Bessie Inetta Ronat

Bessie Inetta Ronat, 99, of Watonga, Oklahoma departed this life on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at Corn, Oklahoma. She was born December 23, 1922, at Caney, Oklahoma to Henry Duncan and Flora May (Smith) Reeves.

Bessie graduated at Tushka High School with the class of 1941 containing only six students. Bessie served her country during World War II in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged in 1946. After the War Bessie enjoyed life and traveled to all the 48 states. She also helped take care of several of her nieces and younger sister Flora. She married Frank Alva Ronat on February 8, 1964 at St. Louis, Missouri. She worked for many years as a computer specialist for the Federal Dept. of Transportation. After she and Frank Both retired from the DOT they made their home in Greenville where they both enjoyed flying together. After they got older, they sold their plane and bought a sailboat that they enjoyed for several years. After Frank passed, she moved to Watonga. Once in Watonga, while she was able, she did some more traveling visiting many of her sisters and brothers and even took a cruise to Alaska. She also enjoyed spending time on the computer spending a lot of time doing genealogy and of course she also loved playing solitaire.

Bessie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Frank Ronat; sisters Wanita Sankey, Mary Rains and Flora Raab; brothers Jack Reeves, Tom Reeves and Wilburn Reeves. Survivors include two sisters, Loretta Haney and Edna Rader; two brothers, Eugene Reeves and wife Loretta and Walter Reeves and wife Pauline; and many nieces and nephews.

Graveside services with military honors will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 7, 2022 in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Greenville, Illinois. The family welcomes family and friends to gather Saturday from 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. at the Donnell - Wiegand Funeral Home, 203 West Oak Street, Greenville, Illinois 62246 and will go out in a funeral procession to the cemetery. A brief military service will be held at the funeral home, and streamed online on the Donnell - Wiegand Funeral Homes facebook page www.facebook.com/donnellwiegand Graveside services will be recorded and posted later honoring Bessie.