Bonnie Stewart Mikkelsen

Bonnie Stewart Mikkelsen, 93, of Hessel, Michigan, beloved mother, partner, and community spirit, passed away peacefully Monday evening, February 16, 2026, at the home of her son in Petoskey, Michigan, surrounded by several of her many children.

The family will receive friends at the Hessel School House, 3206 Cedar Street, Hessel from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m Friday, August 21, 2026.  A service was held earlier this year in Ohio with interment in the family plot at Peace Cemetery, Hartville, Ohio.  

Remembrances, if desired, can be made in her memory to the Les Cheneaux Community Foundation https://lcicf.org, Les Cheneaux Culinary School https://lcculinary.org, Hessel School House https://hesselschoolhouse.org or Little Traverse Conservancy https://landtrust.org, all causes close to Bonnie’s heart.

She was born Blanche Carnehan Stewart August 21, 1932, in Akron, Ohio, to H. Bartlett Stewart, Jr. and Catherine Seiberling Stewart of Hartville, Ohio. Bonnie grew up steeped in both the warmth of family and a deep love of the natural world. The Stewart family cherished their early lives on their farm, Quail Hollow in Hartville, while enjoying Christmas holidays at Seiberling family homes, Tri-Acres and Stan Hywet. Summers were spent among the Les Cheneaux Islands in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a place that would shape Bonnie's heart for the rest of her life. She was an alumna of Old Trail School in Akron and attended Endicott Junior College in Massachusetts, followed by a position as a journalist at the Akron Beacon Journal before starting a family of her own with her first husband, Wayne S. "Pete" Young.

Having moved from Akron to Philadelphia with her six children, Bonnie met and married Lester M. "Lars" Mikkelsen there in 1967. After packing up their homes, they moved west to California where they built a vibrant blended family of 15 children; Bonnie’s six from her previous marriage, Lars' seven, and welcomed two more children of their own. They lived in Atherton, California, for 15 years before relocating to Bellevue, Washington, where they remained for many years.

Bonnie's life was one of creative energy, quiet generosity, and an unwavering devotion to the people and places she loved. Though a private person by nature, following in the footsteps of her mother, Cate and grandmother, Blanche Seiberling, she was an indefatigable force; always nurturing projects that enhanced her community, honored the natural world, and brought people together. She was an active member of the Junior League and the San Francisco Bay Area’s - Peninsula Family Service. Her gifts for writing and cooking, perfected by providing for so many, found a natural home when she contributed to the much-celebrated Junior League of Palo Alto, California, Private Collection I and II cookbooks. She treasured the meaningful friendships created with her fellow Junior League members as they tested, tasted, created and promoted those award-winning, best-selling cookbooks. After the family's move to Washington in 1981, she brought that same spirit to the school where their youngest children were attending and helped the school publish another award-winning cookbook, The Overlake School Cookbook. She broadened her business and culinary writing endeavors when she opened Pickle Point Publishing to publish and author, Hollyhocks and Radishes – Mrs. Chard’s Almanac Cookbook; a cookbook that lovingly captures the local life and flavors of the Les Cheneaux Islands she so adored.

Following the death of her husband Lars in 2006, Bonnie returned to the place that had always called to her, Hessel, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Huron. There, she continued a thriving and purposeful life alongside a wide circle of friends, family and a loving partner, Tim DeWick. She moved her Pickle Point Publishing business to Pickford Avenue in downtown Hessel. Her early leadership and contributions to the creation of the Great Lakes Boat School, the Les Cheneaux Culinary School and the Hessel School House were a source of immense joy; each which continues to thrive. Her enthusiasm for the community never waned. Her mind was always busy and full of vision for honoring and strengthening the home she had chosen. Her smile, those who knew her will tell you, could light up a room.

The family camp, Windswept, built by her parents and carried forward with love, stands as a testament to her commitment to preserving the natural treasures of the Les Cheneaux region. Bonnie was predeceased by her parents, Cate and Bart Stewart; her husband, Lars Mikkelsen; her brother, Harry B. Stewart III; her son, Mark Jonathan Young, daughter, Amy S. Young, daughter, Beth A. Young, stepson, Peter L. Mickelson, daughter Margaret “Meg” Huff, and two grandchildren.

Bonnie will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her partner, Tim DeWick; her children, Catherine S. Burnett, Kurt A. Young, Larsen S. Mickelson and Solveig K. Gibeau; her stepchildren, Clifford P. Mickelson, Mark D. (Laurie) Mickelson, Dianne Rizk, Maureen (James) Adgar, Julie A. (Francisco DeLeon) Mickelson, Tarji M. Rodriguez and Solvig Gibeau; her cherished constellation of 21 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, nieces, extended family and oh so many loved friends.

Condolences may be expressed and a photo tribute celebrating Bonnie's life viewed at ackermancares.com.