Bonita "Bonnie" Marion Ladd

Bonita Marion 'Bonnie' Ladd
Postmaster, dance instructor, 67
of Hammond, died Saturday, July 24, 2010, at home.

She was born March 11, 1943, in Plentywood, Mont., to Herman Melford and Edith (Louise) Lee. She attended and graduated from Plentywood schools.

In October 1961, she married Dave A. Ladd at Plentywood Lutheran Church. He survives, residing in Hammond. The couple lived in Westby, Mont., for a few years. In 1963, they moved to Oregon and lived in Hammond and Astoria. In 1967, they moved to Hammond permanently.

In 1971, Mrs. Ladd got a job at the Hammond Post Office as a clerk, and became postmaster in 1977. She retired from the postal service in 2001.

Since 1963, she was a member of First Lutheran Church in Astoria, where she taught Sunday school and Bible school and sang in the choir. She loved her church and working with children. Her most recent project, from 2003-2005, along with a crew of volunteers, was teaching an after-school singing group called the Children Ministerial Team.

She and a close friend took over a local Scandinavian folk dance class around 1973 or 1974. She continued to teach the Viking, Nordic and Scandia Dancers along with others who volunteered, including her husband, until 2004, when she had to give it up because of health reasons. In her 30 years of teaching, more than 400 dancers participated in the group.

Family members said that besides dancing, she enjoyed music, singing, oil and watercolor painting, arts and crafts and traveling. She taught herself to play guitar and took piano and violin lessons. Family and friends were an important part of her life, along with her church.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Corey and Roberta Ladd of Hammond, Steve and Laura Ladd of Battle Ground, Wash., and Kevin and Bernadeth Ladd of Warrenton; four grandchildren, MacKenzie and Justin Ladd of Battle Ground and Nathan and Amanda Ladd of Hammond; a brother, Roger Lee of Jacksonville, Fla.; a nephew, Evan Lee of Hastings, Fla.; and two nieces, Serena Eller of Green Cove Springs, Fla., and Melissa Negron of St. Augustine, Fla.

Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1 at Caldwell's Luce-Layton Mortuary in Astoria.

Burial will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2 at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton.

A celebration of life and memorial will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2 at First Lutheran Church, located at 33rd Street and Grand Avenue in Astoria. A reception will follow at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, in care of Caldwell's Luce-Layton Mortuary, 1165 Franklin Ave., Astoria, OR 97103.

An online guest book can be signed at (www.caldwellsmortuary.com).