Funeral services: will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.
Interment: will follow in the Custer County Cemetery in Miles City.
MarieBenge, age 92, of Miles City passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at the Holy Rosary Extended Care in Miles City.
Viola Marie MannBenge was born February 28, 1916 in Missouri. Robert and Susie (Robison) Mann had moved to Spring Creek (Powderville area) in Eastern, Montana. They thought it better if Susie would return to family and a more settled area to give birth to her first baby.
Marie liked to learn and enjoyed taking care of her siblings while her dad and mom worked the land and livestock. Grade school was a horseback ride away. In order to go to high school, Marie boarded and worked in homes in Miles City. Marie attended Normal School at Eastern Montana College in Billings, followed by seven years of formal teaching. Marie came with her friend Lucille Bird to theCoalwood community to teach school for two years and stayed with Fred and Lois Janssen. She then taught the Divide School, which wasmile from the Benge homestead, where she met Dale. For three years she taught at the Washington School in Miles City before marrying Dale. Her second year of marriage was spent teaching Spring Creek School because their first crop was hailed out and this was a way to supplement their income. There was nothing that Marie enjoyed more than teaching children and she continued to do so as she substituted at the country school, taught Sunday School and vacation Bible School.
At the age of fourteen, Marie went behind a grain bin and asked Jesus to be her personal Lord and Savior. When asked why she went there, she says, I wanted to be alone because I knew that it was a personal thing. Just between God and me. From that point on Marie studied her Bible and made a deep study of what the Bible taught that a person who loves Jesus should do. Their Pastor rode horse back to the rural areas to teach Gods Word to the country people. That same Pastor taught in Dales country church fifty miles away. By June 10, 1942 Marie was in love with DaleBenge and committed to spend the rest of her life with him. Living, working, and loving on the farm that Dales mother homesteaded was Maries life and a delight as she sought the Lords counsel and His joy to fill her days. She would be the first to tell you that it was the Lord who gave her and Dale strength to meet the challenges, the wisdom to make decisions, the ability to rejoice and the One who created in her a pure heart and renewed a steadfast spirit within her (Psalm 51:10.) At the time of Maries 89th birthday, she applied this verse following a long day of celebrating. After praying she says, Praying just gets things right.
Marie served as president of the Powder River Parish which was formed to unite the county as a closer church unit. She received the Unsung Hero award from the state WIFE organization for work with the Agriculture in the Schools program. Supporting 4-H members, encouraging youth in music and helping a young person know their potential were delightful times in Maries life. She also loved to dance and be a part of Dales music. How Dale and Marie enjoyed the fairs in Broadus and Miles City. They were honored in 1996 when the Powder River County Fair Book was dedicated to them. The Coalwood Ladies Aid and the Coalwood Community Church and their families filled Dale and Maries lives with love and purpose. Dale and Marie loved their children and grandchildren dearly. Those families lived many miles away, so Marie would write letters and make little booklets with family pictures and family stories and send decorated molasses and apple cookies.
Dwayne Dale was killed in a horse accident when he was eight years old. Joyce lives with her husband, Jerry, on the home place at Volborg. Bruce with his wife, Beverly, live in Coeur d Alene, Idaho and Janet with husband, Randy Ek, live in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Her seven grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren are a delight to her heart. Marie is also survived by sister-in-law Ruby Mann, sister EthelMcSweyn, brother Russell (Arlene) Mann, brother Edward (Marcia) Mann, and brother Larry Mann, Dales sister Vera Archer, and Dales brother Milton (Hughette) and their families.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 2003, her son, and her brother Harold.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to: Your Network of Praise, 99.5 FM Miles City, PO Box 2426, Havre, MT 59501 or to Trails End Bible Camp, PO Box 460, Ekalaka, MT 59324-0460.
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