Bonita Ensenberger

Bonita (Jordan) Ensenberger, 95, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died peacefully at home on November 22, 2025. Born July 8, 1930 in Bloomington, Illinois, Bonita Mary Jordan was the younger of two children to parents Walter Mattison Jordan and Bonita Marie (Graves) Jordan. She was known to most of her adult friends as "Bonnie".

Raised in a close-knit Christian family, she grew up in Holder, Illinois and McLean, Illinois. She attended Illinois State Normal University for a year in pursuit of her goal to become a kindergarten teacher. However, it was love at first sight for both Bonita and Joseph "Joe" Ensenberger when they met at G.A. Ensenberger and Sons Furniture Store, where they were both employed. They wed in a small ceremony at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bloomington, Illinois on February 5, 1951. Bonita and Joe raised their five children in a loving, faith-based home. Bonita participated in Bible study, and sang in the choir at St. Mary's for many years. Over the years, Bonita played Bridge both socially and on a tournament level.

In 1977, Bonita and Joe moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. While there, Bonita won a recipe contest and had some of her original recipes published in a cookbook. Bonita was a longtime member of New Mexico Quilters Association, during which time, she held offices such as Librarian and Historian. These experiences inspired her to spearhead novel projects of her own. These included researching and writing about historic New Mexican quilts, authoring and presenting a traveling lecture which featured a slide show of local heritage quilts that she compiled. She was also a certified quilt appraiser, and she traveled to New Mexico pueblos to demonstrate and teach popular quilting techniques and methods to local tribal quilting groups. Amid her domestic successes, Bonita also found time to appease her love for nature and the outdoors. She was a master gardener, a birding enthusiast, and had been co-architect with Joe of the annual, weeks-long camping vacations with their family.

Bonita is survived by sons, Chris Ensenberger (Elaine) of Whitesboro, Texas; Peter Ensenberger (Kim) of Tempe, Arizona; and daughter, Sarah Ensenberger of Mesa, Arizona. She is also survived by eight grandchildren; Matt Ensenberger, Marty Ensenberger, Sara O'Neil, Erin Ensenberger, Clarissa McCarthy, Megan Lacina, Dan Ensenberger, Jessi Corcoran; and fourteen great-grandchildren. Bonita was preceded in death by her parents; Joseph, her husband of 73 years; her brother, Walter "Bud" Jordan; her daughter, Julie Ensenberger; and her son, Tony Ensenberger.