BONITA ALEEN STRONG

Bonita Aleen Strong

Bonita Aleen (Parks) Strong, left on her heavenly journey on September 24, 2021, at the age of 89. Bonita “Beets” was born on May 18, 1932 in Merriweather, Michigan to Clarence Donald “Don” Parks and Beulah Adeline Hovland.

In May 1935, at the age of 3, Bonita and her family embarked on an historical adventure. In 1935 during the Great Depression, President Roosevelt launched a federal resettlement program called The Colony Project to remove families from relief rolls, increase populations, and provide produce for anticipated military bases. There were 105 Colony projects in the U.S, one of which was the Matanuska Valley Colony, an experimental farming community in Palmer, Alaska. Social workers selected interested families that were physically strong, mentally ambitious, possessed a rugged pioneering spirit, Nordic type for Alaskan environment, homesteading skills to clear land, build homes and barns, farming, and business sense. The Parks family was one of 203 families selected. In May1935 they traveled by train to San Francisco, on the steam ship St. Mihiel to Seward, Alaska, and then by train to Palmer. On May 24, 1935 Bonita and her family were on that train and became original colonists of Palmer, where they lived in a tent city while the colonists cleared their land and built their homes and farms. Bonita grew up on their dairy farm and attended Palmer schools. At the age of 17, Bonita met and married Harold William Strong, a New Yorker who was in the Air Force in Anchorage. They had three children: Suzan, Julie, and Harold “Chip” and were married 34 years until his death in 1983. Their life together led them to New York, where Bonita continued raising her children and attended Beautician School. In 1957 they returned to Alaska, where Bonita owned and operated Bonita’s Beauty Shop for many years. She was an avid supporter of son Chip’s love of basketball, daughter Suzan’s horse jumping addiction, and any interests of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Bonita also worked hard helping grow the Palmer 4-H Horse Program, 4-H Colony Days Horse Show, and the Alaska State Fair Horse Show. Bonita enjoyed family gatherings, board/card games, gardening, flying with Harold in his plane, boating/fishing, volunteering at the Colony House Museum & Garden, doing hair at the Pioneer Home, traveling, and studying race horse forms and betting.

Bonita was the glue that held her family together and embodied the pioneer spirit she was born with. She loved her children and grandchildren and they adored her. Her grandchildren describe her as strong, independent, adventurous, passionate in her beliefs, supportive, caring, stood up for the weak and troubled, loved deeply, affectionate, a paramount fun sense of humor, and a grandma who was wise and you could love and learn from. Bonita is survived by her daughter, Suzan Belile of Brownwood, Texas; son, Harold “Chip” Strong and wife Sharon, of Florence, Texas; grandson, Chip Morris and Melodee of Fairbanks, Alaska; grandson, Rick Morris of Prescott, Arizona; granddaughter, Amanda Andes and husband John of Florence, Texas; and grandson, Jason Strong and wife Carolina of Atlanta, Georgia; and 11 great grandchildren. Bonita was preceded in death by her husband Harold; daughter Julie; father, mother, brothers, Donald “Sonny” Parks and Dean Parks; sisters, Carol “Ginger” Parks and Audrey McCracken, and nephew, Tracy Dean McCracken. A Visitation will be held on Friday, October 1st, at 11 am for 1 hour. She will be buried at Palmer Pioneer Cemetery with a private family service. Arrangements entrusted to Legacy Funeral Home, Wasilla Heritage Chapel