Mary Anne Branstetter Benton was born on August 24, 1933, the daughter of Prescott and Helen Branstetter. On the morning of October 2, 2018, surrounded by her family, she left this earth.

Ann grew up in both Capetown and Fernbridge, was in one of the last classes of the Capetown School, and in 1951 married her high school sweetheart, Calvin Benton. They raised their four children together in Fortuna and later on the family ranch at Fernbridge.

After raising their children, Ann worked for many year as receptionist and assistant to Dr. Robert Ballinger and until her retirement for Dr. John Poovey.

After retiring, Ann appreciated a good road trip, hunting down antiques along the way that Calvin swore they had no chance of getting into the truck. She traveled with Calvin and friends and across the states and distant places. She was a woman up for an adventure. She was a lifelong book addict, reading under the covers with a flashlight as a child and continuing her love of books and reading all of her adult life.

Ann’s life was about commitment and love. She treasured her parents, loved her husband, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and even one great-great grandchild. She especially loved her brothers Phil and Bill, with whom she showed great patience.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays, wedding showers, baby showers, or just our regular huge family dinners, nothing was beyond Ann’s willingness to share her home and her time with family, extended family and friends. She opened her heart and her home to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, spent time them, babysat them, disciplined them – they adored her, she adored them.

There was a lot to this woman. She endured personal loss and great tragedy. She was tough, she was feisty, she was fun, she did not suffer fools, but above all, she was kind.

Ann will be missed by her family and friends in a way hard to express in words.

God bless her. God Speed.

Ann is survived by her husband of 67 years, Calvin, her children Sandra Chase (Dennis), Mike Benton (Joyce), Steve Benton (Debbie); her grandchildren Dennis Chase Jr., Sara Chase Gossi, Jessica Benton Stokesberry, Jason Benton, Tiffany Benton Mikos, Michelle Hayward Quattlebaum, Matt Hayward and Johnathan Benton; 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Ann was preceded and death by her parents Prescott and Helen Branstetter, her son David and her brother Phil Branstetter.

Graveside services will be conducted Saturday Oct. 6 at 11 a.m. at Newburg Cemetery in Fortuna.

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