Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 




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Biography of Mary Goddard Bonner
   (26 Aug 1866-17 Mar 1958, buried Mexia City Cemetery)

The Mexia Weekly Herald - July 8, 1938 edition

Mrs. J. W. Bonner Comes to Texas at Age of Five
(Editors Note: This is the second of a series of short
biographies on well known Mexiaites)

BY ELAINE BLAIR
Mrs. J. W. Bonner was born in Alabama in August, 1866.  Her
grandparents were among the first white settlers in Alabama 
they bought their land from the Indians.  Her father, Dr. 
Andrew Goddard, fought in the Civil War and immediately after 
his return he brought his family to Texas.  Mrs. Bonner was then
only five months old.

Dr. Goddard and his family landed on the shores of Galveston Bay
and there they settled.  Their nearest neighbors were Sam Houston 
and his family.  Dr. Goddard founded a small school and taught 
there for 13 years.  Then, taking his family, he moved to Waco and
renewed his medical practice.

Mrs. Bonner and her brothers and sisters never attended school but
instead were taught at home by their parents.  In her childhood as 
in all her life she loved to play and have a good time.  Her youth 
was a colorful one, since it developed along with the newly developing 
state.

In 1883 she entered Baylor University.  Because of her excellent home
training, she was priviled to enter the sophomore class.  She was an 
active member of her church by that time and did a great deal of 
missionary work in the slums of Waco. In 1860 she received her diploma.

During the year 1887 she taught in the Waco public schools.  However, 
that proved to be unsatisfactory and at the end of the term she quit.

For the next three years Mrs. Bonner devoted all her energies to her 
church work and to having a god time.

In 1890 she married J. W. Bonner of Mexia.  Mr. Bonner was born and 
reared in the Bi-Stone Empire.  They were married by Dr. Burleson, 
one of the founders of Baylor University.  The young couple moved to 
Mexia and have lived here ever since.

Mrs. Bonner stated that her life's work had been her church and all 
of her teaching, lecturing and writing had just been sidelines.  She
began her church work by teaching a Sunday School class when she was 
only sixteen and has been an active worker all of her life.  Most of 
her life has been spent in teaching the youth of the church, but for 
the past four years she has been teaching a woman's Bible class.

Mr. and Mrs. Bonner have six children, all of them alive.  Three of them, 
Mrs. T. O. Laughlin, Mrs. Jeff Tucker, and A. W. Bonner, now live in Mexia.

Mrs. Bonner does not at all believe that the younger generation is going 
to the dogs.  In fact, she stated that she thought they are better 
educated not only according to books but also according to their morals.
She also stated that she thought the older people were slipping, rather 
than the youngsters.  

Simply because her hair has turned a little grey she has not stopped doing 
active civic work.  And, with a life time of fruitful service behind her, 
she said that she would stay in the harness until the day to receive her 
reward comes.