Bonnie Nettles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bonnie Nettles
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Bonnie Lu Trousdale
August 29, 1927 |
| Died | June 19, 1985 (aged 57) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
|
| Other names | Ti, Peep, Pig, Shelly West |
| Occupation | Registered nurse |
| Known for | Co-leader of Heaven's Gate |
| Spouse(s) |
Joseph Segal Nettles
(m. 1949; div. 1973) |
| Children | 4 |
Bonnie Lu Nettles (born Trousdale; August 29, 1927 – June 19, 1985) was an American woman who helped start a new spiritual group called Heaven's Gate. She was a co-leader of this group with Marshall Applewhite. Bonnie Nettles was also known by the name Ti to her followers. She passed away in 1985 in Dallas, Texas, due to liver cancer.
Who Was Bonnie Nettles?
Bonnie Lu Nettles was born on August 29, 1927. She grew up in Houston, Texas. Her family was Baptist, but she later explored other spiritual ideas. Bonnie became a registered nurse, which means she was trained to care for sick people. In 1949, she married Joseph Segal Nettles. They had four children together.
Around 1972, Bonnie became very interested in spiritual topics. She tried to talk to spirits and visited people who claimed to tell the future. She believed a monk from the 1800s spoke to her. These experiences made her feel she would soon meet a special man. She also studied astrology, which is the study of how stars and planets might affect people's lives.
Meeting Marshall Applewhite
Bonnie Nettles met Marshall Applewhite in March 1972. The exact place they met is not fully clear. One story says they met at a hospital. Another story, told by Bonnie's daughter, says they met at a theater. Marshall Applewhite worked there, and Bonnie was at the hospital with someone from the theater.
Bonnie agreed to do an astrology reading for Applewhite. They felt an instant connection. Applewhite believed Bonnie was the wise one, and he would be the one to speak for her. They left together on New Year's Day in 1973. Bonnie's three younger children stayed with their father. Her oldest daughter, Terrie, was 20 and did not join them.
Together, Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite started the group known as Heaven's Gate. They were equal leaders. Bonnie guided the group, and Applewhite shared her messages. Bonnie believed she communicated with beings from a "Next Level." She told Applewhite to share these ideas with their followers. By 1976, Applewhite saw Bonnie as having a higher spiritual role than himself.
Her Passing
Bonnie Nettles continued to be a key leader in Heaven's Gate. She was seen as the group's mystic and interpreter of spiritual signs. In 1983, she had to have an eye removed because of cancer. Her doctor told her the cancer was spreading. However, Bonnie and Applewhite believed she could not die. They thought they would both "ascend" (go to a higher spiritual place) together.
Sadly, the cancer continued to get worse. It spread to her liver. Bonnie Nettles passed away on June 19, 1985. She died at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas. While she was there, she used a different name, Shelly West.
After Bonnie's death, Applewhite told the group that her body was just a "vehicle" that she had left behind. He had her body cremated. Her ashes were then spread on a lake in Texas. Applewhite explained that Bonnie had finished her work on Earth. He said she would continue to help them from the "Next Level."
Bonnie Nettles' death was a big change for Heaven's Gate. Before, the group believed they would physically go to heaven on a UFO. After she passed, their beliefs changed. They started to see the body as just a temporary home for the soul. The soul would leave the body to enter heaven.
What Were Her Nicknames?
Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite used several nicknames for themselves. They were often called "The Two." They also used the names "Bo" and "Peep," like in the nursery rhyme. Later, they were known as "Do" and "Ti." At other times, they called themselves "Guinea" and "Pig."
