Bennett, Carole J's Obituary
It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my mother, Carole Janice (Banks) Bennett, on November 9, 2024, in Fremont, California. She was 88 years old. Although she despised her middle name (pronounced ja-NEESE), I feel like I need to include it here for history’s sake. Sorry, Mom.
Carole (or Ted, as she was called by her family) was born July 20, 1936, on a small farm outside Wichita, Kansas. She was the eighth of 13 children. Her parents, Willie and Lela (Morgan) Banks, were sharecroppers, and their family moved from farm to farm in Kansas or Oklahoma every few years. Sharecropping was backbreaking work, and Willie suffered badly from arthritis starting in his mid-thirties. His doctor recommended a move to a higher altitude, a common prescription in those days, so the family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1947.
Carole, being the fourth daughter in the family, was stuck with the household chores that none of the other daughters wanted. The two oldest, June and Audrey, helped with cooking and childcare, leaving Norma and Carole in charge of cleaning and laundry. For those of you who knew and loved my mother, this is why our clothes were always clean but her cooking wasn’t the best.
Carole was, like all the Banks girls, strong and stubborn, and she loved to dance. She and her brothers would go to every local dance they could, and that was where she caught the eye of Robert Bennett, a devastatingly handsome rogue. He was taken by her dancing and spirit, but she wanted nothing to do with him… at first. He charmed his way into her good graces and, eventually, into her heart. They married in 1955, just two weeks after she graduated from high school.
There were few good job opportunities in Grand Junction, so Carole and Bob moved to California after the birth of their first child (also named Robert but called Robbie) in 1962. Bob got a job winding transformers at McClellan Air Force Base, and Carole managed the household. They moved into a small ranch-style home in North Highlands in 1964 and raised three children there.
Once the kids were out of the house, Carole and Bob had plenty of free time. Carole volunteered at the Kaiser Hospital in Sacramento once a week for more than 25 years. Bob was a Freemason, and he and Carole were active in Eastern Star until Bob’s unexpected death in 2000.
Carole lived in the North Highlands home, either alone or with her daughter Sandra and her grandson Charles, for many years until a series of strokes left her unable to care for herself. She lived with her son Marvin and his family until she fell and broke her hip. She then lived in care homes in Walnut Creek and Alamo before moving into the Masonic Home in Union City in 2020. She lived there until her death on November 9.
Carole is survived by her sons Robert and Marvin, her daughter Sandra, nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and three brothers (Harold, Duane, and John Banks). She was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers (Bill, Kenneth, Keith, Robert, and Emery Banks), four sisters (June Martin, Audrey Keuping, Norma Rhymer, and Linda Banks), and her husband Bob. She was loved by all of us, and she is sorely missed. Funeral services are scheduled for December 2 at the Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes in Sacramento.
What’s your fondest memory of Carole?
What’s a lesson you learned from Carole?
Share a story where Carole's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Carole you’ll never forget.
How did Carole make you smile?