Bonnie Marie Ebsen was born on March 23, 1938, in Gordon, Nebraska, the eldest child of Fred and Mildred Kruger. When she was about five, her parents purchased a ranch near Crookston, Nebraska, where Bonnie grew up alongside her two younger sisters and brother. That old ranch house became the place that built her, filled with some of her fondest childhood memories.

At fourteen, during a Fourth of July party, she went snipe hunting and met a boy who would become the love of her life and future husband, Jay Richard Ebsen. Together, Jay and Bonnie raised three children, building a life rooted in family, faith, and the outdoors. Hunting and fishing trips became a cherished family tradition, creating countless memories. Bonnie was devoted to her family through every season of life, her love spanning across generations. Though she endured deep losses—her husband, two of her children, and her siblings preceded her in death—her unwavering faith in God gave her strength and guided the way she loved, lived, and persevered.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Mildred Kruger; her siblings, Shirley Ilene McQuaid, Betty Jean Kruger, and Leonard Charles Kruger; her beloved husband, Jay Richard Ebsen; her son, Christopher Allen Ebsen; and her daughter, Debra Jean McMillen.

She is survived by her daughter, Heidi Marie Ebsen; her nephew, Randy Dean Kruger, along with his children Amber Kruger, Charles "Chuck" Kruger, Robert "Bob" Kruger, Jordan Kruger, and Johnny Kruger. Bonnie's legacy also lives on through her grandchildren—Marie Annette Carrico, Christina Rose Beers, Nowen Jones Ebsen, and Carmen Sr're Marie Atwood (Ebsen)—as well as her great-grandchildren, Preston Regene Carrico, Alysa Rose Federico, Avery James Beers, Aniah Renee Hilton, Amauni Keith Johnson, Isaiah Christopher "the Don" Johnson, and Cassius Dean Johnson.

Bonnie's life was one defined by love, faith, and family. She will be remembered for the strength of her spirit, the warmth of her heart, and her very admirable baking skills!