Bonnie Christine Insko,
82, wife of Hall of Fame harness driver Del Insko died August 25, 2016, in her
home, with her husband and family at her side.
Born April 1, 1934, in
Rolph, IA, daughter of Andrew and Christine (Stephensen) Nelson. United in
marriage to Delmer Insko on March 26, 1951, in Humboldt, IA.
Bonnie was the co-owner
of the Del Insko Stables, she was for 16 years employed with the Rockton School
District and a longtime member of Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.
She is survived by her
husband, Del of South Beloit; children, Delvin (Katherine) Insko of Winnebago,
Christy (Joe) Taddei of Tulsa, OK, Thomas (Sandra) Insko of South Beloit;
grandchildren, Jackie, Erik, Andrew, Aaron, Danielle, Joshua, David, Rebecca, Elizabeth,
Christy; great-grandchildren, Gemma, Gabriel, Judah, Mercy, Coby; siblings,
DeLon "Butch" Nelson of Roscoe; and numerous nieces, nephews and
cousins. Preceded in death by her parents and brother, Arlo Nelson.
A “Celebration of Life” was held Sunday, August 28, 2016, at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.Share a memory or condolence at www.graceFH.com.
From Bonnie Insko's
Celebration of life service.
Bonnie Insko. A wife, a
mother, a grandmother, a friend, an animal lover, a champion of causes, a heart
of gold and the Queen of her family. Those are some of the titles her family
gave to her as they pondered over her life. But as the stories of Bonnie’s life
unfold, it will be the stories of love and laughter, kindness, selflessness,
and grace that will remain in their hearts. She was the Queen. She held
everything together. She took care of her household, her family and all the
critters that come with living on a farm and raising three kids. Bonnie never
gave up – if she believed in something or someone she stood by them and fought
for them. If someone needed her help – she would do whatever she could. She
would read medical books, consult veterinary manuals and learn whatever it took
to help anyone or anything in need. Until the very end – she waited for each of
her friends and family to come so they could have the comfort of saying their
last good bye. She saw her Great Granddaughter for the first time and made a
video that will be cherished. She waited for Sheri Connell and Linda Venucci – some
of her very best friends, to come and say their goodbyes because she wanted to
hear their voices one last time. She held each person’s hand, or gave them a
thumbs up to acknowledge their presence with grace and love. She stayed in the
game until she decided it was time to go.
Bonnie Christine Nelson.
One week before her 17th
birthday – met Delmer Myron Insko, and they became husband and wife. He was
only 19 and as Del said it – they were just two dumb farm kids. Those two dumb
kids raised a family, ran a farm and stayed together for 65 years. It was
complicated they said - but she never gave up. She stayed on that farm, she
raised his children, she supported his career back and forth to New York, and
she loved him for a life time. It is through complications that love grows. Del
sat by her side, supporting
her, giving her comfort, and holding her as she made her the passage from her
life on the farm to her eternal life in heaven just as he had promised to do a
lifetime ago. Til death do us part. There’s nothing complicated about that.
There was nothing dumb about those two young farm kids.
With young boys – come
critters. They said Bonnie welcomed all kinds, any kind, and if she had a gift
for selflessness, it surely became apparent when her first born brought home a
baby crow. Most people wouldn’t know where to start at raising a bird. – Not
Bonnie. She ripped out the manuals and figured out how to feed a baby crow. One
of Ole’s favorite memories was of raising that baby bird by hand with his
mother. They would poke bread down its throat and soften it with water. The
baby crow survived and soon became a part of the family. They named it Crowder.
Crowder followed Bonnie around the farm. When she dug in the garden she gave
Crowder the worms. Crowder had a favorite pastime though, He would wait until
Bonnie hung the wash on the line to dry. Then he would fly down and pluck the
clothespins off the line and watch the laundry hit the ground - then laugh as
only a crow can laugh.
Crowder once came home
with a dead mouse in his beak. Bonnie was horrified that the mouse was
poisoned. Her solution – typical of any mother - was to wash his mouth out with
soap.
And as all kids do –
Crowder survived.
She loved her animals.
One of her favorites was SAM. Sam was a wire haired crazy looking griffin. Sam
– well – Samantha - loved to run the farm and get into any kind of smelly thing
she could find. But whatever it was - it didn’t matter when Bonnie called. She
didn’t call like a normal person would call their dog - SAM was a ranch hand,
and when Bonnie wanted SAM to come to the house – she would get on that loud
speaker and call – SAM, Come to the house –Just like the other ranch hands, SAM
would stop whatever she was doing and make a run for the house. Sam – the
stinky dog that she was, got a bath every night -- and before going to bed -
was sprayed with Charlie Perfume so she could smell nice and enjoy the good
life.
Bonnie and Sam would go
out to the barns together every two hours through the night as she would check
and care for a mother horse about to deliver. It was Bonnie that made sure that
all was going well and be there until the foal was delivered and healthy.
Bonnie was resourceful
and frugal. You would often see pods of fry pans that she picked up at rummage
sales – filled with water and set out all over the yard for bird baths and for
critters that needed water or a cool respite. The animals were her family and
she took care of all of them with humbleness and love.
Bonnie’s kids said their
mom never really got mad. She would show disappointment but through that
disappointment, she taught them to learn and become better people out of every
situation. I’m not really sure how that applied to the time she allowed Christy
to play at their good wooden desk. The last thing she said was DONT YOU DARE
TOUCH THAT INK. Well—What do you that happens when you tell a 5 year old not
touch things? When Christy got a little too quiet for Bonnies liking - Christy
heard her mom stomping up the stairs to see what was going on. She had to
quickly clean up the ink that SOME HOW spilled in the desk drawer. She threw
the towels under the white bedspread but when that didn’t work she had no
choice but to hide under the bed and hold on for dear life as her mom – the one who didn’t get angry
–dragged her out from under the bed . Christy admitted that didn’t turn out so
well. – but - with their mom they always knew they would be forgiven
unconditionally. Once the incident was over – it was forgotten just as it was
with everyone she encountered. That was their mom.
To Tommy, living on a
farm - and being much younger than his siblings – was a bit of a struggle.
There weren’t a lot of friends to play with. SO his mom stepped in. She became
his side kick and best friend. If he was interested in something – it became
her interest. If he wanted to golf she went golfing, if he wanted to fish – she
took him fishing. Tommy always admired his moms perseverance. On one of their
fishing trips, a snake decided to join them. Fear is the usual response to a
snake but not for Bonnie. Bonnie picked up a stick and wacked at that snake
until she thought she chased it away.
Well it soon became a battle of wills. They were near a nest and that snake was
protecting her babies. Bonnie was just as stubborn and nothing was going to
spoil her day with her son. She wacked at that snake until she won. She wasn’t
going to let anything get in her way. I am sure –Tommy - being a young boy,
thought it was great fun to whack at snakes with his mom. I don’t know many
moms who would outlast a mama snake. Bonnie did and Tommy got a memory to
cherish.
Bonnie was stubborn,
persevering and strong but If she had any weaknesses it was for her
grandchildren. She loved nothing more than being there and being a grandmother
to Jackie, Erick, Andrew and Aaron. She was never happier than when the kids
were running through the house crashing upstairs and downstairs as little kids
do. The kids wanted for nothing from their grandmother – if ever there was a
need she was there to fill it. Her greatest wish was for them to be kids and do
what kids do.
Bonnie fought the good
fight. Life wasn’t always easy for her. She grew up during the depression and
often the only food they had to eat was the Bullfish she caught when she went
fishing as a small child. Living on a farm wasn’t always easy. She worked hard,
she raised her kids, she helped her husband and took care of the household when
he commuted between New York and home. She also took care of her parents. They
too lived on the farm. Bonnie was there for them as they aged and passed
through their golden -and perhaps not so golden years. She WAS the Queen of her
household and she fought and cared for all of them as they struggled through
life’s challenges. She loved, she laughed, she cried, and she fought for what
was right and what she believed in. It was her choice in the end – to not fall
prey to the debilitating effects of medical intervention. She lived and died as she chose.
The Apostle Paul, who
taught the healing power of forgiveness after living a life of judging and
persecuting the followers of Jesus, wrote this from his jail cell as he awaited
execution: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the
time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight. I have finished
the race. I have kept the faith.
Christy Sang Jesus loves
me – by her mother’s bedside.
One of Bonnie’s final
gestures was to raise her arm and acknowledged that she too had fought the good
fight.
Bonnie - My Good and
Faithful Servant, You have fought
the good fight like no other.
