Bertha Jane Bennett

Bertha Jane Bennett, daughter of the late George Columbus and Alma Elizabeth (Hyder) Napier, was born March 3, 1936, in Seymour, Missouri, and went to her Heavenly home January 4, 2020, at Autumn Oaks Rehabilitation Center in Mountain Grove, Missouri. She was 83 years, 10 months, and 1 day of age.

Bertha was raised on a farm in Wright County. She was united in marriage to Jess Bennett on May 7, 1956. Three sons and one daughter were born to this union. Bertha and Jess were married 48 years before Jess’ passing in 2005.

Bertha was saved at the age of twelve in Bible School. She joined the Antioch Baptist Church at the age of 15. Growing up, she attended a small country school, Pleasant Knob, and graduated from Mansfield High School in 1953. After graduating, Bertha went to Orange, California, and spent a short time there. In July of 1955, she went to work at Tobin Hamilton Shoe Factory in Mansfield. There she met her future husband, Jess Bennett. After they married, they both continued to work until it closed in December of 1994. She went to work at Walmart in Mountain Grove in July of 1996 as a people greeter and later retired on July 9, 2008.

Bertha and Jess attended the Assembly of God Church in Mansfield and proudly raised their family in the Assembly of God faith. Bertha loved her family and treasured the memories of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved her church and enjoyed going while she could.

Later in life, she enjoyed traveling with her sisters, brother-in-law, and niece and building memories she would share with others.

Besides her parents, Bertha was preceded in death by her husband, Jess, five brothers, Otis, Gene, Olen, Howard, and Jim Napier, and four sisters, Betty Davis, Geneva Johnson, Dorothy Alexander, and an infant, Goldie Napier.

She is survived by a son, Marvin Bennett and his wife, Janita, of Mansfield, Missouri, son, Steve Bennett of Macomb, Missouri, a daughter, Jane (Bennett) Thompson and her husband, David, of Macomb, Missouri, and son, Joe Bennett of Mountain Grove, Missouri, one brother, Bill Napier of Hartville, Missouri, one sister, Patsy Glenn of Ozark, Missouri, six grandchildren, Melvin Thompson, Crystal Kilgore, Janisha Brooke, Jacob Bennett, Joshua Bennett, and Lora Coble, sixteen great-grandchildren, and a host of other relatives, friends, and church family who will miss her very much.