Bonnie Ricks, 67

Bonnie Katherine Brown Ricks, age 67, of Tidewater Oaks, Texas, died November 16, 2013. She was the daughter of the late Harold Paul Brown and Mildred Schaer Brown of Waco, TX. Survivors include her husband Gerald “J.R.” Ricks; children Latricia Wiggins, Donna Ducote, Jennifer Bell, Mankay Nicoline, Tripp Wiggins, Guy Wiggins, James White and David Owasu; 27 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

Bonnie was an ordained minister and writer. She and her husband were founders of the online ministry, DogwoodMinistries.org. Bonnie’s daily devotional ministry began in September, 1987 when she was asked to write a study guide for the Sunday school teachers at her church to help them prepare their Sunday school lessons.  She began writing a short piece for the teachers to read and study that would take them about 10 minutes per day.  If they did their daily study guide section, by Sunday, their lesson was ready to be taught.  A few months later, she discovered that the teachers were photocopying the study guides and passing them out to their classes.  A few months after that, she received a call from the pastor of a church in west Texas, asking if his church could “subscribe” to her “daily devotionals”.

Today, the devotionals are translated into 17 languages and dialects and redistributed in the respective countries.  They are used in countless church and ministry newsletters, bulletins and other types of mail-outs, and in local, small town newspapers, including the Southside Messenger. They are broadcast on several radio networks around the world, and one television station in Kenya.

A celebration of her life will be held for her family and close friends in a private memorial service.