Benita J. Sankey 1911-2007

BLACKBURN, SANKEY, VAN BROCKLIN, KING

Posted By: N. Wagner (email)
Date: 10/7/2007 at 13:45:42

Benita J. “Slo Freight Ben” Sankey, 96, of the Buchanan County Healthcare Center in Independence, formerly of Jesup, died Friday, September 28 at her daughter’s home in Raymond of natural causes.

She was born March 22, 1911 in Lamont, daughter of Ray F. and Susie M. Miner Blackburn. She married Donald Sankey December 25, 1931 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. He preceded her in death on October 15, 1956.

Mrs. Sankey was an LPN, employed as a private duty nurse for 15 years, retiring in 1976. She was in the first graduating class of LPN’s at the Hawkeye Institute of Technology in 1957. Benita was dubbed Slo Freight Ben Grand Duchess of the Hobos in 1981, and was elected Queen of the Hobo’s at the National Hobo Convention in Britt in 1984, 1989 and 1999. She was proclaimed Iowa Hobo Queen for Life and in 2007 was proclaimed Keeper of the Unknown Hobo Grave. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Jesup, the Izaak Walton League, and the National Hobo Association.

Survivors include one son, George (Charlene) Sankey of Indianola; one daughter, Carole (Lester) Van Brocklin of Raymond; one sister, Verniece King of Allison; 23 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Leslie Sankey; twin granddaughters; and two brothers, Richard and Hubert Blackburn.

Services were held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church in Jesup, with cremation to follow. Memorials may be directed to the family.

Kearns, Huisman-Schumacher Chapel on Kimball in Waterloo was in charge.

Independence Bulletin Journal
October 3, 2007