Bonnie Kilcher Dupree Wiki/Bio, Age, Ex-Husband, Net Worth (2025), Life After Alaska: The Last Frontier

Bonnie Kilcher Dupree didn’t plan to become a homesteader, reality TV personality, or artist—but life in Alaska shaped her into all three. Best known for her steady presence on Alaska: The Last Frontier, Bonnie spent over a decade on-screen and nearly five decades living close to the land in Homer, Alaska. But her story began far from the wilderness, in the wooded lakes of upstate New York. Drawn to a simpler life, she made the move north—and found herself on a path filled with love, loss, reinvention, and quiet strength.

Today, Bonnie is living a more private life, splitting her time between Alaska and Arizona, creating art, and staying grounded in the values that shaped her. In this article, we explore what she’s doing now, her early journey through love and hardship, and what her creative path reveals about her net worth in 2025.

Early Life and Move to Alaska

Bonnie Kilcher Dupree was born on February 5, 1954, in Saranac Lake, New York—a small town in the Adirondack Mountains known for its natural beauty and cold winters. She was raised in a modest household where outdoor play and simple living were part of daily life. Bonnie spent much of her childhood exploring the woods, splashing in muddy streams, and hiking through the surrounding terrain, which fostered a lifelong love for nature and self-reliance.

She attended school locally in Saranac Lake and was known among her peers for her free-spirited personality and adventurous outlook. One of her school classmates would later become a significant figure in her life. In 1977, Bonnie made a life-changing decision to leave her hometown and set out for Alaska with that friend. The two traveled across the country and up the Pacific Coast and arrived in Homer, Alaska, after nine days on the road.

She arrived in Homer with no job lined up, just a desire to live close to nature and experience something new. That summer, she took a job off-loading fish on the Homer Spit and spent her downtime painting or teaching other women to knit while sitting on the docks. Over the next few years, Bonnie immersed herself in a mix of seasonal jobs and artistic pursuits—deck-handing on a shrimping boat, co-founding a yarn shop, and eventually training as a dental hygienist—all while raising a family and building a reputation as a local artisan.

Her early years in Alaska were marked by adaptability and hands-on learning—skills that would later define her life on the Kilcher homestead and her role in Alaska’s broader homesteading and artistic community.

Marriages, Children, and Family Life on the Kilcher Homestead

In 1979, Bonnie Kilcher Dupree married Doug Schwiesow, a resident of Homer originally from Ponca, Nebraska. Their life together was characterized by a shared interest in alternative living and creative expression. For a time, they lived in a tipi in the Alaskan wilderness, relying on basic resources such as a wood stove for heat. While temporary, this phase reflected their openness to nontraditional lifestyles and the challenges of off-grid living.

The couple had two children. Karl Schwiesow, the eldest, is a professional visual artist whose work includes sculpture and mixed-media installations. He has exhibited his art in various venues and actively sells his pieces through galleries and commissions. Hanna Schwiesow pursued a path in wellness and became a yoga instructor based in Anchorage, Alaska.

Bonnie and Doug later divorced; however, the date of their separation has not been publicly disclosed. Doug eventually remarried and passed away in 2011 from complications related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In 2009, Bonnie married Atz Kilcher, a musician and long-established homesteader in the Homer area. Their wedding was a private ceremony held in Alaska. Through this marriage, Bonnie became connected to the Kilcher family, known both locally and nationally through their multigenerational homestead and appearances on the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier.

Atz Kilcher has three children—Shane Kilcher, Atz Lee Kilcher, and singer-songwriter Jewel Kilcher—from his previous marriage to Lenedra Carroll, as well as a son, Nikos Kilcher, from a later relationship with Linda. While Bonnie and Atz have no children together, she has remained active in family life on the Kilcher homestead, where she continues to contribute to both homesteading routines and her own creative work.

Television Career on Alaska: The Last Frontier

Bonnie Kilcher Dupree was featured for over a decade on Alaska: The Last Frontier, a documentary-style reality television series that aired on the Discovery Channel from 2011 to 2022. The show chronicled the lives of the Kilcher family as as they maintained a largely self-reliant lifestyle, often relying on limited electricity from solar panels or generators and managing without full modern plumbing in many areas of the homestead

As a regular participant, Bonnie appeared in a wide range of segments that reflected both the daily routines and seasonal demands of homesteading. Her role focused on practical skills such as cooking, gardening, spinning yarn, knitting, and food preservation—activities that support long-term sustainability in remote environments. She was also seen assisting with the logistical challenges of preparing the homestead for winter and participating in fishing and gathering expeditions.

In addition to her individual work, Bonnie appeared alongside her husband Atz Kilcher in various collaborative tasks, such as traveling to remote family cabins and assisting with larger projects on the homestead. Beyond practical work, she also participated in the cultural side of homestead life. Her musical background occasionally surfaced during family events, where songs and stories were shared around campfires and holiday gatherings. In 2015, she and Atz released a collaborative album titled Good Old-Fashioned Ways, featuring folk-style music that drew from their shared values and homesteading experiences.

Life After Alaska The Last Frontier

Following the conclusion of Alaska: The Last Frontier in 2022, Bonnie Kilcher Dupree transitioned into a more introspective and art-centered lifestyle. Today, she is best known for her vibrant paintings and ongoing contributions to the local art scene in Homer, Alaska. A lifelong creative, Bonnie now works primarily from The Yurt Gallery—her personal studio space on the Kilcher homestead—where she brings Alaskan landscapes and memories to life through acrylics, pastels, and mixed media.

Bonnie’s artwork often draws inspiration from the natural beauty of her surroundings, including wildflower fields, forest trails, and coastal views like those seen across Kachemak Bay. Her signature style blends impressionistic brushstrokes with emotional depth, as seen in standout pieces such as Homestead Sunrise, Lily Pad Love, and The Summer Sun Rises Over Kachemak Bay.

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In addition to local exhibitions, Bonnie shares her art with a broader audience through her Instagram profile (@bonbee.dupree), where she showcases new pieces and occasionally offers them for sale. Her feed includes scenes painted from both memory and real-life experiences, offering viewers a glimpse into her evolving portfolio and connection to place.

Bonnie and her husband, Atz Kilcher, now split their time between their homestead in Homer and a small town in Arizona. This seasonal migration influences her work, with Alaskan pieces showcasing cool blues and soft greens, while Arizona’s desert palette brings forth bolder tones of red, gold, and orange.

No longer in the public spotlight of reality television, Bonnie remains quietly prolific. Her current phase is characterized by intentional creativity, drawing from decades of homesteading and personal exploration. Her artwork frequently portrays familiar motifs—twilight skies, rustic cabins, fireweed blooms—that resonate with viewers who appreciate storytelling through visual expression.

Occasionally, Bonnie’s paintings are featured in community spaces such as the Homer Public Library and regional galleries. Her work continues to gain appreciation for its reflective quality and timeless themes. In one instance, a missing painting from a public show even sparked a heartfelt response from her followers—testament to the emotional value her art holds for many.

Bonnie Kilcher Dupree Net Worth (2025)

Bonnie Kilcher Dupree’s estimated net worth in 2025 ranges between $300,000 and $600,000. Most of her income comes from her years on the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier, where long-time cast members reportedly earned between $7,000 and $15,000 per episode. In addition, Bonnie earns from selling her landscape paintings through local exhibitions and her Instagram profile. While she does not actively pursue commercial ventures, her art and continued homestead lifestyle contribute to a modest and self-sustained financial outlook.

Quick Facts – Bonnie Kilcher Dupree

Full Name	Bonnie Kilcher Dupree
Date of Birth	February 5, 1954
Age (as of 2025)	71 years old
Birthplace	Saranac Lake, New York, USA
Nationality	American
Current Residence	Homer, Alaska and Arizona (seasonally)
Profession	Artist, Homesteader, Former Reality TV Personality
Known For	Alaska: The Last Frontier (Discovery Channel)
First Husband	Doug Schwiesow (divorced)
Children	Two – Karl Schwiesow (artist), Hanna Schwiesow (yoga instructor)
Current Husband	Atz Kilcher (married 2009)
Estimated Net Worth	$300,000 – $600,000 (as of 2025)