Erma Eckelberry Benner, 85

Erma Eckelberry Benner, 85, passed away July 3, 2005, just 22 days before her 86th birthday.

Erma Eckelberry Meade was born July 25, 1919, in Creston, in Flathead County, Montana, the youngest child born of George Garfield Meade Eckelberry and Mina May (Kinch) Eckelberry, who homesteaded in the valley in l887.

Erma lived nearly all her life in the Flathead Valley. As a young girl, she cooked for many a "thrashing crew" for her parents on their farm. She learned many adult tasks as a small child, as her parents busied about their farm.

She married Lawrence Edward Benner on June 3, 1940. Upon marriage, they moved to Sunburst, where Lawrence worked for Texaco for a number of years and where Darleen Occhiogrosso McCauley was born. They later moved to Columbia Falls to a small farm where Lonne was born.

Lawrence and Erma raised cattle, pigs, chickens and the like, while Lawrence worked in the lumber industry as a licensed steamfitter. Erma was a homemaker. She was always eager to help her nephew in the potato fields, and she hauled grain to town during harvest time, helping any relative who needed help. She and Lawrence would haul machinery for repairing, and they enjoyed smoking fish for people. They tried hard not to miss an auction sale!

She loved to garden when she was able, and she worked side by side with Lawrence at every endeavor he undertook.

They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary together June 3, 1997.

Her passions were her two children, nine grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren, other relatives and her friends.

When visiting their daughter and son-in-law and family in Washington, they loved to salmon fish, and they enjoyed camping in their motor home. They camped often with family in the Flathead.

She enjoyed painting ceramics, playing pinochle and bingo, reading, and she loved playing cribbage with Tom. He considered her a "shark" at playing crib and she loved to "crow" when she won, often teasing him of dealing off the bottom if and when he got ahead of her.

She loved baseball, and the Seattle Mariners were a favorite.

A kind and generous soul, she lived a life of simple pleasures, the love of family; the peace and joy her embroidery work gave her on the hundreds of pairs of pillow cases she created - how she enjoyed that. Often times she proudly showed drawers full of fresh sewn ones, and anyone excited at seeing the different colors and print, often left the bedroom with a pair in their hand. They were her trademark gift of love.

She greatly enjoyed the satisfaction of being with family and friends in the warmth of her home, before she endured the transition of moving from the farm to Prestige, then Assisted Living and to Heritage Place, where she passed away. She nurtured tenderly, gently and she was blessed in life and death, surrounded by the love of her family and the peaceful embrace of God's universe.

Erma had an abundance of love to give and was generous in sharing it. She loved her family and her many friends. Her positive attitude, her unbreakable spirit and her vibrant enthusiasm for life guided her through health struggles and heartache, and she inspired those who knew and loved her.

Erma leaves a legacy few can claim, but all should aspire to. She was much more than a daughter, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt, sister-in-law and friend; she was a pillar of faith and selfless in everything she did. "Her absence in our lives will leave a 'hole' that will never be filled, and she will be deeply missed by those who were privileged to know her. She enabled us to see the possibilities in anything and everything, one day at a time. Her steadfastness and perseverance reflected her hope of eternal life and glory with her savior Jesus Christ. Her profound and unshakable commitment to her Lord carried her through many uncertain events and trials."

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Lawrence E. Benner; her sisters, Margaret Logan, Ruth Olsen, Orisse Wendt, Mildred Eckelberry and Thelma Eckelberry; brothers, George Lee Eckelberry, Gerald, and Kenneth Eckelberry; and grandson, Larry Benner.

She is survived by her beloved family, daughter, Darleen, and husband, Tom McCauley, of Ferndale, Wash.; son, Lonne Benner, and wife, Susan, of Columbia Falls; granddaughters, Melody Sheehan and husband, John, of Bellingham, Wash., Diana McDonald and husband, Scott, of Ferndale, Wash., Lanae Daffern of Tucson, and Laura Hunt and husband, Doug, of Columbia Falls; granddaughters, Leesa and LaKayla Benner of Columbia Falls; grandsons, Chuck Occhiogrosso and wife, Jeanne, of Ferndale, Wash., Lance Benner and wife, Krissy, of Columbia Falls, Scott McCauley and wife, Sheila, and Ian McCauley, all of Ferndale, Wash., and Ronald, Logan and Landn Benner of the Valley; great-grandchildren, Lyndee, Bradlee and Matthew Sheehan, Tyler, Ryan and Chasen Occhiogrosso, Ashlee and Preston McDonald, Britni and Sean McCauley, Lauren and Tyler Daffern, Tristen and Dylon Benner, and Ethan Hunt; more like sisters than sisters-in-law, Audrey Wigen and husband, Byron, of Devon, and Jane McDurmont and husband of Shelby; nephew, Rod and wife, Ilo, of Columbia Falls, who we are very grateful to for their constant love and support; numerous other nephews and nieces; and cousins, Eunice and husband, Clyde Johnson, who lovingly supported Erma and kept her in supply of "goodies."

Our deep appreciation goes to Dr. Palcheck, the staff at Heritage, Pastor Newby; and her niece, Adeline Logan, who gave graciously her help, friendship and support.

Memorials may be sent to the Bad Rock Fire Department, c/o Lonne Benner, 210 Sullivan Crossroad, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.

A celebration of life for Erma Eckelberry Benner will be held at 2 p.m. July 8 at Johnson Funeral Home in Kalispell.