Background
Nettles was born and raised in Houston into a Baptist family.
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Bonnie Nettles
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Nettles died of liver cancer in 1985 in Dallas, Texas, twelve years before the group"s mass suicide in March 1997. As an adult, she moved away from the religion. Their marriage remained mostly stable until 1972.
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 finally met Applewhite in March 1972, though where they met is uncertain.
According to the writings of Applewhite, " was visiting a hospitalized friend when Mistress
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 lieutenant Bonnie"s son, Joe Nettles, also corroborated this version of events.
Whichever version is correct, it is known that directly after their meeting, Nettles did an astrological reading for Applewhite, from which she found an alignment between their stars.
Applewhite then explained to her his ideas about heavenly connections, thoroughly convincing Nettles of their truth. He decided that Nettles was "to be the sage, he the speaker." They left together on New Year"s Day of 1973.
In 1983, she had to have an eye removed due to cancer, and her doctor informed her that the disease was already spreading through the rest of her body. She stated that the doctor was ignorant and believed, along with Applewhite, that she could not die, as they had to ascend together.
The cancer continued to worsen, moving to Nettles" liver.
She died on January 20, 1985 at Parkland Memorial Hospital. While there as a patient, she used the pseudonym Shelly West. Applewhite convinced the rest of the group that her "broken-down vehicle was left behind".
He had her body cremated and her ashes were then spread in a lake somewhere in Texas.
Applewhite and Nettles went by the names "Bo" and "Peep" respectively and later "Do" and "Ti", along with Guinea and Pig at some points in time.
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Born
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Died
January 20, 1985 (aged 58) -
Nationality
United States