Born and raised in Sequim to Neva Cays Wheeler and Bill Wheeler, Bonnie is a third-generation pioneer. She has always been proud of her heritage and is very honored to be selected as a Grand Pioneer.
She grew up with her two brothers and 16 Cays cousins with reasons to gather often for birthdays, picnics at the Dungeness River and holidays. The family loved a good softball game and sometimes the adults would play too, Bonnie said, and after dark they’d play kick the can or a hiding game.
She grew up on a dairy farm on Ward Road, next to what is the Olympic Game Farm today with only five families on the road at the time — the Wards, Martins, Wheelers, Seamens and Beebes.
Bonnie belonged to 4H and showed animals at the Clallam County Fair and State Fair. For the Irrigation Festival, she participated with the drill team and carried the banner as a cheerleader for the high school band.
Her fondest memories are cheerleading for five years from junior high through high school. “Whether we were getting together to practice or make pom poms or paint posters, it was a fun time,” she said. “Riding the pep bus, going to away games or baking purple and gold cupcakes for the team. These are all fond memories.”
Bonnie graduated from Sequim High School in 1957 and went to Central Washington University where she met her husband Jerry Hagberg. They later married in 1960 and both received their teaching degrees in 1963.
With the addition of two babies, Terri and Eric, the family moved to Kirkland where Jerry taught special education in the Lake Washington School District.
Bonnie taught for two years, substituted for four years and retired to be “mom” until her children were older. Then she started her 18-year career at Boeing as a production illustrator and worked on the 747, B-2 bomber, and the 777.
She and Jerry retired in 1995 and moved back to Sequim where Bonnie said, “it felt good to be back home.”
They already owned a barn built by her uncle Ray Cays so they decided to renovate it.
“There were many sentimental memories attached to the place so it seemed the right thing to do,” Bonnie said.
They began that June and with the help of a couple of cousins, they managed to put together comfortable living quarters in the barn by November. Overall, it took about five years to complete.
“It was a labor of love and a lot of fun,” she said. “Probably the best time of our years together.”
Jerry passed away last June; he and Bonnie were married for 62 years. Bonnie has five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She enjoys playing cards, jigsaw puzzles and activities at the Sequim Prairie Grange.