Jean Delores Bennett
HOT SPRINGS — Jean Delores Bennett, 80, of Hot Springs, died on Nov. 28, 2006, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula.
Jean was born on Dec. 10, 1925 in Mobridge, S.D., to Walter and Grace Welton. She graduated from Hot Springs High School.
Our mother had many occupations in her life, never having lacked for a job. Throughout her high school years she was her father's hired hand and made 25 cents a day. Some of the neighbor farmers also would hire Mom during hay season. She did fencing, riding, feeding, among many other chores. She worked hard all of her life.
Mom worked as an electrical component installer in airplanes for Boeing Aircraft in Everett Wash., in her early years. She also worked for Gates Rubber Plant in Denver. She waitressed, managed restaurants and bars alike. She managed the Eagles Club in Pasco, Wash., in the '50s.
She decorated cakes for sale in the '70s as well as working in the commissary on the military base, bagging groceries for tips only. She made feather jewelry, hat bands, and hats in her earlier years in order to make ends meet. She loved the years that she lived in Hawaii. She loved the culture, the beauty and the warmth of the air. She loved making a picnic lunch and going down to the beach to pick puka shells and any others she might find pretty.
She a drove school bus, was one heck of a Christmas tree baler. She loved to dance and was very good at it. Among her favorites were the jitterbug and the swing. She danced in contests in her younger years. In her later years she would often comment how much she missed it. She could whistle like an angel and when in an especially good mood would whistle for hours. She worked for nine years until this spring 2006 at Buck's grocery in Hot Springs stocking shelves, as a cashier, or just letting Mike know what he needed to do differently. Ha!
She cared for every stray animal that had the good fortune to find her front porch — cats, dogs, raccoons, bear, deer, skunks, it didn't matter — she loved them and all their beauty. If someone had a stray that needed a home, they could always call Mom because she would make sure they had one. She also had four indoor cats and a little dog that she gave a home to when one her friends, Barb, died. She cooked and baked endlessly to provide for young people trying to get on their feet, old people trying to stay off their feet, and just about anyone else that liked her good food. She would mail care packages to soldiers, too. There isn't enough space or time to share all the wonderful things about our dear mother, She will be missed tremendously by her family and close friends, but her memories of kindness, and beauty will stay with us forever.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Patricia Nielsen and her husband Oscar Smallwood.
She is survived by a daughter, Patricia Ilac of Hot Springs; two sons, Walter Bennett of Columbia Falls and William Beckner of Hot Springs; 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. in the Lonepine Hall in Lonepine.
Cremation and arrangements are by Grogan Funeral Home & Crematory of Polson.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.groganfuneralhome.com