Frances Mary (Mole) Benson

Frances Benson died June 21, 2012 at Roseburg, Ore., of natural causes. Fran was born Nov. 14, 1919 in Lawrence, Kan., to Lewis and Ida (Hayden) Mole. Her father inherited a coffee plantation in Costa Rica and the family lived there for several years when Fran was a young child; her two brothers, Albert and George, were born in Costa Rica. The family returned to Lawrence to live where there were many aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives.

Fran enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in April 1943. She trained in airplane mechanics and was stationed at Santa Barbara, Calif. Fran loved to sew and dance and she sewed costumes and choreographed dance routines for shows at the base. She was assigned to the airplane engine shop and on her first day, she told the Sergeant of the engine shop, Carl “Benny” Benson, to “go to hell” when he expressed his opinion of women in the Marine Corps; nevertheless, they were married in August 1944, the marriage lasting almost 60 years until Carl’s death in 2004.

After the war, Fran and Carl moved to Whitefish, where Carl’s family lived; they later moved to Kalispell. They raised four children: Carol, Larry (“Butch”), Barbara and Michael. Fran was active in 4-H and loved to garden and sew; she sewed many clothes for Carol and Barbara as they were growing up, and later on, for the grandchildren. She also did beautiful embroidery and crochet and other handwork.

After retirement, Carl and Fran traveled extensively in their motor home. Fran moved to Canyonville, Ore., after Carl’s death, close to where her daughter, Carol, lives. As her health declined, she moved to Manor House in Roseburg, where she lived until her death.

Fran was predeceased by her brothers, Albert and George, and granddaughter, Wendy McMurdo. She is survived by her sister, Evelyn Curtis, of Williamsburg, Va.; daughter Carol and her husband, Dick Hubley, of Riddle, Ore.; sons Butch and Mike and his wife, Donella, of Kalispell and daughter Barbara and her husband David Neumann of Libby as well as seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Fran and Carl both wanted to be cremated without service and their ashes scattered privately after Fran’s death.