— Louise Bennett peacefully went home to be with her lord Friday, October 14, 2011. She was born on February 4, 1919 in Morgan County, Missouri, the first of ten children born to Roy and Goldie Turner. She married Hadley Bennett in 1941 and raised four children while living in Fort Smith, Arkansas; Liberty, Missouri; Fort Gibson, Oklahoma; Sallisaw, Oklahoma, and Muskogee, Oklahoma. 

Louise and Hadley were instrumental in starting the Association for Retarded Citizens in Muskogee. She then served as President and on the Board of Directors for MARC for many years. Together they created and maintained Camp Bennett, which is now operated by the BEST Center. Louise and Hadley also created the Ronnie Bennett scholarship for academic seniors football players at MHS. This scholarship has been awarded for the past 41 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Hadley Bennett; son, Ronnie Bennett; sister, Nina Carver; and brother, Ray Turner.

Louise is survived by her son, Keith Bennett and wife Jackie and daughter Taylor Sipes of Muskogee; daughter, Carol Battenfield and husband Richard of Muskogee; son, Jerry Bennett and wife Ann of Flagstaff, AZ; grandson, Brook and wife Carrie Bennett and their four children Caylie, Robert, Tatum, and Chad of Arizona; granddaughter, Brendi and husband Mike Schmieder and their children Devon, Demi and Dayli of Arizona; five sisters, Mildred Moon of Missouri, Irene McNeal of Missouri, Hilda Moon of Missouri, Doris Buss of Missouri and Virginia Wells of Oregon; and two brothers, Marvin Turner and Clifford Turner both of Missouri.

Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at First Baptist Church with Reverend Rex Wilkinson and Reverend Bill Crow officiating. Interment will follow at Greenhill Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Don Wilson, Bruce Shropshire, Charlie Bowman, Fred Haynes, Jesse Dearman, and Frank Borovetz. Honorary Pallbearers will be the members of the Joy Sunday School Class.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to either Ronnie Bennett Scholarship Fund, 3501 River Oaks Dr. Muskogee, OK 74403 or Camp Bennett, 202 W. Broadway, The BEST Center, Muskogee, OK 74401.

Funeral services are under the direction of Cornerstone Funeral Home and Crematory, 1830 N. York St. Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Condolences may be made to the family at www.cornerstoneofmuskogee.com