Bonnie A. Root

Pocatello - Bonnie Ann Root, 79, of Pocatello, passed away Sunday, October 10, 2010 at a local hospital following an illness.

She was born April 17, 1931 in Waterloo, Iowa, a daughter of John and Leila P. Kraft-Hecht Niebuhr. In her youth, she attended schools in Iowa and Minnesota and then moved to California in 1945 where she graduated from Compton High School in Compton, California. She then attended nursing college and later worked in the Los Angeles area as an office secretary when she met her future husband Rex W. Root. She and Rex were married April 2, 1952 in Pacific Palisades, California.

Bonnie and Rex moved to Boise, Idaho for a short time and then moved to Pocatello in 1958. She and Rex established a construction and excavation business. They built and developed the Rocking R Trailer Court. She enjoyed working with Rex as the office secretary and bookkeeper for the business. She also worked as an administrative assistant in the Chemistry Department at Idaho State University for 30 years. For the past 15 years, she has spent the winters in Hemet, California and summers in Pocatello. She liked gardening, reading, cooking, horses and horse racing. She will be greatly missed by her loving family and many friends.

Survivors include: a daughter in-law, Kathleen Root, San Diego, California; 2 sisters, Barbara (Richard) Jensen, Yorba Linda, California; Betti (Gary) Reeser, Hemet, California; nieces and nephews, Dirk Jensen, April Tang, Jacques Parker, Shuree Boon, John Niebuhr, Mark Niebuhr, Gary Niebuhr. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Rex, on May 5, 2003, son, Gregory Root, brother Edward Niebuhr.

Graveside funeral services will be held Friday, October 15, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. at Fielding Memorial Park in Idaho Falls, Idaho (on old Hwy 91 South of Sunnyside on West side). The family will meet with friends on Thursday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Manning-Wheatley Funeral Chapel, 510 N. 12th Ave.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to the Gregory Root Scholarship Endowment Fund, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Ave. Stop 8050, Pocatello, Idaho 83209-8050

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Manning-Wheatley Funeral Chapel, 510 N. 12th Ave.