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Submitted: 5/9/13 • Approved: 5/9/13 • Last Updated: 8/17/14 • R876544-G876360-S3
Walter
US Army
World War II
Korea
October 16, 1919 - July 6, 1993
*Obituary
Northwest Arkansas Morning News
Thursday, July 8, 1993
Waiter Robert Benson Jr., 73, of Prairie Creek, died Tuesday, July 6, at his home. He was born Oct. 16, 1919, in New York City.
He was a resident of Houston, Texas, and graduated in 1941 from Texas A&M. His career was with the U.S. Army. He participated in the crossing of the Rhine River at Remagen during World War II. He and his family lived four years in Erlangen, Germany, during the occupation and returned to America in the early 1950s when he taught military law and trained the cavalry unit at Princeton University. He worked for the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Phillipines, and served as a commander of HQ, 76th Artillery, Seventh Division, during the Korean War. After retirement, he joined the Midwest Research Institute, Management Science Department, Kansas City.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Juanita Fiske Benson, and a son, Walter Robert.
Survivors are his wife, Mary Benson; two sons, Douglas Benson of Oletha, Kan., and Curtis Benson of Laguna Niguel, Calif.; two daughters, Candace Peyer of Tampa, Fla., and Cindy Wiest of Baton Rouge, La.; and three stepdaughters, Stephanie Johnson of Chevy Chase, Md., Keri Wright of Kalispell, Mont., and Tiffanie Segars of Rogers.
Cremation. A memorial is set for 4 p.m. Friday at St. Theodore's Church, Bella Vista, with the Rev. Edward Sisk officiating under direction of Rollins Funeral Home, Rogers.
Memorials may be made to Friends of Hospice, Washington Regional Medical Hospital, Fayetteville.
Meri
Mar 9 1922 - Nov 22 2006
*Obituary
The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Mary Louise Benson, 84, (known as Mary Segars for many years) died Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006, at her home at the Bradford House Care Center in Bentonville. She was born March 9, 1922, in Tampa, Fla., to George McGhan and Mary Josephine May Sullivan.
She was preceded in death by three husbands, Robert Mygrant of Tampa, William Earl "Bill" Segars of Tampa and Walter R. Benson of Rogers, and two daughters, Marilyn Sue Mygrant, at the age of 6, in l948, of Tampa, and Keri Elaine Segars at the age of 49, in 2001, at Kalispell, Mont.
Mary and her husband, Bill, owned printing businesses in Tampa where Mary was the copy editor and layout specialist. Separately, Mary owned her own small town newspaper. She was an avid editor and loved the English language, having read the dictionary from beginning to end. Mary was a past president of the Tampa Woman's Club, a member of La Sertoma service organization, a member of the Krewe of Venus Social Club, and a longterm season ticket holder and tailgater for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers professional football team. She and Bill were original American Orchid Society judges, traveling the world for their love of orchids. She waded through the Everglades in search of the Ghost orchid (which she found) and dined with royalty after judging orchids in Europe. There is a cattleya orchid named "Meri Segars" in her honor. She was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Tampa, before her move to Northwest Arkansas.
In 1989, Mary moved to Arkansas with her husband, Walter Benson, where she was active in her community, involved with the Rogers Library for many years, the Beaver Lake Power Squadron, the Republican Women of Rogers and various bridge groups. She attended and was very active at St. Theodore's Episcopal Church in Bella Vista.
In 2005, she was selected by the Bradford House Nursing Home to represent them in the Arkansas Health Care Association State Queen Pageant. She won the regional competition and received the award for the "Best Appearance" at the state level.
Mary spent her life surrounded by cats, dogs, horses and even had a pet bull named Elegant. She had a special place in her heart for all animals and spent the last 11 years of her life with her beloved Tigger, a cat of unusual personality. Mary also loved to cook and entertain.
Survivors include two daughters, Stephanie Blevins of Bentonville and Tiffanie Conchola of Bella Vista; two sons-in-law, Hershel Blevins and Roman Conchola; five grandchildren, Harrison Johnson, Hanna Johnson, Christina Johnson and Natalie Blevins, all of Bentonville, and Logan Conchola of Bella Vista; and a son and daughter-in-law, Robert Earl "Bob" and Gail Segars of Tampa.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 at St. Theodore's Episcopal Church, 1001 Kingsland Road, Bella Vista with the Rev. Kenneth T. Parks officiating.
Memorials may he made to St. Theodore's Episcopal Church.
Cremation arrangements are by Backstrom-Pyeatte Funeral Home in Bentonville, online at www.backstrom-pyeatte.com.
Contributed on 5/9/13 by tslundberg
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Record #: 876544