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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
December 3, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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December 3, 2020
 
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Page A-32 — Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 Obituaries I . \ Jean Lavonne Benedict “It takes a to loved members of the SUMC community. Over the years she spent her shape — Unknown time promoting the choir, the organ, the bell choir and the many youth programs. She was a member of the Shelton United Methodist Women, Jean Lavonne Benedict was above all an ed— Eve-Circle and an immense advocate of SUMC Soup and Sound and ucator. She began her teaching career in 1960, Vacation Bible School. in Truesdale, Iowa. She taught in classrooms in After several years of teaching and eventually gaining a Master’s West Branch, IA, Iowa City, IA, Pacific Grove, Degree in education from Portland State University she retired from CA, Westbury, NY, Olympia, WA and Shelton, teaching in the mid 90’s to spend time with her grandchildren and to WA. Her love of children resonated loud and begin years of traveling adventures with her husband Eugene. They clear. As a young mother she launched various road-tripped for years to visit family and to see the beautiful parts of cooperative preschools in an old burned down the North America, including several trips to Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, estate in NY, a friend’s cabin in Olympia, WA Tennessee, Alaska, Florida, and eventually made Jean’s dream trip and eventually the Shelton cooperative pre- and drove to Maine in the fall to watch the colors change. school originally in Kamilche, WA. She spent She was also an avid sports‘fan, especially college and high school her retirement years volunteering in her friends sports. She was also a li fetime supporter of the Seattle Supersonics, De and grandchildren’s classrooms in Olympia and Shelton, including the Mariners, and the Seahawks. She was the number one fan for each mt Bordeaux, Pioneer, Mt. View, Griffin, Hansen, Garfield, and Marshall of her children, grandchildren, and neighbors, attending thousands be‘ Middle School’s. of youth football, baseball, basketball and volleyball games and often W? Known to many as a beloved teacher, Jean was also a patron of the practices over the years. She was a long-time supporter of the Shelton hu arts, a treasured local volunteer, a faithful member of the Shelton High School booster club where she promoted and supported all extra— b,” United Methodist Church, and a devoted grandmother and mother to curricular activities for local students. “fl many. From the words of her closest friend “She was a remarkable per- Among her passions was the love of the performing arts, including wa son, always kind, caring, positive, capable, funny and much more . . . advocating to bring Junior Programs to Shelton, a theater experience ] she was a joy to be around.” for all local students to attend each year. She attended many Broad- m0 Jean passed away on November 21, 2020 of natural causes at the way musicals with her family in Seattle and was a patron to local the- for age of 81.She was born July 5, in Correctionville, Iowa to George atre companies in Shelton and Olympia. She hosted many local trav— . Be} and Mary Rutter, where she spent her early life as a farm girl near eling groups in her home over the years, and supported all musical 1y Tilden Township, Iowa until graduating in 1957 from Grand Meadow and performing arts opportunities for her children and grandchildren. V'a' School as one of 10 total students in the graduating class. She spent Her grandchildren all speak of their favorite memories of attending the Ma time a youth on her family farm, enjoying time with her many cousins, Singing Christmas Tree each year with grandma. am training to play classical piano and the French horn, and as an athlete Jean wrote the following for her 80th birthday celebration: “I was th‘? playing basketball, softball, and volleyball while faithfully attending thinking about a line from Fiddler on the Roof it starts “If 'I were a rich D a the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church near Marcus, Iowa. man.” Would I have grown up on a small farm in Iowa with two fine Ra] She then attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, IA where she parents, George and Mary who worked hard to make a better life for ' Bel studied early education and where she met and married a young scien- their family? They sent me to school, even when the going was tough, Ha‘ tist Lawrence Eickstaedt who lured her away from Iowa in pursuit of for what they hoped would be a better life for me. I was fortunate to [ higher education opportunities. Jean and Larry lived in Storm Lake, become a teacher and touch many lives and for that I will always be ' L IA, West Branch, IA, Palo Alto, CA, where their son John was born in grateful. So “If I were a rich man,” I feel as though I am among the 1964, Monterey, CA, the College of old Westbury in Long Island, NY, richest of the rich.” before settling in near Olympia, WA where Larry took a position as She was preceded in death by husband, Eugene Benedict, her par- one of the first faculty of the Evergreen State College. They eventually ents, her brother Douglas Rutter, and her sister-in-law Carol Rutter. C bought a small farm outside of Shelton, WA while adding two more She is survived by her children, John and Chris Eickstaedt of Shel- hon children to the family Chris in 1970 and Rachel in 1975. She loved her ton, WA and Rachel Dreon and her children Roger Schuettke, Mason c life on the farm where she spent quality time with her children, time Dreon and Cooper Dreon of Olympia, WA; siblings Tom (Linda) Rut- ter" i with the many animals, evénings hosting dinner parties for staff and ter of Cherokee, Iowa, and Betty Rutter of Marcus, Iowa; step-children fin f friends from the Evergreen State College community, weekends enjoy- Cheryl Grandstaff and Eugenia Wilson of Norton, OH, J0 Benedict mag] ing the outdoors and the northwest beaches, and as much time as pos- of Algona, WA, Dennis Benedict (Joyce) of Holland, MI, Tony Bene- Ole sible with her new neighbors a d lifelong good friends Mark and Sheila dict (Prapha) of Shelton, WA, including9 step-grandchildren, 15 great C Schmidt of Shelton, WA. ' grandchildren and soon to be 3 great great grandchildren; and extended saic Jean joined the Shelton United Methodist Church (SUMC) soon family Bonnie Irwin of Marcus, Iowa and Nancy and Maxcell Spriggs of out after moving to Shelton, where years later she met husband Eugene Kingsley, Iowa. ma] kBenedict while singing in the church choir. She and Eugene were be- deli c0111 . . . . . t . LerS Franklin Dean, 67, a res1dent of McCleary, WA, With ties to pu I Gary way He Ballentlne Mason County and the Shelton Community, died November 21, 2020, 51:: Gary Wayne Ballentine, 68’ passed away in November, 2020 He at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, WA. Arrangements are by c was a resident of Hoodsport, WA. Gary loved and enjoyed all activi- Forest Funeral Home and Crematory $811: tles that, “an”? had to foer- I h 1 Tina Marie Dahl, 64, a resident of Shelton, died November 20, 2020, She: Gary ls sumved by hls mqther Elmorpalt‘m’ dau’g ter Jamle Ba at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. Arrangements are‘by McComb & ' Sea: lentine Jones, five Sisters, Kitty Palmer, Sandra Sparkman, Barbara , Olson, Betsy Fillicelli and Mary Jenkins, one brother Robert Dalton. wagner Famfly Funeral Home and crematory' A119 A130, 15fIIieC§S 311(2111119P29YVS, in: 2353192313 nieces and nephews; 1111' William Fisher, 82, a resident of Grapeview, WA, died November 23, 2:5, .merous men s, an is e ove og iese . ~ ' His two brothers Richard Dean and James Ballentine passed away 2020’ at home' Arrangements are by Mécqmb & wagner Famlly Funeral O Brim. to his death. Home and Crematory. Had Grace N McKinney-Neville, 83, a resident of Shelton, died Novem- 32:: ber 20, 2020, at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, WA. Arrange- O M :‘ ments are by McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory. has C gmgfialfdzlte (eligiéngélmi 1:33"): Alana?“ Dagsrlgégz'gEZO' 1? Robert Low, 99, a resident of McCleary, died November 28, 2020,Aat V a??? e ra ion 0 ma s 1 e is eing e a 1ss10nary lance urc , . - _ Ar t 314 E “J” S tree t, Shelton, W A, Saturday, January 16th, 2021, at 1:30 the Beehive Ass1sted Living fac111ty in McCleary rangemen s are by \ pm McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory. .Ronald Lee Cox, 79, a resident of Lilliwaup, died November 21, James Bayly’ 59’ a reSident 0f GrapeVieW’ died Novembfgr 28’ 2020’ 2020, at Providence St. Pete’s. Arrangements are by McComb & Wagner at home- Arrangements are by IMccomb & Wagner Famlly Funeral Family Funeral Home and Crematory. . Home and Crematory. Randy Lee Wallin, 64, a resident of Shelton, died November 20, 2020, at home. Arrangements are by McComb & Wagner Family Fu- neral Home and Crematory. Paula Naikelis, 56, a resident of Hoodsport, died N ovember 29, 2020, at home. Arrangements are by McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory. .