Bonnita Yvonne Benjamin

Bonnita Yvonne Silvers Benjamin

Bonnita Yvonne Vogel Silver Benjamin of Plano, Texas, peacefully left this world to join her Lord and Savior on Jan. 15, 2004. Memorial services were held Jan. 18, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Plano.

Bonnita Yvonne was the elder daughter of the late Arthur F. and Bonnita E. Reed Vogel and was born in Lusk, Wyoming on May 24, 1922. She received her elementary and high school education in Lusk, graduating as Valedectorian of her class in 1940. Like many others of that generation, she began working in her father's newspaper, THE LUSK FREE LANCE, helping to support her family. She was named queen of the Jr. Prom in high school and was honored queen of Bethel, Jobs' daughters in Lusk. She was also employed at the J. C. Penney store in Lusk prior to attending the University of Wyoming where she majored in both music and piano. Later she taught in two rural schools in Niobrara County; the Christian-Kraft and Larson-Hales schools, which required that she ride bareback. While teaching, she had a hot lunch program to ensure her pupils had a hot meal during the cold and stormy winter months.

She and William C. Silvers were married April 10, 1944 in San Francisco, while his ship the USS CALIFORNIA was in for repairs. He had been employed at the Midwest Hardware Store in Lusk before entering the Navy. They were the parents of three daughters; Cheryl Lynn, Bonnita Christine and Sandra Kay. Yvonne was a member of the Congregational Church in Lusk from 1938-1952. The family lived in various places in California and Washington State.

She later married to Gerald Franklin Benjamin. She was employed by the County of Orange for fifteen years; worked at Norton Air Base and the Red Cross.

Yvonne's later years were just as varied. However, one thing never varied and that was her deep faith in God. While she began her courageous battle with breast cancer in 1981, she never let it get her down. She considered herself very fortunate to have loved two husbands, both of whom preceded her in death.

Left to cherish her memory are daughters; Cherie and husband Jack; Bonnita Berger and husband Jeff; and Sandie Silvers; four grandchildren Sean and Jeff Werten both of California ; Kari Austin of Chicago; and Cody Silvers of Plano; five great grandchildren: Nicole Austin, Christian and Sydney Werten; and Austin and Ashley Werten; three nieces: Vicki Pinneo, Debra Millard, and Stacy Baribeau; two nephews: Artie Johnson and Kevin Baribeau; two sisters: Gloria Vogel Johnson of Wheatland and Linda Baribeau of Leavenworth, Kansas; brother-in-law Glen Silvers of San Diego.

She was preceded in death by a brother Charles Vogel in 1997, her parents Arthur and Bonnita Vogel; step-mother, Ada A. Vogel and her grandparents Alice Marie Worthen Reed and Albert D. Reed who were early homesteaders in Wyoming and Charles Frederick and Sarah Doenges Vogel and brother-in-law Donald E. Johnson.

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