Jacqueline Bennett

August 12, 1928 - December 9, 2011
Vicksburg, MI

Jacqueline BennettPrint



Service

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST
St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church
5845 East W Avenue
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(269) 649-1629
Map
Web Site

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church
5845 East W Avenue
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(269) 649-1629
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Rosewood Flowers & Gifts
118 South Main St.
Vicksburg, MI 49097
(877) 649-1685
Map
Web Site

Heirloom Rose
407 S. Grand St.
Schoolcraft, MI 49087
(269) 679-3010
Driving Directions
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Jacqueline Bennett

Life Story / Obituary


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How many people do we know who read a book a week? A month? Jacqueline Bennett read a book a day – and it mattered what kind of book. In this fast-paced age, when most of us consider ourselves lucky to read a few pages of the newspaper or catch a movie, Jacqueline was a living reminder that culture is something we must work for, that we have the ability to improve ourselves through persistent and dedicated study. A real lady, Jacqueline could often be seen at the Toledo Art Museum or the opera house. Despite her ideals, however, Jacqueline was never one to set herself above others, and her friendly smile and mischievous sense of humor earned her many friends throughout her long and interesting life.

On August 12, 1928, Richard and Mary Alice (Shriner) Marzluff were blessed by the birth of their first and only child, a daughter, whom they christened Jacqueline. The Marzluff family lived in the bustling metropolis of Toledo, Ohio. This was the golden age of Toledo, when the population nearly quadrupled and industry developed rapidly. Jacqueline’s mother, Mary Alice, was at the forefront of change and progress in her capacity as the Democratic Party chairperson of Toledo. Her father, Richard, supported the family by working as a butcher.

Sadly, Jacqueline’s parents divorced when she was still quite young. As a result, Jacqueline often lived with different relatives as she was growing up. One of her least favorite experiences was living with an aunt in the country. It wasn’t the aunt to whom she objected, but rather the farm experience in general – specifically, an ill-spirited goose that enjoyed pecking at young Jacqueline. A city girl at heart, she also disliked doing farm chores such as canning.

When it came time for Jacqueline to go to school, she attended a local catholic parish school. She then completed middle school at a boarding school in Illinois before returning to Toledo to attend Central Catholic High School along with her cousin Tonie. Jacqueline and Tonie were close friends. So close, in fact, that Tonie often stole Jacqueline’s clean socks to wear when she ran out of her own. As a result, Jacqueline developed a habit of sleeping with her socks hidden under her pillow!

After high school graduation, Jacqueline stayed in her hometown of Toledo. She found a job at the Toledo Club, where she would work for many years. Not long after graduation, Jacqueline married, and over the years became the proud mother of six children: Robert, Beth, Mary, Kathleen, Jeannine and Rebecca. A dedicated and caring mother, Jacqueline raised her children to share in her wicked sense of humor and love of culture.

In addition to her responsibilities as a mother, Jacqueline was also politically active, carrying on the values she learned from her own mother. She took pride in voting in every election, until she was prevented from doing so by deteriorating health. She was also elected as the president of the local 84 H.E.R.E. Union (Hotel Employee and Restaurant Employee Union), and as such was one of the first women in the country to do so. In her free time, Jacqueline enjoyed traveling. One of her favorite trips was a three month sojourn in Germany, where her daughter Kathleen was living at the time.

As the years went by, Jacqueline became first a grandmother and then a great-grandmother many times over. At present, the count is seventeen grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren. Jacqueline loved spending time with her grandchildren, and was a fabulous “Oma” for them.

Jacqueline lived in Toledo until the age of seventy, when she moved to live with her daughter, Mary. Mary and her husband Chuck took wonderful care of Jacqueline during the nine years she lived with them. Following this period of her life, Jacqueline moved again, this time to Vicksburg to live with her daughter Kathleen.

Jacqueline Bennett was a strong and intelligent woman, dedicated to political ideals, to a life of culture, and most of all to her beloved children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by her many friends and family members.

Jacqueline A. Bennett passed away on Friday, December 9, 2011, at the age of 83. Her family includes her children, Beth (Randy) Gandy, of Toledo, Mary (Chuck) Mahurin, of CA, Kathleen (Tom) Von Eitzen, of Vicksburg, Jeannine (Jim) Van Vorce, of Toledo, and Rebecca Bennett-Spratt, of Davison; 17 grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren. She is also survived by a cousin, Joy (Army) Armstrong, of Toledo, and a close family friend, Rose Ellis, of Toledo. She was preceded in death by her son, Robert Bennett; one grandson, Colin David; and one daughter-in-law, Mary Kay Bennett.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, December 14, 2011, at 11 a.m., at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. Please visit Jacqueline’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can sign her memory book. Those who wish may make mass request to St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church.

The family is being assisted by the Life Story Funeral Home, 409 S. Main St., Vicksburg, MI 49097 (269-649-1697).

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