Bonnie Geradine Ratliff Fraker

Bonnie Geradine Ratliff Fraker, 93, passed away peacefully at home, April 12, 2019. She was born December 24, 1925 in Solomonville.

At the age of 15 she married Richard Burnett Fraker, when they eloped to Lordsberg, New Mexico on October 26, 1941. He was 19 and to hear them tell it, they had enough money for two hot dogs after the ceremony to eat on the drive back to Willcox, where they both resided. Shortly thereafter, Richard joined the Army Air Corp as World War II was being waged in Europe and Russia. Bonnie followed him to Boston and Georgia where he was training to be a fighter pilot. At 15 she was riding the train across country to be with him and finding rooms in boarding houses and working as a waitress. When the war ended Bonnie and Richard moved back to Willcox where they operated a dairy farm on 160 acres about five miles out of town and raised registered quarter horses. In their spare time, Bonnie and Richard loved to go camping, fishing and hunting. They delivered milk to grocery stores and restaurants in Willcox, Bowie and San Simon.

In 1981 Bonnie and Richard moved to Eagar. Bonnie was employed at the US Forest Service in Springerville until her retirement in October 1988. Richard preceded Bonnie in death in 1983 and she never re-married, as he was her one true love.

For the past 4 years, Bonnie lived with her daughter, Carolyn Sue in Glendale.

Bonnie is survived by her children, Sharon (Henry) Diaz, Carolyn Wild, Rusty Fraker (Cheri Lewis), Shaddo (Andi) Fraker, sister, Bobbi Wycoff, Tampa, Florida; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband and brothers, Ira Ratliff and Lee Roy Ratliff.

She was a woman of determination and strength of character and will be dearly missed.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the Eagar Cemetery.