Eleanor Benningfield, age 88, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at her Haysville home, with her family by her side.
Eleanor was born March 14, 1934, in Ash Flat, Arkansas, to James and Edith McEndree. As the second of eight children she spent her younger years on her family farm picking cotton and working the fields. She would often say that those years were what gave her the work ethic she possessed throughout her life.
Eleanor married Neil Lynn Benningfield on June 15, 1974. Eleanor had two daughters, Patricia and Monica. She had three grandsons, Richard, Brandon, and Caleb. She also was blessed with two great-grandsons, Braden and Decklin.
Eleanor held several jobs throughout her lifetime as a sheet metal mechanic in the aircraft industry, but there was one job she held above all others. She spent her life being the devoted matriarch of the family. She would do anything and everything to ensure that her family was taken care of. There was no other job she took more pride in than being a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Most people have hobbies to enthuse themselves but Eleanor’s dedication to her family left little time for personal hobbies.
Eleanor was a devout Christian who had an unbreakable faith in God. She is survived by her husband Neil, daughter Monica, three grandsons, and two great-grandsons. She is preceded in death by her Mother and Father, seven brothers and sisters, and her daughter Patricia.
Eleanor will be most remembered for the ability to forgive and love no matter the circumstance and the ability to instill that quality in others.
Visitation will be Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 10 a.m. at Smith Mortuary in Haysville. Funeral services will be held after the visitation, beginning at 11 a.m. Graveside services will follow at White Chapel Memorial Gardens.