OBITUARY Van Bonneau, Church of Christ Minister, Dies Richard Vanderhorst "Brother Van" Bonneau, 84, of Farmers Branch, died May 4. He was a Church of Christ minister, and lived at Dodson for many years before going to Fanners Branch in 1972. Mr. Bonneau held his first gospel service in June 1925, and from that time, held meetings from coast to coast. Mr. Bonneau was born Feb. 24, 1902, in Millsap. He attended Gunter Bible College to prepare for the Church of Christ ministry, and during the Christmas vacation in 1926, he and Erma Jameson, of Dodsonville were married at Dozier. She had also attended Gunter College and was teaching at Cove. They moved to Dodson, then Dodsonville, during the summer of 1929 and established the family home on a quarter section of land at the south edge of town. It was given to them by her parents, as a wedding gift, and they still own it. First they moved to Carrollton to be near their children, then to Farmers Branch. Meanwhile, in 1957, the family returned to Gunter for one school semester while Mr. Bonneau finished his studies at Austin College in Sherman, receiving a B.A. degree in history and English. In addition to the meetings he held across the United States. Mr. Bonneau published a book of sermons, "Gospel Meditations," in 1977. For as long as they lived in Dodson, the entire family was active in the Dodson Church of Christ and in the community. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bonneau taught in the Dodson Schools and he taught full time during World War II. In 1969 he toured the Holy Land. Mr. Bonneau has bred Partridge-Plymouth Rock chickens through the years, entering them regularly in shows across the country, winning many ribbons and trophies. His first blue ribbon was from the State Fair of Texas in 1930. The last was from that same fair in 1983. Funeral services were conducted at the Church of Christ in Dodson at 10 a.m. Wednesday with Minister Earl Cantrell of Rock Creek and Minister Truman Teel of Dill City, Oklahoma, officiating. Burial was in Dodson Cemetery under the direction of Patterson Funeral Home, Hollis. Surviving Mr. Bonneau are his wife, Erma Bonneau of Farmers Branch; one daughter, Voncile Brutz of Carrollton; three sons, Leland Bonneau, Edwin Bonneau and Edel Bonneau of Farmers Branch; and one brother, Charles of Wichita Falls. The Wellington Leader - Thursday, May 9, 1986

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