Lorna M. Bennett

Lorna Mae Bennett was born to Lloyd Walker and Bernita Cooley on July 23, 1931 in Burley Idaho.  She passed away on March 24, 2021 in Medford. Oregon. Lorna was a graduate of Riverside Polytechnic High School in Riverside, CA. She received her license as hairdresser and cosmetician from the California Board of Cosmetology.   

Lorna married Claire Bennett on February 4, 1956, in Orange County, CA. They moved to Ophir, OR in 1961 where they gardened and raised animals on a small farm.  In 1978 they moved to Bandon.

Lorna managed to raise four children while working outside the home. She worked at Children’s Services, the Gold Beach police department, and later as bookkeeper for Stadelman’s Home Center in Bandon.

Lorna was an active member of the PTA, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Gold Beach and later at Holy Trinity Church in Bandon, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister. She also supported her husband, Claire, in his activities with the Knights of Columbus and Pro-Life. 

Lorna enjoyed traveling to Lake Tahoe, Cabo San Lucas, and Hawaii. She also enjoyed camping every summer with children and grandchildren. She loved to play scrabble, word puzzles, and especially bingo which she was able to play daily her final years. She was also an incredible artist. She added an art studio to their Bandon home where she enjoyed hours of painting and teaching. Her hallways were filled with photos of her family. She loved to take pictures but never wanted to be in front of the camera. Lorna also loved her birds. She called them her children.

Lorna was preceded in death by Claire, her husband of 62 years, sisters Pat McCray of Newport Beach, CA, Viola Smith of Burley, Idaho and brother Lloyd Walker Jr. of Burley Idaho. She is survived by her children Jim and Ann (Bennett) Delong of North Bend, Dennis and Kolleen Bennett of Milton-Freewater, Bruce and Debbie Bennett of Eagle Point, and Alan and Shelly Bennett of Medford. Lorna has 8 grandchildren; Christina Ryback, Rachel DeLong, Brandon Bennett, Cody Bennett, Holly Bennett, Justin Bennett, Kati (Bennett) Funderburk and Jess (Bennett) Mannari; Great-grandchildren Cooper and JayDee Funderburk, Trinity, Blain, Calista and Jonah Bennett, Morgan and Evalynn Ryback, Liam Nyleen and Odin DeLong.

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