Bonnie Handke, age 85, of Atchison, KS, died Thursday, January 11, 2024, at a care facility in Overland Park, KS.
Bonne Louise Ballinger was born on August 1, 1938, in Atchison, KS, the daughter of Richard Ballinger and Mary Lou (Boyle) Ballinger. She attended St. Louis Grade School at Good Intent. She moved to Great Bend, KS, and attended high school there for one year, before returning to Atchison, where she graduated from Mount St. Scholastica Academy.
Bonnie began her employment with Southwestern Bell as an operator and she later worked for USD 409 in the food service for over twenty years until her retirement in 2001. She was an avid reader, enjoyed trips to St. Joseph, MO, to the AMC Theatre to watch movies and looked forward to meeting her friends at Memorial Hall to exercise. She loved spending as much time as she could with her grandchildren and was even lucky enough to babysit a few of them when they were little.
She was a member of St. Benedict Parish; her faith was very important to her, and she expressed that by praying a daily rosary.
Bonnie married Owen C. Handke on November 11, 1957, at Sacred Heart Church in Atchison. They shared over fifty years together before his passing on Dec. 30, 2011. She is also preceded in death by her mother, Mary Lou O’Rourke; father, Richard Ballinger; and a brother, Thomas Ballinger.
She will always be remembered by her children, Karen (Doug) Lenz of Overland Park, KS; Brian Handke of Olathe, KS; David Handke of Wichita, KS; and Douglas Handke (Mary Christian) of Lafayette, IN; her six grandchildren, Zac Lenz, Mick Lenz, Mark Lenz, Brittaney Stapleton, Dakota Handke and John Christian; and three great grandchildren.
A Parish rosary will be at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, with burial to follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Friends and family are invited for a time of visitation for one hour prior to the rosary. Memorials may be left to St. Benedict Parish in care of the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home.
