Bonnie Rose (Benson) Sheaffer, 78, was joyously reunited in Heaven, Sunday, June 12, 2011, with her husband, Dr. Daniel T. Sheaffer and many thousands of souls who came to know Jesus Christ through their amazing 60-year ministry together around the world.
Bonnie was born September 28, 1932, in Oklahoma City, OK, to Bill and Rosie Lee (Hardin) Benson and attended Jackson Jr. High, Capitol Hill High School, and graduated form Oklahoma City Southwestern Pentecostal Holiness
College. Later she received her doctorate from Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, TX, for her life-long ministry accomplishments and support of Christian higher education.
In school, Bonnie played the clarinet, and was a Majorette, Band Queen, and Homecoming Queen. She worked for Tom's Peanut Factory filling peanut sacks, and in the accounting department of Virginia Dare clothing store.
Bonnie met her true love and lifelong partner, Daniel T. Sheaffer, when they were both late for chapel on the fist day of school at OKC Southwestern (now Southwestern Christian University). They married in 1950, and began their lives together in a one-room apartment. While Dan preached and attended college, Bonnie worked at what was called a "man's job" for several years to support the family at Schick Electric Company, repairing electric shavers.
After Dan graduated from college, they pursued a very successful nationwide evangelistic minsitry. They also pastored churches in Ponca City, Ada, and Miami, Oklahoma, and Honollulu, Hawaii.
Bonnie, an ordained minister of the Gospel, was gifted and talented in music, and played the piano in all their revivals and in the churches they pastored.
After their two children became old enough, she always insisted that the whole family practice music every day. For many years the family played and sang backup for Dan in his ministry and recorded several albums.
Bonnie was a talented seamstress and sewed most of her clothes, those of her children, and even suits for Dan.
In 1969, Dan and Bonnie became pastors of OKC First Assembly of God (renamed Crossroads Cathedral in 1979), and built it into one of the first, and largest mega-churches in the Assemblies of God.
Bonnie started a singing group called the "Sweet Inspirations" in 1977, and they ministered in very church service and in many overseas crusades.
Pastor Sheaffer and Bonnie hosted the popular Trinity Broadcasting Network program,
"The Answer," for 21 years and were frequent hosts and guests on TBN's "Praise the Lord" program.
In 1964, Pastor Sheaffer and Bonnie began their extraordinary leadership in missionary work overseas. Bonnie faithfully traveled with Dan to many remote and primitive African and South American villages to spread the Gospel. To help fund the costs of missionary trips, they began building homes. Bonnie would decorate these houses, do the painting, and sew all the draperies. She became well-known for her "Austrian Drapes."
The Sheaffers founded and built churches in Liberia, Kenya, South Africa, Paraguay,
Columbia, Jamaica, Chile, Malawi, Burundi and others, as well as a Bible school in Malawi.
After stepping down from Crossroads Cathedral in 2007, Dan and Bonnie soon tired of retirement and founded Harvest Assembly of God Church in Oklahoma City.
Bonnie will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother whose legacy will live on in the hearts she touched. Although we will deeply miss her presence here on earth, we rejoice in knowing she is now with Jesus and many loved ones.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 60 years, Dr. Daniel T. Sheaffer; sister Nadine Wilkerson; and brother, Bill Benson. She leaves behind a daughter, Terri and husband, Gary King; son, Mike and wife, Starla; 5 grandchildren; 6 great, grand children; brothers: Paul Benson and wife Martha Jo; and Larry Benson and wife, Dallas; and countless other loving family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either worldwide missionary vision in perpetuity: Harvest Ministries, or Discipling the Nations, c/o Harvest A/G, P. O. Box 892345, OKC 73189.
Viewing will be Saturday, June 18, 4-8 p. m., and Sunday, June 19, 12-8 p. m. at Vondel Smith Mortuary at South Lakes, with the family greeting friends from 3-5 p. m. Sunday, June 19.
Services to celebrate her life will be 10 a. m., Monday, June 20, 2011, at Harvest
Assembly of God Church, 4019 S. Pennsylvania. Interment will follow at Resthaven.
Please visit www.vondelsmithmortuary.com to leave condolences for the family.
[Editor's comment: I typed this obituary or composed this text from a printed obituary in the newspaper. I am indebted to Verne Murr for sending this obituary via an e-mail photo copy of the newspaper obituary. I must confess that I knew Daniel and Bonnie Sheaffer at a distance only. However, their lives and ministries affected my life while I was president of Southwestern College, which is named Southwestern Christian University today. I am grateful to God for allowing Melvine and me, and Greg and Stephanie to live in Oklahoma City. We really loved the city and are so thankful for the many friends we have made in that city and in the West in particular.]
Posted on
Sat, June 18, 2011
by Hugh Morgan