Bonnie R. Sines, 60, of Waterloo, died Thursday, November 20, 2008, at Cedar Valley Hospice Home following a long illness. She was born January 18, 1948, in Waterloo, daughter of Carl H. and Ella Marie Schmidt Hartman. She married Richard A. Sines on September 17, 1966, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Waterloo. She graduated from Waterloo West High School in 1966. She earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in geography from the University of Northern Iowa. She was an adjunct professor of geography at the University of Northern Iowa for more than twenty years and was an animal behaviorist for the Den Herder Veterinary Clinic. She had formerly worked at the Waterloo Courier, Sears, and the INRCOG Office in Waterloo. She also worked as a freelance cartographer. She was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, one of the founders of Pet Pals, and a past president of the board for the Cedar Bend Humane Society. Bonnie was a recipient of the Iowa Governor's Volunteer award for her work as a reader for IRIS. She was a longtime member of the Cedar Valley Dog Training Club, the Waterloo Kennel Club, Cedar Valley Wine Club, and was an avid UNI sports fan.
Survived by: her husband; a daughter, Sheila (David) Sines Thomasson of Charleston, South Carolina; a granddaughter, Isabella "Ella Grace" Sines Thomasson; her mother, Ella M. Hartman of Waterloo; a brother, Dennis (Rachel) Hartman of Omaha, Nebraska; and several nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by: her father. Services: 11 a.m. Monday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Public visitation from 3 to 7 p.m. today at Kearns, Huisman-Schumacher Chapel and for an hour before services Monday at the church. Memorials: may be directed to P.E.T. P.A.L.S., 1103 W. First Street, Cedar Falls 50613 or Cedar Valley Hospice, P.O. Box 2880, Waterloo 50704. Bonnie was a dedicated educator and had a great love for her students, UNI, and, most of all, her family. She helped care for her father, mother-in-law, and father-in-law during their final illnesses. Her passionate, tireless work as an animal behaviorist helped countless pet owners and saved the lives of many animals. Her numerous gifts in this life will be missed by all she touched.
Copyright Waterloo Courier, November 23, 2008, page B6.