnie was introduced to Robert Andrew Antisdel by her classmate and lifelong friend Bonnie (Bob’s cousin and the original Bonnie Antisdel) and they soon married on June 12, 1944 in Orlando, FL just before his deployment to Italy during WWII. Together they had four sons, Richard Lynn (deceased) of Lyndon, KS, Monte Rex (Diane) of Adel, IA, Kirby Clark (Roxanne) of Urbandale, IA and self-professed favorite Todd Randel (Sana) of Louisburg, KS. They eventually settled in Lawrence, KS and there Bonnie stayed at home to raise the boys, teaching them to read, ride bikes, play baseball and most miraculously, kept them alive and relatively unscathed. She loved dogs and trained them very well, arguably better than she trained her boys.
She also worked part-time for Dr. Godwin in Lawrence and was active in the community, even helping to organize a civil rights march in the late 1950’s to allow equal access to the community swimming pool.
In 1970, Bonnie and Bob moved to Louisburg, KS where they opened Country Cuzzins Home Furnishings. Rick, Kirby and Todd all eventually joined the family business and they expanded to stores in Osawatomie, KS and briefly in Mound City, KS. Bonnie was active in day-to-day operations of the store but spent much of her time hanging wallpaper and sewing draperies for customers. Bonnie was a great hostess and entertainer despite her complete inability to cook anything other than dump cake and lemon bars, which many family members claimed to love. That’s probably why her favorite meal was a glass of red wine and cheese and crackers, although she was equally happy with a beer and popcorn. If you ever needed a Kleenex or lipstick, it’s guaranteed she’d have both in her pocket or purse.
In 1970, Bonnie and Bob moved to Louisburg, KS where they opened Country Cuzzins Home Furnishings. Rick, Kirby and Todd all eventually joined the family business and they expanded to stores in Osawatomie, KS and briefly in Mound City, KS. Bonnie was active in day-to-day operations of the store but spent much of her time hanging wallpaper and sewing draperies for customers. Bonnie was a great hostess and entertainer despite her complete inability to cook anything other than dump cake and lemon bars, which many family members claimed to love. That’s probably why her favorite meal was a glass of red wine and cheese and crackers, although she was equally happy with a beer and popcorn. If you ever needed a Kleenex or lipstick, it’s guaranteed she’d have both in her pocket or purse.
Bonnie loved to travel and enjoyed trips to Hong Kong, England, Greece, Mexico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands. Upon retirement, Bonnie and Bob spent the winter months in Pharr, TX where she taught sewing classes, learned clogging (similar to tap dancing) and added to their long list of dear friends.
Bonnie’s life was spent loving, laughing and caring for others, especially her 14 grandchildren Shannon Abrahamson, Summer Wright (Donald), Easter Weiss (Greg), Aubrey Jameson, Noah Antisdel, Megan Temme (John), Libby Hott (Tim), Jenny Dover (Steven), Maggie Perez (Domingo), Katie Deterding, Jessica Whelan (Jon), Kia Bondurant (Andy), Jastin Antisdel (Jamie) and Sari Antisdel (Micala).
She was also very proud to have 32 great-grandchildren: Kyle, Ethan, Eli, Lily, Carson, Brooklyn, Joselyn, Jack, Charlie, Harley, Ashton, Alexandria, TJ, Julia, Soledad, Catalina, Wyatt, Ayden, Tyson, Bryant, Clark, Everett, Kessa, Sephine, Chilton, Beale, Adali, Ames, Emry, Arden, Alaire and Jett.
She also has 3 great-great grandchildren: Aurora, Sophia and Macey (due August 2022).
