Obituary - Bonita Lucille (Young) Griggs

Bonita Lucille (Young) Griggs, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend went with God on Saturday, September 1, 2018. Surrounded by her family, Bonita joined her son J.D. and grandson Jaden in heaven, after a quick battle with pancreatic cancer.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, September 6, 2018, 2:00 p.m., at First Lutheran Church in Havre, Montana. Sweet treats and coffee will be served in the fellowship hall immediately following the interment at Highland Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers we ask memorials be sent to the First Lutheran Church Radio Broadcast Fund, P.O. Box 66, Havre, MT 59501.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Please visit Bonita's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http:/www.hollandbonine.com/.

Bonita was born to Marvin and Lucille Young (Bakke) in Kenmare, ND, on July 7, 1944, becoming the second of three children. In '48 the family moved to Conrad, MT, where Bonita was raised and attended school. Working at her folks' Tastee Freeze as a carhop, Bonita met her high school sweetheart and the love of her life for the next 60 years, Jim Griggs. They married after Bonita's graduation in July of '62. She was active in the Jaycees, making many friends and always had time for cards, dancing, camping near Lincoln, and spending time with family and friends.

Bonita moved with Jim to Pacific Grove, CA, when he was drafted in '66, and spent two years as a lawyer's secretary to make ends meet. In '68 they moved back to Conrad and began the process of adoption, meanwhile caring for Jim's second cousin Kena and Bonita's first daughter. A phone call in January of '70 made Bonita and Jim proud parents of J.D., and after they figured out how it worked, had four more children of their own, Cameron, Chamene, Vanessa and Kendall.

In 1976 they moved to Havre, opening Griggs Printing and Publishing, and Bonita became the house mom we, her kids, and the neighborhood kids always knew. She met Shiela Bender, who became her best friend. Bonita was active in her church, known for her sandbakkles, bowled every Thursday morning, made the greatest chocolate chip cookies, became the print shop's secretary and was ever involved in her kids' and extended families' lives.

She kept the Young and Duncan clans connected and updated, helping create family books of both lineages. She was ever caring of all family; sending cards, talking on the phone and traveling to visit. An untrained photographer, she has documented every moment of her family's lives, and they are ever grateful. She loved camping with the Earl and Linda Duncan clan at Tiber and Hungry Horse and was always ready for a game of May-I. Her kids were everything and when she became a grandmother she found the greatest joys in her life; spending weekends, holidays and summers surrounded by all of them. Jim was her everything, and to him she was his Pete. To us she was Mom or Grandma, and she will forever be with us.

Bonita is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Dwight Young, her son Jay Dwight Griggs, and her grandson Jaden Griggs.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Griggs; sons Cameron (Chesa Gasvoda) Griggs and Kendall (Rose) Griggs, daughters, Chamene (Cliff) Plum and Vanessa (Mark Hofer) Griggs, all of Havre; daughter-in-law Kathy Griggs (CA); grandchildren Christina Plum, Zach Plum, Kayla Griggs, Gina Griggs, Alicia Griggs, Keiana Griggs, Berlyn Griggs, Sidney Griggs, Luke Griggs, Bailey Griggs, Sadie Griggs, Faith and Dante; great-granddaughters Amelia McDonald and Elena Rivera; her brother Terry (Linda) Young of Helena; brothers-in-law Jerry (Gloria) Griggs of Conrad, Tom (Tammy) Griggs of Marysville; sisters-in-law Mary Fussell of Conrad, Audrey (Chub) Brown of Conrad and Nancy Kuster, Port Orchard, WA; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.