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The Bonco Babes of Magee, MS have been rolling the dice the first Tuesday of each month for twenty years, although we did have to adjust a few times for elections!
In 1999 12 girls expressed an interest in playing the card game bonco together. Many of us were “empty ness” mothers and looking for ways to get together for “pure” fun!…no fundraising…no programs…just one time a year providing a meal for the group!
The original members: Dorothy Partridge, Gail Hederman, Martha Craft, Sue Honea, Susan Smith, Sandra Rankin, Tawesia Meador, Jane Everett, Nona Lee, Susan Hall, Diane McPhail, and Glenda Brooks. We decided from the beginning not to give gifts to the winners…we were gonna play for money!!! Really, the money route was much easier than trying to provide interesting gifts at a reasonable price. Each player put $5 in the pot. We had low score, high score, most broncos which were rewarded with cash! Through the years, we decided to donate the $5 to the “pot” using the money for local missions as we saw needed.
I am not sure how many years we met at Martha’s Place to play and enjoy our meal. Eventually, we began meeting at players homes. Sometimes, we have people like Tawesia who doesn’t want us hanging out at her house and feeding us…so she takes us to The Vault! (Ha…Tawesia’s house was always fun but during the school year the meeting was a little much for Tawesia.)
Gail Hederman made a fabulous cookbook for us. I’ll share some of her recipes sometimes.
Through the years we had some regular subs: Sharon Payne, Linda Bennett (who eventually became a member), Lisa Reed, Kay Patton, Joy Harris (who became a member), Donna Hankins (who became a member), Glinda Busby (who became a member), Kathy Williams (who became a member), Diane Roberts, Donna Mahaffey, Lawana Thompson, Gwen Johnston, Judy Thornton, Donna Martin, Brenda Richardson,…and I can’t remember all of them. (If anyone can help with dates and people, that would be great!). I will continue to add to our article as I learn facts.
The Bonco Babes decided several years ago to enter the Christmas parade! We, of course, had no idea what we were doing! …again, girls just wanna have fun! Each year we would decide our theme with no regard to what the theme of the Christmas parade was…just what worked for us. We placed in the parade several times. One year we had the “Polk boys” walk along beside our float/carts as our body guards! We borrowed Luke Shiver’s party wagon at least two years which was much fun hanging off the wagon hollering at everyone! Two or three times we got off the float and sang and danced in front of the judges! I think everyone thought we were drinking…but I can guarantee we were only having fun.
We had great Bonco Guy Babes! Each year the husbands and friends of the girls would come to our rescue to help us pull off our Christmas parade idea.
One year we drove decorated golf carts! We just had fun.
In celebration of our twenty years, we have decided to enter the Christmas parade this year! I am so excited! I never wanted to not enter the parade.
Original members of the 2019 Bonco Babes are: Dorothy Partridge, Jane Everett, Nona Lee, Susan Hall, Tawesia Meador, Diane McPhail, Glenda Brooks, Sue Honea , and Susan Smith. Suzy Thames, Linda Bennett, and Donna Hankins round out the group.
The Pink ladies of Christmas: Dorothy Partridge, Nona Lee, Joy Harris, Sandra Rankin, Glenda Brooks, Diane McPhail, Tawesia Meador, Susan Hall, Sue Honea, Susan Smith, Linda Bennett, and Jane Everett
Sue note: Girls, Girls, girls!!! Please feel free to submit any pictures you babes might have and some “history!”
