Ann Ruth (French) Bentley's Obituary
BENTLEY, ANN RUTH (FRENCH) was born September 17, 1920, in Detroit, Michigan, and passed away November 16, 2013, in Mesquite, Texas. Ann was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 61 years, Virgil Temple Bentley; and her parents, Claude and Mary (Shepherd) French. “Mama” is survived by her daughter, Anne Hathaway (Bentley) Tippens and husband Darryl Tippens of Malibu, California; her son, John David Bentley of Dallas, Texas; two grandsons, T. Kyle Tippens and wife Shannon (Cox) Tippens of Abilene, Texas, and Jeffrey Tippens of Austin, Texas; and two great-granddaughters, Emily Gayle Tippens and Julia Anne Tippens of Abilene, Texas. Ann and Virgil were married in 1943 in Dearborn, Michigan, after meeting at Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas, where they both attended. Together, Ann and Virgil served churches in Humble and Fort Worth, Texas; Cordell and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Rockingham, North Carolina; Flushing, New York; Arlington, Virginia; and in Dallas for many years. In addition, Ann worked as a medical technologist for a Dallas pediatrician for many years. Ann was the editor of the 1941-42 edition of the Petit Jean, the Harding College yearbook. She was an avid gardener, swimmer, photographer, and a lover of classical music. She knew and loved to sing hundreds of hymns by heart. Ann also delighted in handing bananas out to residents of Christian Care Center. Visitation will be held at Restland Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, November 17, 2013, from 2:30-4:30 PM. A Graveside Service will be held at Restland Memorial Park on Monday, November 18, 2013, at noon. A Memorial Service will be held afterwards at Christian Care Center in Mesquite, Texas, at 2:00 pm. Memorials may be made to Christian Care Center, Inc., 1000 Wiggins Parkway, Mesquite, TX, 75150, in memory of Ann Bentley, or to the Virgil Bentley Gerontology Endowed Scholarship Fund at the Pruett Gerontology Center, ACU Box 27793, Abilene, TX 79699-7793.
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