Adele Bennett

Louise Adele Hutchinson Bennett was born on October 5, 1932, in Colorado City, Texas, the only child of Homer L. "Hutch" Hutchinson and Margaret Larue "Muff" Sandusky Hutchinson. She died May 4, 2022, in College Station, Texas.

Adele graduated from Colorado City High School in 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from North Texas State University in 1953. She met Owen B. Bennett when his geophysical crew came to work in Mitchell County, and they married on September 12, 1953, in Colorado City. To this union four children were born: Curtis Owen Bennett, Elizabeth Leigh Bennett, Paul Lowry Bennett, and Marilyn Adele Bennett.

Moving frequently for Owen's career in oil exploration, the family lived in North Dakota, Kansas, South Dakota, Canada, Montana, Australia, Oklahoma, and Texas. Following Owen's death in 1990, Adele took up birding as a serious hobby, traveling the world to see raptors in their habitats. Destinations included Costa Rica, Hungary, India, Kenya, Mexico, and South Africa. In 2010 she moved to College Station to be close to her daughter Liz. For many years, she spent summers in Montana with her daughter Marilyn.

A devoted daughter and granddaughter, Adele cared for her "Mammaw" Sallie L. Sandusky in her home for several years. A loving wife to Owen, she was a generous, nurturing mother and enthusiastic grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a gifted vocalist and piano teacher. She was a bounteous member of the United Methodist church throughout her life and, until retirement, a key participant in the church choir wherever she lived.

Adele was a dedicated member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and a big-hearted volunteer for such organizations as Houston Hospice, PFLAG, and the Audubon Society.

Adele is survived by her children: Curtis and Kelly Bennett of Westhampton Beach, NY; Liz and Max Mertz of College Station; Paul and Valarie Bennett of New York City, NY; and Marilyn Bennett of Helena, MT; grandchildren: Max and Michelle Goldman of Ladysmith, VA; Ryan and Lexi (Goldman) Cummings of Fairfield, CT; Jacob and Claire (Mertz) Smith of Jasper, TX; Jeremy and Sallie (Mertz) Wester of Rosenberg, TX; and Will Bennett of Brooklyn, NY; great-grandchildren: Bennett and Jack Goldman, Dylan and Aiden Cummings, Adelaide and Felicity Smith, and Hutch Wester; and several nephews, nieces, and cousins.

The memorial service for Adele was held on May 7, 2022, at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Bryan, Texas. A graveside service is planned for the fall in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, at the Bennett family plot.

The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Democratic Party or to a local church, hospice, or PFLAG group.