On September 20, 1904 a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. W. P. "Bunch" Fullingim Bonine of Estacado. They named her Fleta. Her mother, before her marriage to Bunch, was Mrs. May Shipley Merchant. Her father, Bunch, had moved to a farm in Crosby County from Red River County, where he was born. Fleta grew up on the farm but later Fullingim moved his family to luxurious rock home in Lorenzo. She had one brother Peyton, two half sisters, Jewel and Dovie and a half brother. Lafayette Merchant. Dovie married Cecil A. Fitch, a vice president of Eli Lilly Company of Abilene.
Fleta, always a beautiful child, became a charming and popular young lady attending Texas Tech in Lubbock when she married a Mr. McDade. One son, Billie was born to this union. Mr. McDade died at an early age and Fleta was left a widow.
On September 14, 1936 she married Earl Bonine (Otis Arvel, son of Earl McNeil Bonine). No children were ever born to this union. Earl and Fleta lived on a farm south of Ralls. Billie spent his winters with grandmother McDade, who lived in Dallas, where he attended the public schools, but spent his summers on the farm with his mother and stepfather. He graduated from Ralls High School and received a bachelor´s degree in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He became a radar specialist on a submarine for the Navy in World War II.
Fleta developed a bold culinary prowess and excelled in German cooking. She did extensive vegetable and meat canning, was a excellent pianist, and she and her husband became an expert bridge players. She enjoyed singing, which she did very well, when she took her family to church she was a Baptist and Earl was a Methodist, so they attended not only both of these, but various other churches in the community.
Fleta passed away suddenly on July 28, 1949. Her brother, Rev. Peyton Fullingim, delivered the funeral eulogy at which there were more than a hundred and twenty floral offerings filling the church that over flowed with mourners. (Written by Vivian Way Bonine)
Source: "A History of Crosby County 1876-1977" © Crosby County Historical Commission 1978; Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas.
Transcribed by Cheryl McDonald
Memorial Rites Are Held For Mrs. Fleta Bonine
Memorial services for Mrs. Fleta Bonine, 44, who passed away at her home south of town the morning of July 28, were held in Lorenzo Baptist church at 3 o'clock Friday afternoon. Rev. Peyton Fullingim of Southland, brother of the deceased, assisted by Rev. H.J. West of Lorenzo, officiated.
Worth Fullingim, nephew of Mrs. Bonine, led the choir in "Does Jesus Care," "Shall We Gather at the River" and "In The Garden," with Mrs. Leon Pierot playing the piano.
Fleta Fullingim, daughter of the late, W.P. (Uncle Bunch) Fullingim, and Mrs. Fullingim of Lorenzo, was born at Estacado, Sept. 20, 1904. She once taught school at Estacado. She was a member of Ralls Baptist church at the time of her passing, having formerly been a member at Lorenzo. She was married in Sept. 1936 to Earl Bonine. They since lived continuously on their farm five miles south of Ralls.
Survivors include her husband; a son, William Merchant McDale, a student in Southern Methodist University, Dallas; her mother, Mrs. W.P. Fullingim of Lorenzo; two brothers, Rev. Peyton Fullingim of Southland and F.M. Merchant of Lubbock; one sister, Mrs. Dovie Fitch of Abilene; and three uncles H.E. Fullingim, Petersburg and Alec and John Shipley both of Ft. Sumner, N.M.
Pallbearers were: J.R. King, of Southland, J.W. King, of Ft. Sumner, N.M.; Fred Weise of Lorenzo, A.F. Holt of Lubbock and Roy Hillin and Jeff Martin, both of Ralls.
Burial was in Lorenzo cemetery where her father and other relatives are buried.
Out of town relatives and friends here included; Alec' and Guy Shipley, Mr. and Mrs. John Shipley and J.W. King, all of Ft. Sumners, N.M.; Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. King, Plainview; Mr. and Mrs. Lowell King and Mary Nelle, and Mr. and Mrs. Leslie King and Robert, all of Hale Center; Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Hub Haire, Rev. and Mrs. Peyton Fullingim and sons, Worth, Dwight and Wendell, all of Southland; W.M. McDale of Dallas; Frank Shipley of Clovis, N.M.; Mrs. Ora Shipley and Mr. and Mrs. John R. Shipley, Mr. and rs. Bob Smith, al of Floydada; Mr. and Mrs. Pat Hines of Sundown.
Mrs. J.B. Martin and Mr. and Mrs. A.G. Green, all of Tatum, N.M.; Mr. and Mrs. Marty Ezell, Gaylon, Glenn Terry and Glenna Margaret, all of Portales, N.M.; Mrs. Roy Ezell of Farwell; Mr. and Mrs. W.W. (Bill) Jones of Post; Mr. and Mrs. A.F. Holt, Mrs. Jim Bledsoe, Mr. and Mrs. F.M. Mercant, Mr. and Mrs. Houston Clark, Judge and Mrs. walter Davis, Mr. and Mrs. A. Ernest Davis, Mr. an Mrs. John Hughes, all of Lubbock; Mr. and Mrs. M.J. Craig and Jean all of Brownfield; Mr. and Ms. Ernest Fowler of Littlefield; Mrs. John K. Fullingim, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Denton, Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Coffee and Mrs. Dessie Walters, all of Crosbyton; Mrs. Millie Lee Doss of Stamford; Mr. and Mrs. Austin Fullingim, Mr. and Mrs. Bunch Fullingim and Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Fullingim, all of Petersburg; Mrs. Dorothy Patterson and son, John of Abilene.
©The Ralls Banner, July 1949
Record provided by Ralls Historical Museum
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