Jerry Roy Bonner

Jerry Ray Bonner, 86, passed away Monday, March 17, 2025, at Mountain View of Cascadia in Eureka, MT, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with his grandsons, Gage Pluid and Jay Hoover.
Jerry was born on December 24, 1938, in Whitefish, MT. He grew up with his brother Mike and parents Ted and Helen Bonner overlooking Whitefish Lake. He spent his teen years hunting, Fishing and working for the railroad, graduating from Whitefish High School in 1956 at 17 after playing 4 years of basketball for the Bulldogs. He joined the Air Force in November 1956, without his parents’ knowledge and completed a 6-month course in Russian language at Syracuse University before being stationed in Turkey doing reconnaissance missions. While in Turkey he met a Turkish fellow selling a baby bear, so he and a friend bought the bear and raised it until it got older. Jerry was honorably discharged in September 1960 and decided to go to pharmacy school in Missoula, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in June 1965. He met Billie Herbold in 1961 at the Blue Moon in Columbia Falls, getting engaged in April 1964 and married in September 1964 in Kalispell to which Barbie, Susie and Steve were born. They moved to Eureka in 1966 to work for Hen Vincent at Eureka Drug on main street with Jerry buying the business in June 1976 until his retirement in June 2002. He joined the Eureka Volunteer Fire Dept. In May 1972, which he belonged to and loved being a part of for 44 years retiring in August of 2016. As soon as the fire siren went off you would soon see him leaving the drugstore and running down main street to the fire hall to fight a fire or help with an accident.
Jerry is survived by his wife Billie, of 60 years; children Barbie (Butch) Gwynn, Susie (Josh) Benford, Steve (Andrea) Bonner; and grandchildren Paige Pluid-Pisk, Ryan Pluid, Eva, Owen, Jack and River Bonner. He was preceded in death by grandsons Gage Pluid and Jay Hoover.
The family would like to thank Dr. Stein and the amazing staff at Mountain View of Cascadia for the excellent care of Jerry the last 4 years.
A Graveside Service will be Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11:00 a.m., at the Tobacco Valley Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Eureka Volunteer Fire Dept., PO Box 623, Eureka, MT 59917. Arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Eureka. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com. 

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