Original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer Bonni Lou Kern dies at 79
Bonni Lou Kern, one of the original members of The Mickey Mouse Club, has died aged 79.
According to an obituary from an Ohio funeral home, Kern passed away in an assisted living facility in the town of Wooster. It's believed she died of natural causes with her beloved cat of 19 years, JoJo, by her side at the time.
Bonni Lou Kern joined The Mickey Mouse Club in the '50s. Roberts Funeral Home
Kern rose to fame when she was cast as a Mouseketeer in the original Mickey Mouse Club in the '50s, appearing alongside famous faces such as Annette Funicello, Judy Harriet and Eileen Diamond. At just 14 years old, Kern went on to star on Disney;'s The Wonder Mouseketeers!, before appearing in the spin-off film Save the Wonder Mouseketeers!
During her time with the children's musical troupe, Kern received the highest honour among the Mouseketeers when she was awarded the Mousecar Award and also gifted the key to Fantasyland. The Mickey Mouse Club was the only project credit on Kern's IMDb page — her obituary stated that she had spent many years also working for US retail giant Lowes.
Bonni Lou Kern is survived by the three daughters she shared with her late husband. Roberts Funeral Home
Kern married her husband Harold "Bud" Carr in the '60s and they shared three daughters together, Kimberly, Allyson and Janet Bucklew, six grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
"Per Bonni's wishes there will be no services," read her obituary, stating that memorial contributions were requested in lieu of flowers.
