Bonnie Mae (Mason) Kemp

Birth: She was born around 1913 in Arkansas.  

Family Information:

Grand-daughter of Rufus Banta and Elizabeth Banta with whom she was living in 1930 at the colony.

Married colonist Harold Kemp while living in the colony.

Mother of Delores Gail Kemp.

Description:  

Pre-Colony History:  

Home in Colony: In 1930 she was living in the colony proper at New Llano, LA. According to maps, when they were living inside the colony proper, the Harold Kemp family lived four houses north of Hwy. 1211 on the east side of what is now Third St.  

Job in Colony: In May 1930 Maxine Palmer helped the Mesdames Oberleitner, Hewett, Kimball, Hardy, and Lacefield; the Misses Lois Thompson, Bonnie Mason, Florence Case and Rhea Mae Baldwin; and the Messrs. Petersen, Wichman and DeBoer serve dinner under the direction of Mrs. Walter Fread.

In August 1931 breakfast was served by Verda Bradshaw, Bonnie Kemp , Lucille Oberlitner and Helen Joe Daugherty.

She was part of the regular kitchen crew in October 1931 led by Anna Raicoff and including Mrs. Bonnie Kemp, Mrs. Thelma Perkins, Bea Jensen, Lucille Oberlitner, Mrs. Ruby Fread, Mrs. Bess Shipman, Mrs. Anna Shutt (sic), and Anton Kurtz who was on the pots.

In November 1932 Harold and Bonnie were part of the "Newllano Expeditionary Force" sent to operate the satellite colony at Gila, New Mexico.  

Other Info:

Post-Colony History:  

Death: She died in 2005 in Las Cruces, New Mexico and was buried in Gila, New Mexico.  

Sources: US Census: 1930; Ancestry.com; "Llano Colonist": May 3, 1930, May 17, 1930, August 15, 1931, October 17, 1931, November 19, 1932, December 10, 1932; Photo Archives