Dr. Bonnita "Bonnie" Peterson, age 85, passed away Sunday, February 6, 2022. She was born January 29, 1937 in Redfield, South Dakota to Leslie and Darleen Peterson.

Because her father had worked for The American Red Cross, Bonnie spent her childhood in many different locations including Texas, Michigan, Germany, and evenutally Illinois. Bonnie graduated from The University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959. She continued her studies and obtained a Masters Degree in 1960 and a Doctorate in 1978. Bonnie was passionate about music. She taught music in various Wheaton area schools until her retirement in October 2003 from Wiesbrook Elementary.  She will always be remembered for the many musicals she organized and conducted. Bonnie lived in Wheaton until 2015 when she moved to Meadowbrook Manor in Naperville. Even later on in life, she was always intentional about keeping music around her.  In the nursing home, she loved to play the piano and sing for her fellow residents.  She loved to play the military tunes and would always receive many wonderful responses.

Bonnie was mentioned Daily Herald on April 7, 1998:
Notice anything different about your kids last month? More humming? More dancing? Just plain more musical? Well, don't be alarmed. It would just make sense if they were. March was, after all, Music In Our Schools Month. As if you didn't know. Teachers from all over DuPage County helped students learn more about music through a variety of ways. At Emerson, Lowell and Wiesbrook elementary schools in Wheaton, teachers passed out stickers, had students write essays about music and had children give piano solos to their classmates as part of the month's events. Bonnie Peterson, who headed up the programs in Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200, said children need to be exposed to music, because it's part of their culture. "It's important that students see the focus on music, nationally, and that the community becomes more informed as to the place of music and the arts in the lives of their children," Peterson said. As part of that, some students participated in the World's Largest Concert, a live program held last month on PBS.

She is survived by her many cousins and was preceded in death by her parents.

A visitation will be held at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, Illinois, on Thursday, February 17, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. A livestream and recording of the service will be available through this link: Bonnie Peterson's Funeral Service . Interment will follow at Wheaton Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the American Red Cross , PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.