Bonnie Phillips

Bonnie Phillips passed away on Monday, February 3, 2025 at the age of 82. Services in honor of her life will be held at Crosswinds Church in Spirit Lake at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025. 

Bonnie was born November 21, 1942 in Estherville, Iowa, to Harold and Betty Schlotfeldt. Bonnie had an older sister, Diana and a younger sister, Karen whom she adored. Bonnie loved her family and enjoyed every opportunity to share stories about them and their many talents. It seems that great cooking skills ran in the family; anytime Bonnie was praised for the delicious food prepared in her kitchen, she was quick to reminisce about the culinary prowess of her mother and sister. 

After graduating from Estherville High School in 1960, Bonnie ventured to Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota. She studied there for one year before returning to Estherville to be joined in marriage with Delmar Phillips on August 6, 1961 at Calvary Baptist Church. Together, they built their life in Spirit Lake where they raised three children. 

Over the sixty plus years that Bonnie lived in Spirit Lake, she worked several jobs in addition to her dedicated roles of wife and mother. She was a nurse’s aide at Dickinson County Memorial Hospital for many years where her patients experienced her care and compassion. She was later employed at 

The Wren’s Nest, a local craft store, where she enjoyed working among friends. Bonnie also served as the janitor for her church, Crosswinds, where she worked faithfully for over 40 years, until the time of her passing. 

Bonnie’s life was marked by a spirit of gratitude; even in the midst of her health struggles, she often expressed that she was fortunate to have her mind, breath and ability to walk. She found joy in the simple things such as time spent with friends, frequent phone calls with her beloved sister and tending to the plants around her home and garden steeple. While it was one of Bonnie’s greatest expressions of care to cook for those she loved, the invitation was never intended for the deer and groundhogs to buffet on her favorite hastas! She cooked well and she cooked often, but if she tried to write a recipe down for anyone else, it just wouldn’t turn out the same – Bonnie had a knack for changing the ingredients or spices on a whim when she was in the kitchen! Even though her love was often shared in the form of food, she said it with her words, too. It will forever be a sweet treasure that just before her unexpected passing, Bonnie’s final words on this earth were to tell her daughter, Michelle, that she loved her. 

She is survived by her children, Tony (Theresa) Phillips of Buffalo Center, Iowa; Kristina Phillips of Spirit Lake, Iowa and Michelle Phillips of Spirit Lake, Iowa; granddaughters, Jessica Phillips of Des Moines, Iowa; Danielle (Mike) Hart of Estherville, Iowa and Bethany (Tyler) Allen of Estherville, Iowa; great-grandchildren, Grace & Joseph Hart and Micah Allen; sister-in-law, Ila (Hank) Spenst; brother-in-law, Howard Phillips; many nieces and nephews 

Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband, Delmar; parents; sisters, Diana Van Eman and Karen Ray; parents-in-law, Clifford and Melvina Phillips; brothers-in-law, Allen and Melvin and nephew, Monty Phillips