Avis was born on July 29, 1922, in St. Louis, Missouri. She was adopted by Julius and Bertha Bontty of Prague, Oklahoma. She was their only child.
Avis was brought up in an educationally rich environment; Bertha was one of 11 children and knew childrearing well. Julius was well educated and had been a postmaster, banker, farmer and was a Czech band conductor in Prague who was able to play trumpet, violin, bass and fiddle as needed.
During the summer, he conducted the San Diego Symphony in the park’s half shell. During that time, he took Avis and the family to six Rose Parades. Avis remembered sleeping by the Czech bandstand Saturday nights when she was quite small.
Though Julius had a quarter- section farm obtained in the Oklahoma land run by his father, they moved to town to be near the public school when Avis came of school age.
Avis was taught to read and do math before the first grade so when she went to school, she was placed in the second grade. She played basketball for a short time and then began playing trumpet in the band. Not to be left out, she also played sandlot football until the boys got too big.
Avis graduated high school at age 16. Julius insisted on her attending college immediately to prevent an early marriage, though one of her beaus would later become a medical doctor.
COLLEGE
Avis attended college, now known as Central State College, in Edmond, Oklahoma. She was active in swimming sports, but like many students, she worked several jobs to help pay for her education.
She worked in the cafeteria at school and later as a seamstress at Peyton-Marcus, where she learned a lifetime resource of criteria for fine fabrics, clothing and excellent sewing.
Foreign languages were a requirement at that time and the French language was a challenge, so the professor assigned her a student tutor who was also working his way through college as a part-time, high-rise window washer.
He was also a college wrestler with five brothers and sisters. Avis often laughed later that she suddenly became very slow in learning French. The tutor, George Young, would leave college for flight school at Randolph Field.
They had become committed to each other, so she took a bus down to Randolph Field to see his graduation and wing ceremony.
Cadets could not be married until after graduation and a number were being married at the field chapel. That seemed like a good idea to them, and they hurriedly made all preparations to also join in the military crossed swords wedding with other cadets.
The wedding was kept secret until Avis’s parents could be informed when she returned home. Her parents were shocked and immediately pleased with the uniformed young man before them.
Avis then left college to be with her husband who was flying B-25s at McChord Field in Tacoma, Washington. George fondly remembers Avis’s 18-inch waist being so tiny that he could encircle it with both his hands.
WORLD WAR II
After the training in Tacoma — where Avis always commented that the clothes would not dry due to the fog — she drove from there to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where she got to fly in a B-25. She was then met by a relative for the drive to Prague and her parents. Avis followed other duty assignments in Louisiana and Florida.
On Dec. 7, she learned she was expecting and, due to wartime duties, returned home to Prague. George was practicing short-field takeoffs at that time and missed the Dolittle Raid by the draw of a straw.
Avis’s firstborn arrived at Prague hospital July 19, 1942, just before George was sent to North Africa. He would not see his newborn son for 18 months.
Communication then was by letter, picture and small records. Not to be still for long, Avis heard of the well-paying jobs in the aircraft industry, a new opportunity for women, and she commuted from Prague to Tinker Field.
She helped build C-47s as a “Rosie the Riveter” in the empennage at first and then worked on the instrument panel. Tires were terrible at that time and she could change a tire in very few minutes when needed.
Avis’s parents thought all of George’s paychecks should be saved in the bank and so they were, amounting to $15,000 by the time he returned home. Their next home was Charleston, South Carolina, where George was acting base commander as needed.
Shortly after stateside duty and the war ending, George resigned his Lt. Col. commission and returned to Prague to build a dairy farm. He said he just got tired of losing his friends.
Avis once again had a major change of life orientation from military command to dairy farmer.
THE FARM
Back in Prague, they moved into a small house while the dairy was begun on Avis’s parents’ farm. Two more children were born while living there, Anne Darlene and James Aaron.
Avis began a kindergarten for neighborhood kids in her house. They then bought a farm one mile north of Prague that had a dairy barn and a huge red German-style barn. The next 17 years were spent there under the agricultural handicap of the worst drought in 50 years.
Avis could see she needed help economically and went to work as a telephone operator, becoming the chief operator. When phones became automated, she was auditor of several phone offices nearby.
After 16 years, she could see her husband was working himself to an early death, but he was not about to give up the farm. Avis contacted a superintendent of schools she knew from George’s serving on the school board and suggested a teaching job that could help reorient him off the farm. It worked and a position was found in western Oklahoma City.
While working at Western Heights School, Avis and George also attended college at the University of Oklahoma. She achieved a master’s degree in audiology at Central State University and was invited to become part of the teaching staff. George obtained a master’s degree in psychology from O.U.
SAN DIEGO
They sold their farm for enough cash to pay most of their debts and made a trade for a three-story rooming house at 731 DeBarr in Norman, Oklahoma. The oldest son assured them it could be profitable and a place to stay while attending school at O.U. Every member of the family and one relative eventually stayed there while attending O.U.
While Avis stayed there, she also took care of her mother and, at times, her mother-in-law while attending O.U. or Central State. With new masters’ degrees, they chose to move to California where the pay was much better.
After teaching in El Centro and Alturas, they decided to settle in San Diego where they bought a beautiful house in 1975 and lived the rest of their careers in California.
They made many driving trips on weekends and summers all over California and scenic parts of the U.S.., including one to Alaska.
They also made many friends, one with horse farms that wanted George to ride for exercise, and some with fishing boats that were a recreational dream. They eventually moved to an apartment in El Cajon with friends.
Their 25 years in San Diego were ideal with a 30-minute drive to La Jolla or to the harbor and their favorite beaches. Avis, with help from Anne, took care of George for six years after his diagnosis with colon cancer till his death in 2000 at age 82.
Avis was so exhausted, she had pneumonia and health problems afterwards but survived with help from Ellen Briggs.
Avis always had friends and activities; for years she served as officer and then president of the San Diego Professional Women’s Club. Then she was invited to the La Jolla Past President’s Club where she also made lifetime friends. Visits with friends and relatives while there made for a full life.
BOERNE, TEXAS
After her husband’s death, her health became more fragile. Nevertheless, she decided to travel to Boerne to help with her daughter-inlaw, who was ill with cancer.
Arriving in October 2006, she did help until her daughter-inlaw’s death Nov. 12. At that time, it became obvious Avis was too ill to return home alone and for the next 17 years she resided with her oldest son in Boerne. Many vacation trips were made to California until she sold her apartment in 2013.
There was gracious outreach of many Boerne residents to her that made her life rich with friends and music.
First, she joined the Baptist Maranatha Choir that sang in various rest homes in the area though she was often decades older than many. She then also began singing with the Menger Singers Choir, where gracious encouragement helped her continue when she could no longer travel.
Avis also helped turn pages for Joyce at St. John Lutheran Church. The same Joyce played for all the choirs and later became her daughter-in-law.
Avis and Joyce always dressed beautifully and were fast friends enjoying church, football and political entertainment together for hours.
In 2023, Avis was diagnosed with colon cancer. Despite great discomfort, she was able to rehearse one last time, on December 5, with the Menger choir. One gentleman observing in the front row suggested she should sing a soprano solo.
Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren visited her in her last days until she passed away peacefully Jan. 16, 2024, in her 102nd year.
Postscript: In the Normandy D-Day Museum, there is a C-47 named Argonia, after the plane her brother-in-law flew on D-Day. Perhaps it is one she helped build.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 22 at St. John Lutheran Church in Boerne, with a meal to follow.
To leave condolences for the family and view a video of Avis’s’ life, please visit www.ebensberger-fisher. com. Arrangements with Ebensberger Fisher Funeral Home of Boerne.
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