Gloria Bennett

Gloria Bennett was born on April 18, 1935 in Liberal, Kansas, to Smiley Summerfield Sullivan and Florence Madge Engels Sullivan. She ended up living and being raised in Hardesty, Oklahoma. She graduated Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma in 1955.

She resided in Guymon, Oklahoma, until 2011, when she decided she wanted to be closer to her daughter, Deedra, and moved to Grand Junction, Colorado. For 6 years she lived in The Ridges, and then in July 2019, she moved to The Lodge at Grand Junction.

Throughout Gloria’s life, she worked as a high school business teacher, and ended up retiring in 1990, when she worked as a loan officer and credit analysist. Her one true passion was walking. She also loved to read, garden and spend time with her two grandsons.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard DeLee Bennett, whom she married in 1955, her parents, Smiley Summerfield Sullivan and Florence Madge Sullivan, her beloved sisters and brothers, Helen Irene Sullivan, George Smiley Sullivan, Margaret Elizabeth Sullivan (Griffith), Nelia Ruth Sullivan (Gist), Dorothy Sullivan (Propp), and Patty Sullivan (Lynn).

Gloria is survived by her son, Richard Bryon Bennett and Bryon’s wife, Janna, of Dacono, Colorado, her grandson, Ian Bennett and Ian’s wife, Elaine, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, her daughter, Deedra Bennett-Schnaitter and Deedra’s husband, Spencer, of Crested Butte, Colorado, and her grandson, Colton McKay Schnaitter of Louisville Colorado. Gloria also has many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews and great grand nieces and nephews that will continue to keep her memory alive.

Gloria's ashes will be scattered in the spring along Cement Creek near Crested Butte, CO among the pine trees and wildflowers by her son, daughter and close family.