Mary E. Benes was born in Missouri on Dec. 6, 1924, and passed away at Bethany House on Aug. 10, 2022, at the age of 97.
Mary graduated Ironton High School in Ironton, Missouri in 1942 and attended Nurses Training at St. Louis City Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri; she also graduated with a B. S. in Nursing from the College of Saint Francis in Joliet, Illinois, in 1979.
Mary started her nursing career at St. Louis City Hospital upon graduating from nurses training
and remained there until the early 50’s when she stopped working to raise a family. From 1960 to 1995, Mary continued her career as a nurse, nurse instructor, and supervisor with a career that
includes stops at Stephens College Clinic, Columbia, Missouri; Saint Mary’s Hospital, Clayton, Missouri; and St. John’s Mercy Hospital in Washington, Missouri. Mary lived for 3 years in Memphis, Tennessee, before moving to Auburn in May of 2021 to be near her son Philip and granddaughter Victoria.
Mary’s passion was reading. From the time she learned to read as a little girl until shortly before
her death at 97 years old, she spent most of her leisure time curled up with a good book. She
especially enjoyed Christian and historical novels.
Mary was a committed follower of Jesus Christ and that trait was easily recognized in her kind,
gentle, and friendly demeanor. She will be missed by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Benes, whom she married in November of 1948; son, Steven and daughter-in-law Kathy; daughter-in-law Nancy; parents, Everett and Virgie Vickery; two brothers: Charles Vickery and Robert Vickery.
She is survived by her children, Mark Benes (Mary), Tulsa, Oklahoma; Philip Benes, Auburn; and
Carol Buzolich (Paul), Boliva, North Carolina. She is also survived by sisters Virginia White, Ironton, Missouri; and Carol Jean Rinehart, St. Louis; and her brother James Vickery, Ironton. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Visitation was held Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, in the Parlor at Frederick-Dean Funeral
Home from 6 to 8 p.m.
Graveside service will be held at Town Creek Cemetery in Auburn, on Aug. 18, 2022 at 10 a.m.