Joy D Bennett

Funeral Services for Joy D. Bennett will be held Monday, March 12, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Kearney Evangelical Free Church in Kearney, Nebraska with Pastor Brian Klein officiating.  Interment will be held at 2:30 p.m. at the Highland Cemetery in Bertrand, Nebraska, following the service.

Joy Diane Bennett, 73 years of age, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, March 5, 2018 at the Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege, Nebraska.  Joy was born December 27, 1944, in Holdrege, the youngest of four children born to Kenneth Phillip and Cornelia Maybell Ruth (Peterson) Vaughn.  She graduated from Bertrand Community High School with the class of 1963. Following graduation, she stayed at home with her children, worked at the Bank of Bertrand for 31 years, cooked for the senior center, and kept books for Bennett Construction.

On April 4, 1964 Joy was united in marriage to Larry Bennett at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bertrand, and to this union four children were born: Craig, Carrie, Kristi and Kelly.

She enjoyed tending to her gardens, mowing yards, fixing hair, sewing, mending clothes, serving residents at the nursing home, and sharing her delicious food with everybody she ever knew.  Joy devoted many volunteer hours to help family, friends, strangers and especially her children and grandchildren.  She will be remembered as a caring person who made people feel important and loved. Joy lived out her name perfectly!

Joy was a member of Kearney Evangelical Free Church, where she served as a greeter.  She loved the Lord and never hesitated to share her faith by attending Bible studies, meeting with women groups, and numerous daily calls to check in on people.

She was preceded in death by her parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law:  Claude and Marian (Grafe) Bennett.

Joy leaves behind to celebrate her life; her husband of 54 years, Larry Bennett of Bertrand; her children:  Craig Bennett and his wife, Audrey of Kearney, Kristi Mattley and her husband, Randy of Papillion, Nebraska, Carrie Sterner and her husband, Scott of Madison, Wisconsin and Kelly Bennett of Dallas, Texas; 10 grandchildren:  Jonah Bennett, Nolan Bennett, Rachel Mattley, Matthias Mattley, Jared Mattley, Hannah (Sterner) Davis and husband Garrett, Zachariah Sterner, Elizabeth Sterner, Isaac Sterner, Aaron Sterner; two sisters:  Karen Burgeson and her husband, John of Fort Collins, Colorado and Kathleen Laaker and her husband, Leroy of Arlington, Nebraska; one brother, Stan Vaughn and his wife, Connie of Bertrand; sister-in-law, Jeannette Nelson and her husband, David of Bertrand; brother-in-law:  James Bennett and his wife, LaDonna of Bertrand; along with a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 11, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

A memorial has been established in Joy's honor and kindly suggested to the family for later designation.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.