Bonnie Mae McCoy Bowyer, 78, wife of the late Reverend John F. Bowyer, died peacefully on November 29, 2013 at Evanston Hospital, Evanston, Illinois.

Born in Given, West Virginia on January 9, 1935 to the Reverend Roy and Hazel McCoy, Bonnie graduated from Philippi High School in 1953 and later received her BS Degree in Home Economics and Social Work from West Virginia State College. She worked for the WV State Health Department from 1963 to 1970 when she met and married John in Huntington, WV. Adopting John's three sons from his first marriage - David, Donald and Andy - they formed an immediate nuclear family and focused on expanding their extended family through the multiple churches John served until retirement.

Very active in the mission work of the United Methodist Church, she travelled multiple times with John to Africa to tour and review mission projects. Their love of travel ultimately took them to five continents, including multiple visits to Israel, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Asia, Brazil and multiple countries in Western Europe.

Bonnie lived in many parts of WV throughout her life, including Philippi, Point Pleasant, Ripley and Huntington. In 1994, Bonnie and John retired to Cross Lanes, WV, where they had previously lived for eight years and became very active in the Cross Lanes United Methodist Church.

Following John's death, Bonnie courageously moved to Glenview, IL in June, 2013 to be near one of her sons and four of her nine grandchildren. She joined Glenview United Methodist Church where she became active in several groups.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband, the Reverend John F. Bowyer; her parents, the Reverend Roy and Hazel McCoy; and her sister, Donna Marie McCoy Mullin.

She is survived by her sons, David Thomas Bowyer of Prestonburg, KY, Donald William Bowyer and his wife, Donna, of Jonesboro, AR, and Andrew Carlton Bowyer and his wife, Kate, of Northfield, IL; grandchildren Catherine Bowyer, Sara (Randy) Smith, Christopher Bowyer, April (Nick) White, Kristal Lamb, Andrew C. Bowyer, Jr., Charles Bowyer, George Bowyer, and Catherine Grace Bowyer; great-grandchildren Tristan Bowyer, Jordyn Bowyer Smith, Jaxon Smith and Zachary White; niece Debra Dawn (Jim) Mullin Peregrin; and nephew Jeffrey (Chris) Mullin.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 11:00AM at Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, Cross Lanes, with Bishop William Boyd Grove, Reverend Gary Nelson and Reverend Grace Imathiu officiating. Interment will follow in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens, Cross Lanes.

Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the church and are invited to a luncheon at the church following the services, hosted by the Cross Lanes United Methodist Women.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bonnie's honor to Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, 5320 Frontier Dr., Cross Lanes, WV, 25313.

Arrangements are in care of Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.