Resident of the Month: Bonnie Majors

By Ellie Upton-Keiser
The Imperial Republican
Bonnie Jean (Crosson) Majors was born on December 2, 1928, to Fred and Frieda (Bartels) Crosson, in the midst of a heavy snowfall and bitter cold. Her birthplace was her grandparents’ home in Dundy County, about a mile south of Enders. Tragically, Frieda passed away from complications just two weeks after Bonnie’s birth. During those short days, Frieda was able to spend precious time with her daughter, and Bonnie would always cherish the fact that her mother gave her name, Bonnie Jean.
Following the death of her mother the family’s close-knit family and friends rallied together offering support in caring for Bonnie and helping them through their grief.
With his wife gone, Fred struggled to care for his newborn daughter on his own so Bonnie was raised in the home of her grandparents, alongside 1 aunt, and 7 uncles. Arnold, Otto, Reinholt, Alfred, Elsie, Gustav, Walter and Rueben. Bonnie had occasional visits with her father over the years, one of the most memorable being Wauneta’s annual Santa Saturday. During these visits, Fred would spoil Bonnie with sugar before sending her back to her grandparents.
Growing up alongside her aunts and uncles, Bonnie often thought of her grandparents as “Mom” and “Dad,” and her aunts and uncles as her brothers and sisters. She was raised as a beloved member of the family. The home was overflowing with love.
One of Bonnie’s most cherished memories was the large, round table with a pedestal base that always seemed to bring the family together. The table was filled with many leaves, stretching wide enough to seat the family of ten. Bonnie learned to walk by circling that pedestal base. One of her earliest memories was combing her uncles’ hair as they would gather around the table to read the new paper around the age of 3. And in lieu of a booster seat Bonnie sat on a large pile catalogs between Alfred and Elsie for meals. Every meal was shared there. As she grew, she took pride in helping to set the table. Bonnie still owns the table and treasures the many memories it holds.
One of her many other chores was to gather cobs from the cellar for the stove. One year while gathering cobs Bonnie found a cardboard box hidden among the cobs. After digging it out she discovered it was a brand-new toy typewriter! Bonnie couldn’t resist playing with it and did many times while gathering cobs before receiving it for Christmas. She never told a soul.
She grew up alongside her cousins playing on the farm and had a great love for the outdoors. Her Grandparents spoke German, so this was the first language Bonnie learned. By age 5, she had mastered embroidery, a craft she would continue to enjoy throughout her life, later she picked up knitting as well.
Bonnie started school in the first grade at St. Paul Lutheran Parochial School, where she attended all 8 grades. The school building still stands, well-maintained, on the south divide, next to the church. It was a one-room country schoolhouse, with all 8 grades taught by one teacher. Students often learned from each other, listening in on each other’s lessons. At its peak, there were forty-two students. At the beginning of each year, the school nurse would visit, and all the students would line up for their check-ups and shots.
Inside the one-room country schoolhouse, the classroom was simple but functional, with a teacher’s desk, a piano, a blackboard, maps, and curtains on the windows. The school had outdoor plumbing, and each student had a hook for their coat. Students would fill the class water bucket from the pump outdoors and bring their own dinner buckets from home. The room was heated by a stove to keep them warm during the colder months. The students played outside several times a day! They enjoyed games like baseball, “andy over,” and “Last Couple Out.” And of course, making snow angels in the winter months.  Best of all the students all got along!
At the end of 8th grade, students would travel to Benkelman to find out if they had passed to high school.
At home, Bonnie’s childhood was shaped by the practical and resourceful ways of her family during the Great Depression. Everything was repurposed—sugar sacks and flour sacks were reused, and her grandmother made all her clothes. Bonnie recalls standing on the dining room table as her grandma would measure her hemline. Saturday was cleaning day, and Bonnie started with a dust rag, gradually taking on more housework as she got older. Her Grandma taught her everything she knew about cooking, passing down valuable skills that Bonnie would carry with her.
Her family celebrated all the Christian holidays, with church at the heart of their traditions. Her uncle was responsible for ringing the church bell and starting the coal furnace. Every Christmas Eve, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church hosted a Christmas program. At times they had up to 40 children participate. Bonnie fondly remembers the Christmas tree that stood in the corner of the church each year, though one particular year stands out when the tree caught fire. Lit with candles, it began burning from the top. Her uncle, noticing from the balcony, quickly yelled, “FIRE!” and the flames were quickly put out with the sand that was kept on hand for such emergencies.
After church the family would gather at their home around a delicious meal followed by her Aunt Elsie and Uncle Otto taking turns playing the piano. Her Uncle Otto, in Bonnies words, “could make the thing dance.”  The whole family would sing along. Music was a big part of their lives, they often gathered in the parlor playing different instruments and singing along.
By the age of 10, Bonnie was driving a grain truck. Concerned about her driving, Grandpa Bartels reached out to the local police to see if there was a way for her to do so legally. The police told him, “Mr. Bartels, if something happens, someone could take your whole farm.” Grandpa replied, “Well, they’ll have to, because we have no other option.” This situation instilled in Bonnie a no-nonsense attitude when it came to work.
When World War II came in the early 1940’s, two of Bonnie’s uncles were called to serve. Life became even harder as everyone worked tirelessly to make ends meet. There was no room for extravagance, and everyone pitched in to help.
Bonnie was confirmed in the by Pastor Wendelin at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in 1942.
Bonnie attended High-School in Wauneta NE. With Gas and Tire Rationing due to WW2 it wasn’t uncommon for students to stay in town for the week during school.
Her first 2 years she stayed with the Hamilton family.
The wife was a cousin to her aunt. Bonnie helped with their daughter and did chores around the home to earn her keep.
In her junior year, Bonnie and four other girls rented a basement in a house, and “Oh, how they enjoyed themselves!” They took turns cooking. The girls would walk home for lunch, racing against the clock to make it back in time for class. Bonnie fondly recalls the laughter and good times they shared, though by the time they finished their schoolwork, there was little time left for much else.
Her last year she lived with the Browns along with 5 other girls. The family would take in students for extra income and in return the girls were provided meals and a warm roof over their head.
Don Majors, who would later become Bonnie’s husband, was a classmate of hers. Bonnie vividly remembers the first time she saw him. He was always well-groomed, with his hair neatly combed and dressed sharply. He wore boots with fancy tops, deliberately tucked over his jeans to show them off.
In class, they sat in alphabetical order, so Don sat behind her. He invited her to the junior-senior prom, and after thinking it over for a day or two, Bonnie declined, since none of her friends had dates either. However, they worked together on decorating for the Hawaiian-themed prom. The event was held in a room above what was then the Post Office. Bonnie recalls working hard to decorate the room, hauling decorations up and down the stairs for days leading up to the event.
At the prom, they sat across from each other at the banquet table. They danced all night and at the end of the evening Don walked Bonnie home. From then on, they began seeing each other on and off and attended many dances together over the years. They loved to dance, and one of their favorite places to do so was the Wauneta Legion Hall, located at the north end of Main Street in Wauneta NE. Admission was just 10 cents, and a dance band played on the stage near the front door. The hall had many windows, and it was common to see faces peering in, enjoying the music and the lively atmosphere.
After high school, Don stayed in town for a couple of years to work before attending Doane College in Crete to study Business and Education. Bonnie, on the other hand, went to Hastings Beauty Academy. They had kept in touch while they attended college and would reconnect when they were home visiting.
One Christmas when Bonnie was 20 years old, after attending church, Don picked Bonnie up to take her to a dance. On the way to the Imperial, at a stop sign north of Enders, Don stopped the car and said, “I want to ask you something,” before proposing with a ring. Bonnie was thrilled and accepted without hesitation. Their friends caught wind of their engagement and held a “chivary” at the dance, Don placed Bonnie in a red wagon and pulled her around the dance floor, while all their friends cheered them on.
They got married in Hastings while Bonnie was still attending beauty school. It was a private ceremony with just the minister, Robert E. Lee, and Mary McCormick present as the best man and maid of honor.
After graduation, they moved back to Imperial, where Don worked at Cortis General Store for Hans Cortis, and Bonnie worked at a beauty shop. Bonnie fondly describes their first apartment, which still stands today as “cute as a button”. It was a cozy little space located in front of a garage. Don spoiled her with a small washing machine, with an attached manual ring ran by hand crank. It was just big enough to wash one sheet at a time. This was quite a luxury at the time. All their laundry was hung out to dry, even in the winter. The sheets would come in stiff as a board, but it was said that the freezing temperatures were great for bleaching the laundry.
A year after marriage, Bonnie and Don started their family with their first child, James Michael (Mick), followed by Debra Jean just 14 months later, and finally, Paula Renea, was born 10 years later. Bonnie cherished the maternal connection she had with her children.
Don, Bonnie, and their family moved around quite a bit over the years, living in Wauneta, on a ranch along the Frenchman River in Imperial, Sidney for nine years, and McCook. The kids attended grade school in Wauneta and high school in Imperial. Wherever they lived, Don worked in the grocery business to support the family. In Wauneta, Bonnie worked as a beautician, running a small shop out of their home. When the children were young, she stayed at home with them, but once they were in school, she worked during the day, still making sure to be there for the kids after school. Bonnie and Don made it a priority to attend all their children’s sports events, choir performances, plays, and other school activities. They lived a simple, frugal life, focused on the essentials. They didn’t have much, and life often felt like a constant balancing act.
Bonnie recalled the struggles they faced with their car situation. At first, they didn’t own a vehicle. When they finally did, it was a 1932 two-door Chevy Coupe, which Bonnie bought from her uncle’s wife for just $35. But the car came with its challenges—they couldn’t afford a new battery, so when it died, they had to push it down a hill to get it started. It wasn’t easy, but they made do.
Eventually, they were able to buy a used Nash from Bonnie’s grandparents, and later a Studebaker. By the time they had the Studebaker, they were living in McCook with their young kids. Don’s brother, Jim, played football, and they often drove the Studebaker to watch his games in Oshkosh.
As money was tight, they didn’t travel far, but they did take short trips from time to time. One memorable trip was a camping adventure in the mountains. Bonnie recalls taking canned beef along, and though it was cold and rainy, they made the best of it. The warmth of the meal made them feel cozy and content, a reminder of the simple joys in life.
Over the years, Bonnie and Don were deeply involved in their community, especially with the Lutheran Church. They traveled with Grocery Conventions to Hawaii, New Orleans, Florida and the Bahamas. Through the years they continued to dance until their health no longer allowed.
Bonnie directed the choir at Zion Lutheran Church in Imperial. She led the choir until Mr. C arrived in town, and Bonnie was happy to pass the baton to him. Throughout her life, Bonnie loved to sing. She sang whenever she could, and even today, she continues to share her voice when given the chance.
Bonnie kept in touch with her father over the years, but he and her stepmother became more involved as grandparents. Mick, Bonnie’s son, had always wanted to run the tractors on her father’s farm. After Mick returned from the service, his dreams came true as he took over the farm. During these years Bonnie worked alongside Mick and his wife Joyce driving truck during the wheat harvest and caring for the kids.
Her grandson, Clay, recalls always wanting to ride with Grandma, knowing there’d be treats. He’d sit on an upside-down ice cream bucket beside her as they sang “Shine on Harvest Moon” while watching the moon rise.
In 2012, Bonnie was diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatment in Lincoln, Nebraska. She found comfort in having Dr. Joni (Travis) Tilford, a familiar face from Wauneta, as her oncologist. During her treatment, Bonnie was offered the opportunity to participate in a five-year research program. With God’s guidance, the knowledge, time, and effort invested, along with countless prayers, the program was a success. By the time Bonnie completed the program, the drug had been approved by the FDA and continues to be used by patients today.
Bonnie also recalls a cancer navigator who encouraged her to get up and pull herself together each day, reminding her of the importance of maintaining a positive mental state during her battle. Bonnie took this advice to heart, and to this day, it’s incredibly rare to find her not looking her best. Her determination to stay strong and present through life’s challenges remains a true testament to her resilience.
Don and Bonnie spent their last eight years together in Wauneta, in the home Bonnie inherited from her birth father. When Bonnie could no longer live on her own, she moved to Imperial Parkview Heights, where she resides today. Bonnie remains active, taking part in the activities offered to her. She continues to attend Zion Lutheran Church and stays involved with her large, loving family, which includes seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Bonnie enjoys a full life, participating in bingo, church events, exercise classes, socializing with friends, singing, shopping, and spending quality time with her family. She remains as lively as ever, embracing each day with energy and joy.