DU QUOIN -- Bonnie Whipkey Meese, 78, of East Lansing, Mich. and formerly of Du Quoin, passed away on Oct. 6, 2019 at her home after a long illness.
She was born on May 28, 1941, in Du Quoin, the daughter of Frank and Gladys (Wheatley) Whipkey. She married Joe Meese in 1983 and he preceded her in death in 1997.
Bonnie graduated from Du Quoin High School in 1959 and she earned a B.S. degree in home economics from Southern Illinois University in 1963. She later received certification as a registered dietitian.
She was employed as Director of Dietary at assisted living facilities in Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington D.C. She also taught classes in nutrition at the Baltimore International College in Maryland.
After retirement, Bonnie, who was a talented seamstress and tailor, became an avid quilter. She was a member of the Quilting Guild of Michigan and the Quilting Guild of North Carolina.
She was a member of St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church in Greenville, N.C.
Bonnie is survived by one daughter, Erica (Peter) Windler Beattie, of East Lansing; one grandson, Aodhan Beattie, of East Lansing; one sister, Linda (Jerry) Davis, of Du Quoin; and two nieces, Susan (Todd) Heape and Laura (Bryan) Cobin, both of Du Quoin.
Bonnie was cremated and will be interred at a family service at DeSoto Cemetery.
