Marjorie Beneke (1920-2006)
BENEKE, MATHER, BUTKOWSKI, WATERS, KEES
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 2/26/2006 at 07:30:30
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Friday, February 24, 2006.
Marjorie Laurene (Mather) Beneke, a long-time resident of Ames, died Thursday, Feb. 23, in Roseville, Minn., of complications from Parkinson's disease. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at Collegiate United Methodist Church in Ames.
Beneke was born on April 1, 1920, on the family farm near Laurens, in Pocahontas County. She graduated from Laurens High School in 1937, and attended Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), receiving a teaching certificate in 1939. She taught elementary school in Otho, Sibley, Rockwell City and Ames. She was a summer employee at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., working as a cryptographer during World War II.
She married Raymond Rudolph Beneke, also of Laurens, Sept. 5, 1948, at Laurens Methodist Church. They had two children, Janet, born in 1951, and Patricia, born in 1955. After her marriage, she spent several years as a full-time mother and homemaker. In the late 1960s, she resumed her college studies, and in 1970, she received a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University, with a major in textiles and clothing. Subsequently, she was employed by the Ames Public School system as a teacher's aide at Sawyer Elementary School. She also was actively engaged in supporting the professional activities of her husband in the Department of Economics at Iowa State University.
She traveled in Europe, Central and South America, Africa and Asia. She was a member of Economics Women, Faculty Women's Club, PEO, the Ames Choral Society, and Collegiate United Methodist Church. She was an accomplished seamstress, enjoyed singing, gardening and entertaining, and had a talent for working with children.
She is survived by two daughters, Janet Beneke of Roseville, Minn., and Patricia Beneke of McLean, Va.; two sons-in-law, Ralph Butkowski and Robert Waters; three grandchildren, Ann Butkowski, Laura Waters, and Kathleen Waters; one sister, Mary Kees; one brother, William Mather; and 28 nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond R. Beneke; her parents, Katherine Charlotte (Roewe) Mather and William Ray Mather; and two brothers, Robert Mather and Charles Mather.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Children's Programs at Living History Farms, 2600 111th St., Urbandale, IA, 50322; or the Laurens Public Library Foundation (Raymond and Marjorie Beneke Endowment) 273 N. Third St., Laurens, IA, 50554.
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