Irene Ruth Bennett was born in Reardan, Washington on March 15, 1928, the eighth of nine children of Henry and Anna Mann. Surrounded by family, she died of natural causes in the home of her son Byrne on March 26, 2016 at age 88.
Ruth grew up on a wheat farm north of Reardan. She graduated from high school in 1946 and enrolled at Eastern Washington College of Education in Cheney, where she met Bill Bennett, whom she married in 1947. After graduation, Irene taught in Brewster and Spokane. The family moved to Yakima, Medford, Ephrata and then to Salem, where Bill and Irene resided for 38 years. In 2000 Irene and Bill moved to Ritzville to be near their daughter, Rena.
Irene was preceded in death by her husband Bernard (Bill) Bennett, to whom she was married 63 years, and daughter Marla Bennett, who shared her birthday and passed away just 13 days earlier. She is survived by her sister Helen Halverson of Seattle; daughters Rena (Dale) Brown and Janna Bennett of Ritzville; sons Byrne (Denise) Bennett of Medical Lake, and Linh (Tami) Bennett of East Wenatchee; and six grandchildren.
Irene was a woman of grace and dignity. If you entered her heart as a friend, you were grafted into her family and received her blessing of love and hospitality. Irene loved her Lord Jesus and shared her faith with her family and friends. When struggling with physical challenges she never complained, but rather encouraged others with her sense of humor and positive attitude. A lifelong artist, Irene loved to sketch, draw, sculpt and paint. Her artistic eye was evident in the manner in which she decorated her home. She was a wordsmith with an uncanny ability to write clever limericks and poems. At gatherings it was common for Irene to produce a thoughtfully crafted poem to read to the honoree. She encouraged her children in their creative pursuits and cheered each one as they shared their talents during the family's annual Christmas Eve program.
Irene loved to travel and treasured each of her eight visits to The Netherlands, where she, along with Dutch citizens, honored her brother, Medal of Honor recipient Joe E. Mann.
A celebration of her life will be held April 15, 2016 at Ritzville Church of the Nazarene.
ref: Ritzville Journal, April 7, 2016
See the Cenotaph here
Ruth grew up on a wheat farm north of Reardan. She graduated from high school in 1946 and enrolled at Eastern Washington College of Education in Cheney, where she met Bill Bennett, whom she married in 1947. After graduation, Irene taught in Brewster and Spokane. The family moved to Yakima, Medford, Ephrata and then to Salem, where Bill and Irene resided for 38 years. In 2000 Irene and Bill moved to Ritzville to be near their daughter, Rena.
Irene was preceded in death by her husband Bernard (Bill) Bennett, to whom she was married 63 years, and daughter Marla Bennett, who shared her birthday and passed away just 13 days earlier. She is survived by her sister Helen Halverson of Seattle; daughters Rena (Dale) Brown and Janna Bennett of Ritzville; sons Byrne (Denise) Bennett of Medical Lake, and Linh (Tami) Bennett of East Wenatchee; and six grandchildren.
Irene was a woman of grace and dignity. If you entered her heart as a friend, you were grafted into her family and received her blessing of love and hospitality. Irene loved her Lord Jesus and shared her faith with her family and friends. When struggling with physical challenges she never complained, but rather encouraged others with her sense of humor and positive attitude. A lifelong artist, Irene loved to sketch, draw, sculpt and paint. Her artistic eye was evident in the manner in which she decorated her home. She was a wordsmith with an uncanny ability to write clever limericks and poems. At gatherings it was common for Irene to produce a thoughtfully crafted poem to read to the honoree. She encouraged her children in their creative pursuits and cheered each one as they shared their talents during the family's annual Christmas Eve program.
Irene loved to travel and treasured each of her eight visits to The Netherlands, where she, along with Dutch citizens, honored her brother, Medal of Honor recipient Joe E. Mann.
A celebration of her life will be held April 15, 2016 at Ritzville Church of the Nazarene.
ref: Ritzville Journal, April 7, 2016
See the Cenotaph here
Irene Ruth Bennett was born in Reardan, Washington on March 15, 1928, the eighth of nine children of Henry and Anna Mann. Surrounded by family, she died of natural causes in the home of her son Byrne on March 26, 2016 at age 88.
Ruth grew up on a wheat farm north of Reardan. She graduated from high school in 1946 and enrolled at Eastern Washington College of Education in Cheney, where she met Bill Bennett, whom she married in 1947. After graduation, Irene taught in Brewster and Spokane. The family moved to Yakima, Medford, Ephrata and then to Salem, where Bill and Irene resided for 38 years. In 2000 Irene and Bill moved to Ritzville to be near their daughter, Rena.
Irene was preceded in death by her husband Bernard (Bill) Bennett, to whom she was married 63 years, and daughter Marla Bennett, who shared her birthday and passed away just 13 days earlier. She is survived by her sister Helen Halverson of Seattle; daughters Rena (Dale) Brown and Janna Bennett of Ritzville; sons Byrne (Denise) Bennett of Medical Lake, and Linh (Tami) Bennett of East Wenatchee; and six grandchildren.
Irene was a woman of grace and dignity. If you entered her heart as a friend, you were grafted into her family and received her blessing of love and hospitality. Irene loved her Lord Jesus and shared her faith with her family and friends. When struggling with physical challenges she never complained, but rather encouraged others with her sense of humor and positive attitude. A lifelong artist, Irene loved to sketch, draw, sculpt and paint. Her artistic eye was evident in the manner in which she decorated her home. She was a wordsmith with an uncanny ability to write clever limericks and poems. At gatherings it was common for Irene to produce a thoughtfully crafted poem to read to the honoree. She encouraged her children in their creative pursuits and cheered each one as they shared their talents during the family's annual Christmas Eve program.
Irene loved to travel and treasured each of her eight visits to The Netherlands, where she, along with Dutch citizens, honored her brother, Medal of Honor recipient Joe E. Mann.
A celebration of her life will be held April 15, 2016 at Ritzville Church of the Nazarene.
ref: Ritzville Journal, April 7, 2016
See the Cenotaph here
Ruth grew up on a wheat farm north of Reardan. She graduated from high school in 1946 and enrolled at Eastern Washington College of Education in Cheney, where she met Bill Bennett, whom she married in 1947. After graduation, Irene taught in Brewster and Spokane. The family moved to Yakima, Medford, Ephrata and then to Salem, where Bill and Irene resided for 38 years. In 2000 Irene and Bill moved to Ritzville to be near their daughter, Rena.
Irene was preceded in death by her husband Bernard (Bill) Bennett, to whom she was married 63 years, and daughter Marla Bennett, who shared her birthday and passed away just 13 days earlier. She is survived by her sister Helen Halverson of Seattle; daughters Rena (Dale) Brown and Janna Bennett of Ritzville; sons Byrne (Denise) Bennett of Medical Lake, and Linh (Tami) Bennett of East Wenatchee; and six grandchildren.
Irene was a woman of grace and dignity. If you entered her heart as a friend, you were grafted into her family and received her blessing of love and hospitality. Irene loved her Lord Jesus and shared her faith with her family and friends. When struggling with physical challenges she never complained, but rather encouraged others with her sense of humor and positive attitude. A lifelong artist, Irene loved to sketch, draw, sculpt and paint. Her artistic eye was evident in the manner in which she decorated her home. She was a wordsmith with an uncanny ability to write clever limericks and poems. At gatherings it was common for Irene to produce a thoughtfully crafted poem to read to the honoree. She encouraged her children in their creative pursuits and cheered each one as they shared their talents during the family's annual Christmas Eve program.
Irene loved to travel and treasured each of her eight visits to The Netherlands, where she, along with Dutch citizens, honored her brother, Medal of Honor recipient Joe E. Mann.
A celebration of her life will be held April 15, 2016 at Ritzville Church of the Nazarene.
ref: Ritzville Journal, April 7, 2016
See the Cenotaph here
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