Crockett Mourns: 9-Year-Old Lila Bonner Found Deceased After Camp Mystic Flood — Community Asked to Honor Her with Purple Ribbons
With broken hearts and unspeakable grief, we share the devastating news that Lila Bonner, age 9, was found deceased after days of being missing following the catastrophic flood at Camp Mystic. Lila was one of the beautiful young lives tragically lost in what was meant to be a joyful summer experience filled with laughter, friendship, and memories. Her death, alongside her best friend Eloise Peck, has shaken not only her family and community, but all who have followed this heartbreaking story.
Lila had just celebrated her 9th birthday in June—a milestone now marked by sorrow, but also filled with the memory of a life lived with boundless spirit and vibrant joy. She was a cherished daughter, sister, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter, deeply loved by her close-knit family with deep roots in Houston County, Texas.
Her mother, Caitlin Christopher Bonner, her father, Blake Bonner, her younger brother, Newton, and a long line of extended family, including her great-grandparents—all raised in Crockett—are now grieving the unimaginable. Their world has changed forever, but their love for Lila remains as powerful as ever.
“Lila was sunshine in a bottle,” one family friend shared. “She had the brightest smile, a contagious laugh, and a heart as big as Texas.”
As the Bonner family begins the long, painful journey of mourning, they are asking for a gesture of solidarity and love from the community that helped raise them. Crockett friends, we need your help. In honor of Lila and the other young lives lost at Camp Mystic, the family has asked that the town be adorned in purple—Lila’s favorite color.
Whether it’s tying purple ribbons around trees, placing a purple bow on your door or mailbox, or simply wearing purple in her memory, this act of visual love will bring comfort to a grieving family and help carry the memory of this sweet girl throughout the community she came from.
The Crockett Florist is offering pre-made bows for $6.50, which can be picked up directly from their shop. Community members are also welcome to make their own purple ribbons or decorations—what matters most is the unity and care behind the gesture.
Lila’s story is not one of just tragedy—it is a story of life, of fierce love, of friendship, and of the unique light a child can bring into the world. In her short time on Earth, she made a lasting impact on all who knew her. Her love for animals, her joy for play, and her deep friendships—like the one she shared with Eloise—are now treasured memories that her family will hold forever.
Let us honor Lila’s life not just with our ribbons, but with our compassion, our kindness, and our care for one another. Let her memory inspire us to slow down, to cherish our loved ones, and to support those in pain.
Rest in peace, sweet Lila.
You were deeply loved and will be forever missed.
Your spirit lives on in every ribbon tied and every heart touched by your story.
Please continue to pray for the Bonner family and for all families affected by this tragedy. Let us come together in purple—wrapped in love, in community, and in remembrance of a precious child who will never be forgotten.