| | VALDESE - Mr. Ralph Emanual Bennett, 89, of Granite Falls, formerly of Indianapolis, Ind., died Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, at his residence after a period of declining health. Mr. Bennett was born Sept. 4, 1919, in Boone, Iowa, to the late Pete and Jessie Trower Bennett. He was a carpenter by trade and a construction superintendent by profession for a period of 37 years. After retiring from commercial construction, he worked for Ace Hardware until age 86. Mr. Bennett was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was inducted in September 1943 and completed his basic training at Camp Perry, Va. After volunteering for amphibious training, he completed his training at Fort Pierce, Fla., and became a member of the Underwater Demolition Unit 58. He served in Algiers and Salerno and participated in Operation "Ready Fox" and the invasion of France at St. Raphael. He was honorably discharged on Dec. 24, 1945. He gave of himself by serving his community through the "Meals on Wheels" program and served as a deacon and on various committees in his church. He also volunteered his time on a mission trip to help build a hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He was a member of Morganton First Church of God and formerly a member of the 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Ind., while living there. Surviving is his wife, Ina Floice Rose Bennett of the home; a son, Stephen R. Bennett and wife, Pam, of Granite Falls; and a daughter, Rebecca Ann Adkins of Anderson, Ind. Also surviving are his eight grandchildren, Amy Bennett, Misty Miller, David Bennett, Laura Horn, Joshua Wiesenauer and wife, Amy, Rachel Bilbrey and husband, Devin, Elizabeth Adkins, Jessie Adkins, and his five great-grandchildren, Sarah James, Nathan James, Jordan Horn, Mea Wiesenauer and Alexis Wiesenauer. He was loved and will forever be missed by his family and friends. The funeral service for Ralph E. Bennett will be held at 11 a.m. Friday Jan. 9, 2009, at Morganton First Church of God. The Rev. Don Blankenship will be officiating, with military honors conducted by American Legion Post 234 of Valdese. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, at Heritage Funeral Service in Valdese, where the body will remain until placed in the church 30 minutes prior to the service. Memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Caldwell County, 902 Kirkwood St., NW, Lenoir, N.C. 28645. An online guest book and obituary are available at www.heritagefuneralservice.com. Heritage Funeral Service and Crematory is assisting the Bennett family.
Published in the Hickory Daily Record on 1/7/2009 |
| | Posted 1/5/2009 6:00 AM - 1 View - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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