Bonnie Lenore (Thompson) Staples

Bonnie Lenore Staples, 83, of Idaho Falls, passed away December 13, 2023, in her home. She was under the care of BRiO Hospice. She was surrounded by her loved ones at the end.

She was born November 17, 1940, in St. George, Utah, to Elva and Judd Thompson. For the first few years of her life, she lived in St. George, Utah; Cedar City, Utah; and Las Vegas, Nevada, where her father worked as a police officer and helped build the Hoover Dam.

When she was in the second grade, she and her family moved to Idaho Falls.

From an early age, she was a gifted storyteller. She enjoyed telling the neighborhood kids stories, and her grandmother greatly influenced her life and particularly influenced her love of storytelling.

When she was a teenager, she enjoyed going to baseball games with her dad.

She met her lifelong best friend Elaine Simmons as a child. They were roommates in college and remained friends until Bonnie passed.

Bonnie attended O.E. Bell Junior High School and graduated from Idaho Falls High School. She was on the honor roll throughout school. She enjoyed drama classes and performing.

Bonnie attended two years of Ricks College and went on a stake mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She married Don Staples August 16, 1962, in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They met in their church ward and later married. They had two daughters, Ronda Palmer and Wendy Staples.

Bonnie held various callings in her church, including as an LDS mutual president, and later served in the library with her mother for over 30 years.

She was a homemaker her whole married life and enjoyed painting, knitting, telling her family stories, loved beautiful music, and her favorite movies were musicals. Bonnie always enjoyed nature and taught her daughters a love of nature as well. She always had pets in her home too.

Her longest-lived cat is Puffy, at 20. Her cats Puffy and Midnight were with her when she passed.

She was preceded in death by her father Judd Thompson, mother Elva Thompson, brothers Dallas Thompson and Daryl Thompson, and husband Don Staples.

Bonnie was survived in death by her daughter Ronda Palmer, daughter Wendy Staples, her son-in-law Joe Palmer, and her granddaughter Victoria Palmer.

There will be a private service 1 p.m. December 19, 2023, at Rose Hill Cemetery.