Bonnie Mae (Mackey) Sallee, daughter of the late Lee and Jewel (Richey) Mackey, was born December 13, 1937, near Rome, Missouri, and departed this life on December 5, 2025, at her home in Ava, Missouri, at the age of 87 years, 11 months, and 22 days.
Bonnie grew up near Rome, Missouri, in an area they called Peckerwood Holler, where she would spend her time playing in the creek, and she would pester and chase her sisters around. She later graduated from Ava High School. She soon moved to Kansas City, where she worked as a security guard at Macy’s. During that time, she helped her brother Bill get through pharmacy school. She later returned to Ava, where she worked as a waitress at the Highway House Cafe. She also worked at the Rawlings Sporting Goods Factory in Ava. For the past 10 years, she lived with her daughter, Kathy, in Ava.
In her spare time, Bonnie enjoyed fishing, hunting, watching westerns, and making necklaces. Above all else, she loved to spend time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Lee and Jewel Mackey, her husband, James Sallee, two brothers, Lawrence and Willard Mackey, two sisters, Pearl (Mackey) Sellars, Wanda (Mackey) Cox, and her husband, Ray Cox, one son-in-law, Louis Matney, and two grandsons, Joseph Lansdown and Nathan Clark.
She is survived by one daughter, Kathy Matney, one son, Mike Nelson and wife, Denise, one sister, Ann (Mackey) Ellison, two brothers, Bill Mackey and Glenn Mackey and wife Linda, four grandchildren, Brandy Jackson and husband, Willie, James Clark, Karen Short and husband, Justin, Kenny Nelson and wife, Jessica, 12 great-grandchildren, Ben, Shae, and William Jackson Jr, Brianna and Adam Heater, Mckenzie and Marissa Clark, six great-great-grandchildren, and a host of many nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends she considered family.
Bonnie was a wonderful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, caring neighbor, and friend. She will be dearly missed and loved by all who knew her.
A celebration of life will be held by the family at a later date.
