The Minor Family of Somerset

John William Bonnell. He married a Salvation Army officer poste
d in Lamalinein the 20's. they had one child, Ina, tucked in h
er crib when the tidal Wave struck on Nov 18 1929. Fortunatel
y they lived on the North Side of Lamaline and were unhurt. H
e moved his family to St John's and spent many years asa car sa
lesman. He was always fascinated about his roots and spent man
y happy Days on retirement in the Colonial Building with his fri
end, George BoltCake, scribbling happily. I moved to St John'
s in the fall of 1983 and visited the Colonial Building also. T
here I saw JWB just as he looked in a TV commentary about geneal
ogy. His enthusiasm had lut up the screen. I introducedmysel
f and he endeared himself by saying he could see my late grandmo
therLeah Crews' features in my face. He 'recruited' me into th
e then new Newfoundland Genealogy Society.
We met many times at my home and he would always makean appoint
ment. He would bring a pillowcase full of notebooks which we sp
read out on the dining room table and dig in. We were always su
rprised whenwe glanced at the clock or my young daughters woul
d interrupt to tell us goodnight. But what interesting storie
s he could tell about the families of Lamaline.
One snowy night in April 1985, I waited and waited but he neve
r came.Next morning I picked up the paper to find he had died
. His sister tried toreach me before I saw the paper but the
y did not know my married name underwhich the telephone was lis
ted. He had gone out to clean the snow off the car and came bac
k to the porch, where his daughter, Ina, and R.N. found him.
He had been preparing a talk for the Society about Lamaline fami
lies and I wasexcited about it. He had even borrowed a fold-u
p pointer from his son, Edsel, and carried it around with him
. We had our meeting on the scheduled nightand talked about Jo
hn. No one could give his talk because he had not written dow
n anything for that evening. But his charts have gone to many a
nd his corresPondents were legion.
So Joh, I know you are not surprised to be on the Internet. Yo
u would just smile as if you always knew you would be. Be seein
g you. Violet. Sep 9, 2000
Hi Jerry
John William Bonnell, I met him inSt. John's when I visited the
re in 1983, a nephew or grandson had started doing the genealog
y when he was in college in St. John's and turned it over to Joh
n to finish when he moved to the Western part of Canada. John t
ook me inhand and guided me around St. John's showing me wher
e to do research and took me to the Salvation Army Cem. and show
ed me the grave sites of some of my grandfather's friends. Joh
n was a good friend and fellow Church member of myaunt Violet
. He told me that he had gone to Detroit, Mich. in the 1920's t
o work in the auto industry and then returned home. He had at l
east one sonname Edsel Bonnell who at that time was a well know
n member of the SalvationArmy Band in St. John's I wish I coul
d tell you more about him but that is all I know. Perhaps Jud
y Foote can tell you more she has done a lot of research. Regar
ds. George Sweet Sep 11 2000