Jun 17, 1941 — Sep 7, 2026
The Homegoing services celebrating and honoring the life of Reverend Bonell Fields will be held 2:00 P.M. Friday, September 18, 2026, in the Brown-Cummings Chapel with Reverend Markus Barber, officiating and Reverend Vera Porter delivering the eulogy. Burial will follow in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings, A life celebration home.
Rev. Bonell Fields was born in Calvert, Texas, to Anna Augusta Hodge Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence on Tuesday, June 17, 1941. She was born at home on the family’s 14-acre farm, the fourth of eight children. Bonell accepted Christ at an early age and joined Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. She played piano and travelled all over Robertson County, Texas, singing with the family at church programs.
When Bonell’s father died in 1959, during her senior year of high school at W. D. Spigner High School, the family sold the farm and moved to Enid, Oklahoma. In Enid, they joined St. Stephen’s African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, and Bonell continued her service to God, playing the piano, teaching Sunday School, and singing in the choir.
Bonell attended O. T. Autry Vocational Technical school to become a dental assistant, but during the late 1950s, no dentist in Enid would hire her. She returned to Autry to study nursing. Upon graduation, she accepted a job at St. Mary’s Hospital. It is believed she was the first Black nurse hired at St. Mary’s. Bonell worked there for 36 years in medical-surgery, pediatrics, and utilization review.
In 1961, Bonell married Venson Edwin Fields, Sr. and to this union, three children were born – Melonee Ann Fields, Pamela Yvette Fields, and Venson Edwin Fields, Jr. After her children grew up and started their life paths, Bonell enrolled in Christian Bible College and Seminary and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Theological Studies. She started graduate studies, but in 2005, multiple health issues forced her to halt her studies and retire from nursing, as well.
God was not through with his daughter, though. Bonell attended theological seminary through the 12th Episcopal District of the AME church and was given her first and only pastoral assignment at St. Stephen’s AME. Bonell was the first Black female minister in Enid and introduced liturgical dance—creating the Spirit of David dancers—to not only Enid, but also the 12th Episcopal District. She pastored St. Stephen’s for 13 years before retiring.
Bonell was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, Jimmie Mae Lewis, Dorine Myles, Maudell Graves, Pearl Lilly, a brother, Johnny Bernard Lawrence (Tesia), and a Godson, Ezekiel Marquis Kelly. She leaves to cherish her memory her brother, Andrew L. Lawrence, (Gladys), her children, a special daughter, Tonage Renee Kelly (Elijah), one grandson, Keith DeWayne Morris, II, six great grandchildren, and a host of family and friends who added much joy and light to her life.
