Obituaries, October 07, 2005

Dorothy Benatz

Dorothy Fain Benatz died Oct. 4, 2005. She was 88 years old.

Mrs. Benatz was born Aug. 1, 1917, in Shepherd, Texas, to J.C. and Hazel Connell Fain. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 54 years, George; her sisters, Elsie "Petie" Moore and Eloise Turner; and her brother, J.C. "Bus" Fain.

Mrs. Benatz is survived by her daughter, Janice Benatz of Clarkdale; her son, George (Dianna) Benatz of Phoenix; and her grandchildren, Denise (Greg) Buckley of California; Jason (Sunny) Benatz of Clarkdale, and Albert Rutkowski of Cottonwood; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Benatz came to McNary, Ariz., in 1926 with her family in a Model T Ford. The family later moved to Williams. She graduated from Arizona State Teachers College in Flagstaff with a bachelor of arts degree in English in 1938. She was president of the Associated Women Students her senior year.

Mrs. Benatz came to Clarkdale in 1938 to work at the Clarkdale High School as secretary to Superintendent G.B. Jones. She was employed at the high school, which later became Mingus Union High School, until 1959.

She then went to work for the Town of Clarkdale for 17 years, the last 10 years as town clerk. She retired in 1976.

Mrs. Benatz served two terms as the mayor of Clarkdale, from 1980-88. She was a past member of the Clarkdale Business and Professional Women's Club, the Soroptimist International of the Verde Valley, P.E.O., Chapter I, the Clark Memorial Restoration Committee and the Verde Valley Country Club Board of Directors.

Services for Mrs. Benatz will be Monday, Oct. 10, 2 p.m., at the Westcott Funeral Home in Cottonwood, with burial to follow at the Valley View Cemetery in Clarkdale. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Organ Fund or the Verde Valley Humane Society.

Edward Watson

Edward Watson, 91, formerly of Cornville, died at his Shelbina, Mo., home Sept. 7, 2005.

Burial services were held at Winigan, Mo.

Mr. Watson was born April 4, 1914, in New Boston, Mo., the son of Lon and Grace Bailey Watson.

Mr. Watson first married Diamond Washburn on Jan. 6, 1938. She preceded him in death on May 31, 1989. He later married Nell King on July 8, 1991.

Mr. Watson is survived by his two daughters, Shirley Barrett and her husband Gerald and Edna Corbin and her husband Douglas of Mtn. View, Mo.; one son, Roy Watson of Phoenix; five grandchildren, Markell Barrett, Sherri Badger, Todd Corbin, Ginger Corbin and Nancy Turner; five great-grandchildren: Connor Barrett, Kay Lynn Corbin, Austin Corbin, Andrea Turner and Jacob Turner; seven step children and their families; two sisters, Nellie Hill of Bucklin, Mo. and Helen Wood of Peoria, Ill.; one brother, Johnny Watson of Bucklin, Mo.

Mr. Watson was preceded in death by both parents, his first wife Diamond, two brothers and three sisters.

He was a founder and member of the First Southern Baptist in Cornville.

He also owned Ed's Barber Shop in Cottonwood 1966-75.

Memorial services will be held at the Cornville Baptist Church Nov. 12, 11 a.m.

Mr. Watson will be missed by those who knew and loved him.

Memorials may be made to Cornville Baptist Church (PO Box 387, Cornville, 86325) or to Home Care of Mid-Missouri Hospice or the Verde Valley Hospice.