Arlene R. Bennett

Arlene Rose Petersen Bennett passed away on August 9, 2024 and was born July 2, 1933, in Warrens, Wisconsin. Warrens is an outpost, mainly known for growing cranberries. She was born to a family on a dirt farm during the depression, and had two older brothers, who treated her like another brother. The farm she grew up on, next to her grandparents, whom she would often visit, had no electricity or running water, and had an outhouse, which was often the source of hilarity. 

She would speak of walking miles to school with her brothers, all trudging to the one room schoolhouse, and they might see a snake on the road. Her brothers would tease her for not being able to jump over it. They went to movies in the closest coagulate of houses called the town, and the movies were shown on a big sheet hung on the side of a building. They walked there several miles. They saved up pennies for popcorn.

She would tell a story of pilots training for World War II at Volk Field, and they would drop bags of flower out of the planes to get a sense of how that process worked as the bags of flour would explode on the ground. The pilots would fly over their farm and drop their bags as the kids were playing in the field. They would hide in the bushes when they heard them coming. As the planes flew back to base, she and her brothers would run out into the field and wave, and the pilots would tip their wings to say hello. When there wasn’t much left to do in Warrens, the family packed up what they could in a truly Beverly Hillbillies like Jalopy and drove to Beloit, Wisconsin. There the family grew adding a little brother and little sister.

In Beloit, Edward Bennett became best friends with her older brothers. Little did she know as a young girl that eventually Edward would become the love of her life.

In high school, a representative of local industry came into her classroom and asked if anyone would be interested in learning how to draft blueprints. Arlene threw her hand in the air, releasing her from her job at Woolworths.

After Ed returned from Greenland, as an engineer building an airbase to protect us from the Russians, they were married. They had four beautiful children. Ed and Arlene left Beloit for Meadville, PA. After stressful years of being the city manager there, they returned to Wisconsin and settled in Watertown. They lived happily for the rest of their lives in Watertown, launching their children. 

While in Meadville, Arlene felt a need for deeper meaning in her life and returned to school to become an LPN. When she landed in Watertown, she wanted to work, but Ed was resistant to the idea. Eventually, as all her children were now self-sufficient, she left a note on Ed’s car seat at work saying that she either gets to work outside the home, or she’s leaving. Ed said it was the best decision they ever made. They used the extra money to travel, which they did often and deeply. Ed And Arlene participated in many work trips to build schools in underdeveloped countries. They also became quite agile in traveling to other countries for fun. They loved to travel. 

Arlene worked in the infirmary at Bethesda Lutheran Home for years, which was a residential setting for developmentally disabled folks. She often worked the night shift, and with one other partner, took care of many residents. She became very proficient she said, at changing sheets, and diapers on adults. Arlene found great meaning in her work and was revered by coworkers. Arlene was soft and shy, but also fierce. She wrote poetry, which she only sparingly shared. She tried hard to make food her family would eat and experimented with every kind of Jello whipped cream parfait the 70’s could present. She quietly supported many. She loved Kentucky Fried chicken. She was humble, compassionate, and always willing to take in strays.

Arlene is survived by daughters Nancy (Dean) Baumgardner, Janice (Terry) Turke, and sons David (Ginny) Bennett, and Steven Bennett, and Bolivian exchange daughter, Ximena Rivera; grandchildren Danielle Schmidt, Corrie Bennett, Kaitlin (Pete) Young, and Alexa (Sean) Gibbons; and three great-grandchildren, Wesley and Quincy Young, and Jackson Gibbons. The family is so grateful to the staff at Park Terrace, Marquardt for their loving care. The family will gather in the fall to celebrate both Arlene and Ed. If you wish, contribute in her honor to any group that helps struggling people or animals. 

You will be missed Arlene. Go find Dad.