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Bonnie L. Conrad, 84, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, September 12, 2008. A 1978 graduate (with distinction) of the University of New Mexico, she owned and managed the Bread of Life Christian Country Store in Albuquerque's Nob Hill area. In addition to her work in retail, Mrs. Conrad was a professional photographer. A native of southern Oregon, she was a partner with her eldest sister, Mildred Ager, in the well-known Ashland photo shop, Memory Lane Studio; another sister, Ellen Elder also worked in the shop. Mrs. Conrad was one of the earliest photographers for both the Ashland Shakespearian Festival and Southern Oregon University, and many of the Festival's and the University's archived photos were taken by her. Her publishing credits include many postcards of her beloved southern Oregon, covers for the Tommy Hicks ministry's magazine, and numerous photos for both magazine and newspaper articles. Among her favorite Oregon photographic subjects were Ashland's Lithia Park, Mt. Ashland, the Rogue River Valley, and Crater Lake. She also enjoyed photographing her adopted home, New Mexico; her photographs of Santa Fe and Mesa Verde appeared in a variety of magazines. Mrs. Conrad was an avid gardener. She usually planted pansies in the fall because the "cheerful pansy faces keep my spirits up" through the winter. Early spring flowers were her favorites, especially violets and daffodils, but she also found room in her flowerbed for lilies, roses, and any flower that smelled fragrant. She always planted old-fashioned blue petunias rather than the fancier colors; she said only the blue "smelled like petunias should smell." What she called her "inside hobby" was collecting dolls. Her collection includes a variety of types from baby dolls to dolls that sing, talk, and walk, but she preferred the fancy-dress dolls with elaborate costumes. She enjoyed listening to Gospel music, watching Christian television, talking to friends and family on her cell phone, celebrating birthdays including her own, and eating New Mexican food smothered in green Chile, never red. Mrs. Conrad was preceded in death by her husband Lt. Warren G. Conrad, an Army officer; her parents, Chester Leon Lewis and Ella Mae Bryant Lewis of Ashland, OR; a sister, Mildred Ager of Ashland, OR; and two nieces, Ruth Ingeman of Auburn, CA, and Eleanor Butler of Marcy, NY. She is survived by her daughter and son-in law, Drs. Nancy and Joseph Martinez of Albuquerque, NM; an older sister, Ellen Elder of Chino Hills, CA; a niece, Jeanette Benson of Chino Hills, CA; a nephew, Rev. Jack Elder of Woodstock, GA; and many great-nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date in Ashland, OR. French Mortuary 1111 University Blvd. NE (505) 843-6333 www.frenchmortuary.com
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