Doris Enola Elleman Bonham

Doris Enola Elleman (Grover) Bonham, 87, passed away Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at Bellevue Health and Rehabilitation in Oklahoma City, OK following a fall in her home Friday, May 20, 2022.Born October 28, 1934, in Colorado the youngest of four daughters to Wallace Maxwell and Thelma E. (White) Elleman, Doris lived in Woodland Park and Colorado Springs. She attended high school at Haviland Boarding School in Kansas, where she met future husband John E. Grover. They married in 1951 and had four daughters. They pastored Friends churches in Independence and Wichita, KS from 1957 through 1967. As soon as the youngest daughter was in kindergarten, Doris began her coursework at Friends University, and graduated first in her class in 1969. She began her 22-year teaching career in 1969 and taught kindergarten through third grade while she worked towards her Master's degree in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1979. With her Master's Degree she became a primary grade reading specialist in Del City public schools. After her marriage ended, she met and married Hillery Bonham. They were married from 1970 until his death in 2009. They met at Kotche's Ballroom of Oklahoma City where Hillery taught her to ballroom dance. As a child, she loved choreographing little routines and performing for her friends on the playground.Through her partnership with Hillery, Doris got to experience travel through the U.S., a race car driving club, and a close-knit RV club. She was an active member of the Midwest City, OK, Azalea Flower Club and donated many crocheted items and her famous peanut brittle to their fund-raising projects. After her retirement, she donated her time and energy to the OKC Food Pantry, and the tutoring program administered by the Mayflower United Church of Christ. She was a kind, sweet, modest, caring, loving, thinking, intelligent woman and mother, well-loved by friends and family alike. She was preceded in death by her parents, young sister Mary Evelyn, and in 2020 sister Helen Irene Elleman; brother-in-law J.M. Pitts; and nephew Don Pitts. She is survived by sister Jeanne Pitts of Hesston, KS, her nephew Ken Pitts and family of Portland, OR, and niece Pam Chambers and family of Wichita, KS; daughter Deborah Grover Rosebery Cullum and husband Daniel of Turpin, OK, and granddaughter Erica Rosebery and family, and granddaughter Rachel Rosebery and family, and grandson John M. Rosebery and family; daughter Jennifer Grover Tucker and husband Ralph of Oklahoma City; daughter Jonnalyn Grover and partner Philip Hansen of Santa Fe, NM, and granddaughters Maya McGraw and Asia Gifford and families of GA; daughter Deanne Grover and husband Terry Gill of Niwot, CO, and grandson Caleb Gill and family, and grandson Zennon Gill and partner of CO; and ten great-grandchildren.The family wishes to express their appreciation to life-long friend Jim Perkins, and her caring community of neighbors over the last 10 years.Donations may be made in Doris' memory to Friends University, 2100 West University Ave., Wichita KS, 67213.