BROOKLINE,
VT -
Bonnie
McCullen
Ellison
of
Brookline,
VT,
died
unexpectedly
of
Septic
Shock
on
October
3,
2001
in
ICU
at
Dartmouth
Hitchcock
Medical
Center,
New
Hampshire
where
she
was
helicoptered
from
a
small
hospital
near
her
home.
She
was
45
years
old.
Born
on
December
29,
1955
at
Mary
McClellan
Hospital,
Cambridge,
NY,
Bonnie
was
the
daughter
of
Frank
and
Yvonne
McCullen
in
Cambridge,
New
York.
A
graduate
of
1974
@
Cambridge
Central
School,
Bonnie
continued
her
education
at
SUNY
Morrisville
in
the
field
of
Horticulture.
She
then
got
her
Bachelor
of
Arts
Degree
at
Norwich
University
of
Vermont.
Known
as
the
Pioneer
Woman,
she
lived
in
her
little
house
in
the
woods
with
her
two
sons.
Bonnie
was
proud
of
the
fact
that
she
cooked
on
her
old
woodstove,
Blue
Mama,
and
heated
her
home
solely
with
the
wood
she
chopped
herself.
Bonnie
loved
life
and
nature.
She
was
an
avid
gardener
and
was
noted
for
her
beautiful
gardens.
She
worked
as a
gardener
for
several
people
in
the
community.
Also
a
creative
writer,
poet
and
artist,
Bonnie
created
many
wonderful
works
of
art
in
many
forms.
She
was
especially
noted
for
her
poems
about
special
people
in
her
life.
One
of
those
poems
was
read
at
her
funeral
service
which
was
held
in a
little
country
church
near
her
home
on
October
13,
2001.
Bonnie
was
cremated
and
her
ashes
will
be
spread
in
her
garden
with
her
favorite
sheepdog
and
companion,
Heiffer.
Besides
her
parents,
she
leaves
behind
two
sons,
Mitch
15
and
Myles,
13,
of
Brookline,
VT;
her
husband,
Mitchell
of
Brattleboro,
VT;
two
sisters,
Betsy
McCullen
of
Greenwich,
NY
and
Beverly
Perry
and
her
husband,
Leverne,
of
Eagle
Bridge,
NY;
a
brother
Frank
McCullen
of
Granville,
NY;
one
nephew,
Bert
Perry
of
Chicopee,
MA;
two
nieces,
Adene
Karhan
of
New
Cumberland,
PA
and
Alyssa
Perry
of
Eagle
Bridge,
NY
along
with
several
relatives
and
friends.
A WINK FROM HEAVEN
A little birdie came to me
And sat upon a rock
He told me he was sent here
From geese among the flock
He stopped to tell me you're okay
That you're in Heaven's Show
Attending to the Gardens there
Whose beauty you bestow
He said you really love it
You feel so young and free
That every day is sunny
And peaceful as can be
He said you're always with me
Much nearer than I think
For if I'd look quite closely
Id see a birdie wink!
by
Betsy McCullen
4/5/2002