Klara Lucretia (Stringham) BENNETT

BENNETT, STRINGHAM, RABER, CAVE, KOCOUREK, ERIKSEN, TSCHERTER, STOTTS, DEWAR

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:54

May 2, 1900 --- June 29, 1997

Klara Lucretia Bennett, 97, a long-time resident of Dows, died at Franklin General Hospital, Hampton, on June 29, 1997. Funeral services were held Thursday, July 3, at First Presbyterian Church, Dows. Burial was in Fairview Cemetery, Dows. The Elledge Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Klara Lucretia Stringham was born May 2, 1900, on a farm in Madison Township, Madison County, Iowa. The farm, located southeast of Earlham, was the residence of her parents, Benjamin Camp Stringham and Martha Jane (Raber Cave) Stringham. She attended Pioneer and West Milton rural schools of Guthrie County and then enrolled in Stuart High School. She graduated at the top of her class in 1917, receiving an academic scholarship to attend Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls. Klara completed two years of training there before going to Otho to teach English, math, psychology and Latin and to coach girls basketball at Otho High School.

She met Harold Wesley Bennett, and they married on June 27, 1921, at Des Moines. In December of 1937 they moved to Dows, where they purchased the IGA Grocery Store. Following Harold's sudden death in August of 1952, Klara sold the business. Klara returned to Iowa State Teachers College in the spring of 1953 to complete courses to reinstate her teaching certification. In the years that followed, she taught 7th & 8th grades at Popejoy, then 5th grade at Dows. At age 63, Klara retired from teaching to be able to care for her mother.

Klara worked at the Dows Public Library as an assistant and later became the librarian. She was an active member of Senior Citizens, Community Betterment, Historical Society, American Legion Auxiliary, Morgan Study Club, Liberty Club and the Presbyterian Church.

Klara regularly volunteered as a hostess at the Dows Welcome Center, decorated bulletin boards and assisted weekly with bingo at the Dows Care Center and cheered people of all ages at area schools, nursing home and meetings as Daffy the Clown.

Surviving are two daughters, Ardeth Kocourek of Martin, South Dakota; Iris Eriksen and husband, Robert of Dows; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; three sisters-in-law; numerous nieces and ephews; a host of friends and former students. She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; three brothers - James, Ralph and Stuart Stringham; one half-sister, Ruth Tscherter; two sisters - Dorothy Stotts and Lois Dewar; son-inlaw, Frank Kocourek, Jr.

Klara requested that memorials go to the Dows Community Library, American Legion, Dows Historical Society, or Presbyterian Women's Society.

Wright County Monitor --- Clarion, Iowa
Thursday, July 3, 1997