Bonnie Drilling, 79

April 5, 1945 -
September 16, 2024
 
RICEVILLE - Bonnie J. Drilling, age 79, of Riceville, Iowa, died on Monday, September 16, 2024, with family by her side at the Stacyville Community Nursing Home in Stacyville, Iowa
Funeral services for Bonnie will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24, at Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home Riceville with Student Pastor Craig Moss officiating.  Visitation will be from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.  Bonnie will be laid to rest at Saratoga Township Cemetery.
Bonnie Jean Tubbs was born on April 5, 1945, daughter of Glen and Lois (Smid) Tubbs in Waterloo, Iowa.  She graduated from North Iowa Fayette High School with the class of 1963.  After graduation, Bonnie worked for a car garage and hardware store in Alpha, Iowa.  While refilling the coffee pot in the store Bonnie was introduced to a mill worker who stopped to try and get a free cup of coffee named Kenneth Drilling.  The couple started a relationship and were married on April 20, 1968 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Waucoma, Iowa.  For many years Bonnie played the piano at the Alpha United Methodist Church.  The couple eventually bought a farm near Riceville, Iowa; where they worked side by side every day and raised their family. 
Life on the Drilling farm consisted of planting huge vegetable gardens and canning the produce, gathering eggs from the chickens, peeling carrots and snapping green beans, picking apples, and tending the piglets.  When the grandchildren came along, Bonnie enjoyed helping them name the lambs, feeding the many farm cats, playing board games (Sorry! and Checkers) and cards (Old Maid), and teaching them how to play piano.  Bonnie always had a cake tin full of cupcakes or cookies waiting for the grandchildren or company that would stop by.  She enjoyed listening to country music, writing letters to family, and reading the newspaper and magazines.  She liked attending community events like Wapsi Days and Sweet Corn Days.  Most of all Bonnie cherished her grandchildren.  She kept newspaper clippings from anything pertaining to her grandchildren's activities.
Bonnie is survived by her husband of 56 years Kenneth Drilling of Riceville, IA; 3 children LuAnn Kilts of Cedar Rapids, IA, Greg (Sheila) Drilling of Riceville, IA, and Annette (Scott) Squier of Mason City, IA; 10 grandchildren Amanda Kilts of Cedar Rapids, IA, Michael Kilts of Cedar Rapids, IA, Kyle Drilling of Des Moines, IA, Ryan Drilling of Waterloo, IA, Madison (Dominic) Dreyling of Emmons, MN, Morgan Drilling of Waterloo, IA, Marley Drilling of Riceville, IA, Kyser Sanchez of Mason City, IA, Kruz Sanchez of Mason City, IA, and Kennedi Sanchez of Humboldt, IA; 3 great grandsons Ethan Prafke, Lane Dreyling, and baby Colter Dreyling due in November; and sister Elaine (Terry) Krahn of Pine Island, MN.
She was preceded in death by her parents, son-in-law Jeffrey Kilts, and brother Gary Tubbs.
 

Cresco Times

Phone: 563-547-3601
Fax: 563-547-4602

Address:
Cresco TPD
214 N. Elm Street
Cresco, IA 52136

Sign Up For Breaking News

Stay informed on our latest news!

Manage my subscriptions

Subscribe to Breaking News feed