Bonnie Williams Dues

DICKINSON, TX –

On April 16^th in the year 1927, a beautiful baby girl was born to Dovie Irene (Jackson) Williams and Carl Lewis Williams in Hunt County, Texas. Carl and Dovie would name this blue-eyed beauty Bonnie, and rightfully so, as bonny means “attractive and extremely good”. Bonnie was the apple of her daddy’s eye. She shadowed her father whenever possible, trying to keep pace with him picking cotton, learning from him the mechanics of car maintenance, and vying for his attention and approval, and getting it, to the consternation of her 3 sisters.

In 1944, during our country’s involvement in World War II, at the age of 16, Bonnie graduated from Greenville (Texas) High School. She was featured in a photo in her senior yearbook, as the first female student to take Shop Class. Upon graduation from GHS, Bonnie boarded a train for Omaha, Nebraska. She lived with a family that she had never met and enrolled in a summer course with the National Youth Organization. It was here that she learned the basics of welding and riveting, skills typically held by men. Remaining in Omaha, Bonnie took a job at the 7^th Service Command Headquarters, her job entailed receiving classified information pertaining to warfare, whereupon she would dispatch messages to U.S. military bases. Bonnie would return to Texas and relocate with her parents to Galveston in 1946. Having no automobile of her own, she carpooled with several people to her job at Ford, Bacon and Davis in Texas City. On April 16^th, 1947, her 20^th birthday, she experienced the devastating blast as the French freighter Grandcamp, exploded in the Texas City harbor, killing 600 people and wounding 3,000. In the weeks following the most devastating industrial accident in U.S. history, Bonnie would assist in recovery efforts as Texas City began to repair and rebuild. The Williams family moved to Dickinson in 1948, where Bonnie, the Baptist, would meet, convert to Catholicism, and marry, Robert E. Dues in 1949, the owner and proprietor of the Sinclair Service Station in Dickinson. Bob, as he was known by all, had a kind heart, a great smile and an immense infatuation for this buxom, blue-eyed, brunette.  For the next three decades, this assiduous couple would expand their family, and their business, while volunteering and supporting their church and community through various organizations. Bob & Bonnie expanded the service station business to include hunting and fishing equipment, bait and tackle, boats, motors, and RV sales and service. The RV business flourished and in 1968, Bob and Bonnie closed the station and built Bob Dues Outdoor World aka “Dues Camping Center” at 2619 Gulf Freeway. Bob and Bonnie retired and sold the RV business to son and daughter-in-law, Eddie and Betsy, in 1981. It was then that Bonnie acquired her Real Estate license, and began a successful, award-winning career selling commercial and residential properties until the age of 91. Enduring the loss of her husband in 1996 was heartbreaking, losing her eldest son, Rudy, two years later, was devastating, then shattering another piece of heart, she lost her son Hal in 2020. But born of tough, Texas stock, Bonnie managed to go on and welcome more great-grandchildren into those wonderful, loving arms.

Bonnie was strong in her faith and so grateful to God for generously gracing her with the most devoted and loving family and friends. Preceding Bonnie in death were her parents Carl and Dovie Williams, husband Bob, sons Rudy and Hal, sisters Helen Barnett, Mary Wedgeworth, and Margaret Edwards; brother Wayne Williams, in-laws Jim and Marylou Dues, George and Rusty Dues, O.L. Montgomery, several nieces and nephews, and many lifelong friends.

On February 3, 2024, holding the hands of her daughters, surrounded in the peaceful comfort of her sons, Bonnie went with our Lord to rejoin all those she had loved and lost. By example, she bequeathed her two greatest gifts to her family, unconditional love and formidable strength, which created a sibling bond so resolute, that it can never be breached. Left to morn, yet celebrate, the love and life of this extraordinary woman: Diane Dues Magliolo, son-in-law and her favorite Doctor, Dr. Mike Magliolo; Julie (Dues) Masters, husband Ron; Sons: Eddie Dues, wife Betsy; John Dues, wife Lori; and daughters-in-law Suzanne Brady Dues, Harriet Bishop Dues. Grandchildren: Amy Melton, Paige Fowler (Chuck), Heidi Brown (Lucas), Anthony Dues, Robert E. Dues II (Helene), Corey Magliolo (Misty), Paddy Magliolo (Kaaren), Jennifer Bradley (Tim), Tyler Dues (Nicole), Jill Masters (Krystal), Laura Doherty (Brian), Madyson Dues (Alan), Jonathon Dues (Cathy), Ashley (Dustin) Via, 22 great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, and sister-in-law Syneva Willams.

The family offers our sincerest, deepest, heartfelt gratitude to Connie “Holly” Hupe for her unfailing devotion, attention and care that she so lovingly and generously gave to our mother this past year. Holly, mom loved you as one of her own, as do we.

Visitation will be held Thursday, February 8, 2024 from 5-7pm, at Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church, 300 FM 517 Rd E, Dickinson, Texas.  Funeral Mass will be at 11am on Friday, February 9, 2024 at Shrine of the True Cross, burial immediately following at Mt Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Dickinson. Memorials in the form of donations may be made in Bonnie’s name to Keep Dickinson Beautiful, 218 FM 517 Rd W, Dickinson 77539 or www.keepdickinsonbeautiful.org