Bonnie Nettles
| Bonnie Nettles | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Bonnie Sue Trousdale August 29, 1927 Houston, Texas, United States |
| Died | January 20, 1985 (aged 57) Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Cause of death | Liver cancer |
| Other names | Ti, Peep, Wink, Pig, Poop, Shelly West |
| Occupation | Registered nurse |
| Known for | Co-leader of Heaven's Gate |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Segal Nettles (m. 1949; div. 1973) |
| Children | 4 |
Bonnie Lou Nettles (née Trousdale; August 29, 1927 – January 20, 1985), later known as Ti, was co-leader of a group with Marshall Applewhite that later became the Heaven's Gate group after Nettles's death. Nettles died of liver cancer in 1985 in Dallas, Texas, twelve years before the group's mass suicide in March 1997.
Nettles was born and raised in Houston into a Baptist family. As an adult, she moved away from the religion. After becoming a registered nurse, she married businessman Joseph Segal Nettles in December 1949 with whom she had four children. Their marriage remained mostly stable until 1972. According to the New York Times, their marriage began to deteriorate due to Nettles' belief a 19th-century monk named Brother Francis frequently spoke with her and gave her instructions. Furthermore, Nettles often conducted seances with mediums in order to contact other deceased spirits. A circle group was held every Wednesday at her house in relation to this. In 1972, Nettles went to see multiple fortunetellers, who told her that she was soon to meet a mysterious man who was tall with light hair and a fair complexion. This description was fairly close to Applewhite's appearance.
Nettles met Applewhite in March 1972, though where they met is uncertain. According to the writings of Applewhite, "[Applewhite] was visiting a hospitalized friend when Mrs. Nettles entered the room and their eyes locked in a shared recognition of esoteric secrets." However, Applewhite's writings were prone to hyperbole or relaying everything as some occurrence of fate. Terrie Nettles, Bonnie's daughter, has stated that "The two met at a drama school in a theater." and that Applewhite had been teaching in the school, with one of Bonnie's sons attending it. Bonnie's son, Joe Nettles, also corroborated this version of events.
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