10/17/2026
Some people leave a mark on your heart that you carry with you forever, and Popeye was certainly one of those people. ❤️
When it came time to design his casket spray, there was no question about what it needed to be — red roses, chain link fence, and his beloved old model cars. A tribute that told his story and celebrated the man he was. He always told me that when his time came, he wanted a fence post laid across the top of his casket. That was Popeye — a man who knew exactly what he wanted and wasn’t shy about telling you!
Popeye was a hard worker who believed in working hard and doing things right. He built miles and miles of fence across Mississippi and beyond. He could line up a fence just right, figure it to perfection, and make sure every post was where it belonged. He took pride in his work, and there wasn’t much he couldn’t figure out. He leaves a legacy.
Then there were his old vehicles. 🚗 He loved them in every shape, size, and color. A true passion of his, and if you knew Popeye, you knew he could have any color he wanted!
Most days, you could find him sitting on the back porch in his swing, catching a little catnap. Stop by for a back-porch visit, and chances were you wouldn’t leave empty-handed. He’d send you home with peppers, tomatoes, or whatever else he had growing that he decided you needed and don’t try to say you didn’t need it…There was no changing his mind. That was just Popeye. He’d always have a Little Debbie Cake or an Ice Cream Bar in every freezer. He was the Sunday Biscuit maker. He’d say, “There’s nothing to making Biscuits…” He loved Sam’s club more than anyone I know and if he found something on sale at Harbor Freight he wasn’t leaving without an unreasonable amount.
Overalls on 365 days of the year, with pencils and peppermint tucked away in his front pocket. Simple things that were just him. He loved deer hunting from the comfort of his camp house, and he wasn’t shy about telling you that he loved old cars and pretty women!
His utmost favorite was his loving wife- or better known as Nana to us. Two of a kind & always together.
One thing I’ll always remember is that he never failed to ask how my business was doing. He could talk to most people and would figure out where you lived & how to get there— most of the time a shortcut or a backroad you’d never heard of. He was a storyteller. An entrepreneur. A hard worker. A dreamer. A jokester. A giver. Those little conversations meant more than he probably ever knew, and I’ll always be thankful for them.
It’s funny how certain things become tied to a person. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a Jif peanut butter container—his were filled with any kind of screws, nuts or bolts—a pair of overalls, or an old car quite the same again. The little things we see every day suddenly become reminders of someone we wish we could sit and visit with just one more time.
Popeye, it was an honor to create something so personal for you — something that reflected the life you lived, the work you loved, and all the little things that made you who you were.
Rest easy, Popeye. May there be plenty of old cars, pretty women, and a comfortable back-porch swing waiting on you. And you can bet that “fence post” made it into your final story. ❤️
He is survived by his Wife—Margie Bonner
His Children—Bruce & Robin Bonner, Dudley & Cindy Bonner, & Kristy & Steve Clement
His Grandchildren—Paige & Richard Anderson, Blake & Kaitlyn Bonner, Haley & Allan Stinson, Heath & Tori Clement, Grant & Hanna Clement & Hunter Bonner
His Great-Grandchildren—Briggs & Collyns Bonner, Baylor & Bryce Stinson & Phillip Clement
Thank you again for the thoughts, prayers and love shown to our family! 🤎
