BONNIE BRAUN

Bonnie Nelson Braun, age 78, passed away peacefully at her home in Menasha on Sunday, January 18, 2015 with her husband, Neil, by her side. Bonnie was born on December 23, 1936 in Victory (Laurel County), Kentucky, the daughter of the late John H. Nelson and Dorothy I. (Browning). She married her high school sweetheart, Neil T. Braun of Hamilton, OH, in 1958 and then moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL where they lived for 3 years before moving back to Ohio in 1961. Bonnie started her professional career as an executive secretary while her husband attended the University of Cincinnati. They moved to Neenah, WI in 1971 where they resided for the next 41 years before moving to Menasha in 2012. Bonnie worked as a counselor at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh before joining Kimberly-Clark, eventually retiring in 1999. Bonnie enjoyed over 60 years of being in love with her husband, Neil, who likewise, was deeply devoted to her. She also had a great passion for painting portraits and was an excellent cook. Bonnie enjoyed reading and music especially that of the Inside Out Band, a bluegrass group that her husband introduced to the Fox River Valley area in the late 1970s. She also loved cats, in particular her pet Sarah. In her younger years, Bonnie liked playing tennis and volleyball and always enjoyed an evening of fun with friends at the Club Tavern in Menasha. Bonnie is survived by her husband of 56 years, her brother Raymond "Jerry" Nelson of Fairfield, OH; former sister-in-law, Eloise Burgland; nephew, John Nelson; and niece, Shawna (Greg) Boland and their children, Derrek, Corrin, and Lafayette. She was preceded in death by her her nephew, Todd Nelson. She will also be greatly missed by her close friends Jeff & Jone Block and Ken & Jan Brusda. Bonnie's family would like to express their appreciation to her devoted caregivers Debbie Kahler and Linda Bacheller.