Bonita "Bonnie J. Paustian

Bonita “Bonnie” J. Paustian, 91, of Berrien Springs, Michigan, burst into heaven on August 2, 2026, singing “How Great Thou Art” to her God and Savior, Jesus Christ. She was born on April 17, 1935, in Duluth, Minnesota, and came to Berrien Springs at the age of eight, where she made her home for the rest of her life.

It was at a Berrien Springs High School basketball game that Bonnie met Earl Paustian, the man who would become her husband of 56 years. When the old high school building was later torn down, Earl purchased the very bleacher where the two of them had sat that night. Bonnie was a gifted soprano who loved singing in the church choir, around the house, and in vocal competitions in her younger years.

Bonnie built a long and distinguished career in nursing. She earned her Registered Nurse license by examination in both Indiana and Michigan, was a Graduate Nurse by diploma from Mercy Hospital in Benton Harbor, and went on to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Services from Columbia Pacific University. She held nursing positions at Berrien General Hospital, Memorial Hospital in St. Joseph, Mercy Hospital, the Buchanan Family Medical Clinic, MEDCO-Manor Nursing Home, the Berrien County Juvenile Center, and Presbyterian Camps in Saugatuck. She went on to become a Certified School Nurse and served as Supervisor of Health Services for both Berrien Springs Public Schools and Buchanan Community Schools, and later ran her own School Nurse Consultant Services and worked as an OSHA/MIOSHA trainer for schools and businesses throughout the region.

Of all her work, Bonnie's favorite job was caring for the children of the Berrien Springs Schools as a School Nurse for 20 years. Her dedication to the field earned her wide recognition

throughout her career:

• Recognition as one of the Top Five Nationally Certified School Nurses

• Named as one of Michigan’s Top Ten Nurses

• Michigan School Nurse of the Year

• Nomination as National School Nurse of the Year

• Participant, People to People Health Study in the People’s Republic of China

• Golden Nugget Award for Outstanding Service to Youth and Education

• Presidential Award for dedicated service to MASN and its Board of Directors

• Regional Award for publication of a First Aid Flip Chart

• Certificate of Excellence, Berrien Springs Board of Education

• Published in Who’s Who in Medicine and Health Care

• Kiwanis Club Award

• Resolution of Honor, Berrien Springs Board of Education

• Certificate of Honor, American Heart Association

• Excellence in Education pin

• Certificates of Appreciation from MASN, the Berrien County Program for Hearing

Impaired, and the Optimist Club

Beyond her clinical work, Bonnie served on the Michigan Association of School Nurses (MASN) Board of Directors and as an elected representative to the NASN Board of Directors, chaired MASN’s nominating committee, and authored its public relations program. She was published in The American Journal of School Health, lectured at the Southwest Regional Diabetes Seminar in Kalamazoo, authored a health handbook for pre-school and kindergarten parents, and produced an original slide program, The Michigan School Nurse. She served as President of the Berrien Springs Civic League, which later named her Woman of the Year, and gave her time to the Lakeland Community Benefits Committee and the Berrien Community Foundation for Healthful Living Committee.

At home, Bonnie and Earl were host parents to two German exchange students and summer hosts to six more. She loved writing, producing, and performing musical programs for family reunions and community events, and she was a voracious reader to the end. 

Those who knew her will remember her as loving, kind, and gentle. Her life was a testament to the power of soft-spoken words and tender acts, a legacy that will continue to inspire and comfort her family and all who had the privilege of knowing her. She lived a life rich with love, leaving behind a legacy of gentleness and generosity that will be cherished by all who knew her and will live on in the loved ones she left behind. May her memory be a blessing, and may we all remember her compassion, generosity, and joy. She was loved by so many, and she will truly be missed.

Bonnie is survived by four of her daughters: Lori (Jan) DeWitt of Kalamazoo, MI; Leisa Paustian (Dan LaCourt) of Watervliet, MI; Jodi (Tom) Fisher of Berrien Center, MI; Jena Paustian Johnson of Niles, MI.

She is also survived by her son-in-law Jim Weinfurther of Farmington, MI and her grandchildren, Kyle (Caroline) Weinfurther, Caitlin (Jason) Arsenault, Connor DeWitt, Emileigh (Bradley) Tindall, Mallory Cabe, Grace (Nathan) Shinault, and Andrew (Lynnae) Fisher, and by 14 great-grandchildren.

“My beautiful, loving, caring daughters and their families are my greatest joy and legacy. I eagerly anticipate being in the presence of my Lord and Savior and in reunion with my beloved husband, daughter and mother.”

She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, E. Earl Paustian; her daughter, Caprice A. Paustian-Weinfurther; her

mother, Olga Spaulding; and her brother, Theodore Herald Elmer Oliver.

A private burial service was held at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Allred Funeral Home. Friends and family are invited to visit the funeral home’s website to leave notes and condolences for the family.