Norman White Bennington

The 17th and 25th Jeremiah and I were able to attend some sessions in the Ogden Temple.  We have not been able to do this since before Kaiya was born.  Whether is was because of recommend expirations, feeling too overwhelmed with life, or just plain laziness.... we hadn't even tried to go for over 7 years.  Since it was our 12th wedding anniversary on the 19th and our 11th anniversary of the day we were sealed to one another on the 25th, we couldn't think of anything better we wanted to do than return to the House of the Lord!  One of the fun facts about our wedding anniversary is that it is/was also my Grandma/Grandpa Bennington's wedding anniversary.  We took the kids and went up to visit them at the care center across the street from their house.  It was their 64th Anniversary!  We got there when they were getting dinner/dessert.  Grandpa mentioned to me how he wished they had some carrot cake... "I wish I had some carrot cake, Sharcy.  You know it's my favorite?  I don't know why people don't like it." ME- "Well, maybe its because a lot of carrot cake has nuts or raisins, or other things like that in it that they don't want.  Maybe they would like it better the way my mom makes it from scratch without that stuff." Grandpa- "I just wish I had a good piece of carrot cake."  The kids each had their own stories to tell, Kenia about his basketball game the day before.  Kotah about how lacrosse is starting up and he is in a robotics club at school.  Kaiya just kept wanting to hug and kiss him over and over.  Looking back how I AM SO VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT VISIT.  My Grandpa.  The man who always just wanted a hug or a kiss or to see you and talk to you.  The man who knew how to fix everything.... be it cars, windows, broken door frames (our  old house), sprinklers, lawn mowers, snow blowers, dishwashers...anything it seems.  The man who was always teasing and tickling, laughing and talking about hunting and camping or fly fishing.  The man who instilled a LOVE of all things outdoors in his kids (mostly) and grand kids and even great-grandkids.  The leader of his family.  The leader of all our families. My Grandpa Bennington passed away on Tuesday, February 28th at about 1:50 in the afternoon.  I had gotten a phone call Monday night around 9 from my mom telling me that the nurses weren't expecting Grandpa to make it much longer and possibly not even make it to the next morning.  Jeremiah lift for work at 9:30 like he always does and about 9:45 I HAD TO GO SEE MY GRANDPA.  Kotah was laying in bed awake so I left my phone with him (the others were asleep) and I drove the 1.5 miles up to the care center for what I thought would be my last time.  My last good bye.  I got there as the nurse was turning down his oxygen and giving him some morphine to help relax his body as he continued to slip away.  She left and I just walked up beside his bed.  I wrapped my arms around his neck and spoke into his right ear, where his hearing aid was.  I said, "Grandpa, its me Sharcy" and I looked into his eyes.  I said, "Grandpa, Kotah and Kenia and Kaiya love you so much.  They wanted me to give you a hug and a kiss from them."  So I kissed him 3 times on the right cheek.  I said, "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, GRANDPA!" and I just rubbed the back of his neck back and forth for a minute or two.  He started to talk then stopped and said, "Good kids.  You're all good kids.  I love you," and then he took a breath and said more clearly and with more force than he's had in a long time, "I LOVE YOU ALL, thank you."  I hugged and kissed my grandma and went home fully expecting he would pass away before the sun came up, but he didn't.  I go to the gym each morning at 9 after dropping the boys off at school, so when I finished I stopped back in on my way home... about 11.  I couldn't stay long because I had to get home and get Kaiya ready for school and drop her off by 12:20.  This visit was harder.  He was fighting for each breath.  He was not comfortable and relaxed as he had been the night before.  I was so torn between wanting him to keep fighting to stay and just wanting him to be at peace.  I just sat beside my grandma and held her hand while my dad stood beside his dad holding his hand and rubbing his arm or his head and trying to comfort him.  Seeing my dad in such a position just reaffirmed HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM!  I kissed my grandma goodbye and told her I'd be back after the kids got out of school at 3:05.  She said that sounded good and gave me a hug.  I told my parents, "I'll be back with the kids after school" and told my grandpa... I dropped Kaiya off at school by 12:20.  I went to donate plasma (like I do every week/twice a week).  I got home about 1:50.  I turned on a burner on my stove, dropped some butter in the pan to melt and chopped up some mushrooms and chicken when I heard my phone ring.  And I knew what that call was.  I answered.  It was my mom.  She said, "Sharcy, Grandpa has just passed away.  He's gone."  I could only reply with, "Okay, mmm-hmmm. okay." Then hung up the phone.  I walked back into the kitchen.  Turned off the burner.  Walked to the stairs and sat down.  Gunner walked up and laid his head on my leg.  I began to cry, just a little at first... then sobbing.... and then convulsing with the burst of pain and sorrow that escaped my body.  I felt alone.  I felt as if I could never possibly feel happiness or joy again (in that moment).  I cried for a good 20 minutes then remembered I had promised the kids that I would take them to see their Great Grandpa after school.  So I semi-composed myself.  Put on my sunglasses and drove to the school to get my kids out of school early.  As each of them came into the office to checkout, they each asked the question "Its Great Grandpa, huh?" To which all I could do is nod my head and whisper, "yes".  I gathered my kids and we drove to see their Great Grandpa one more time before they took his body.  They cried.  They held his hand. They kissed him. They hugged him. And they embraced their Grandpa Great one last time.  We said what we needed to say to Grandma, then we walked out to the Jeep to go home.  The last week we've been able to have a viewing for friends and family to come and pay their respects to Norman White Bennington.  We had a Funeral full of beautiful music, heartfelt memories shared by his boys and lots of tears shed for the leader of our family.  He was such a strong man.  Grew up from practically nothing.  Even spending some time living in a box car before his family moved into a small home in Wilson Lane.  He lost his dad when he was my age (33) and lived 54 years without him here.  My grandpa worked hard his whole life.  He was an honest, trustworthy, genuine, caring, loving....etc man.  His loss will be hard to overcome, but knowing that I'll see him again someday helps to soften that pain.  Knowing that his body is no longer holding back that spirit of his.  Knowing that he has been reunited with my brother Nathan. Knowing the joy he felt as he was able to once again embrace his own father, how can I not be happy for that.  I Love you so much Grandpa.  I will always think of you when the wind blows on my face as I climb a mountain, or walk along a stream, or as I watch my kids build memories with their grandpa.... I will think of YOU!
Obituary

  Norman White Bennington

July 6, 1929 ~ February 28, 2017

Norman White Bennington, 87, passed away peacefully with his loving wife, Marilyn, by his side on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.  Norman, or Norm, was born in West Warren, Utah in a small farmhouse to Carl Ethan Bennington and Lila May White on a hot July 6, 1929 day. He was mainly raised in Wilson Lane. He graduated from Weber High in 1947.  Norm was a pitcher in the Farm Bureau baseball league where his fast ball ruled. He first worked at Utah Wholesale Grocer as a truck driver, then spent 30 years as the assistant manager of Roy Lumber Company, and then 11 years as a school custodian until retiring in 1993. Norman was the ultimate handyman and could build or fix anything.
Norman married Marilyn Baker on February 19, 1953 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They just celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. They lived in Roy and had four boys, Lynn (Gayle), Blake (Mona), Kurt (Pam) and Bart (Carolyn). Norman had lived in Roy continually until his passing.  His passion was fly fishing and hunting. He always caught the most fish and successfully harvested his game. Spending time with his family was always his top priority. He loved camping in the outdoors which brought him peace.  Norman enjoyed all of his church leadership positions and callings including, but not limited to, stake athletic director, Ogden temple worker, young single adults bishopric and serving a temple mission in Atlanta with Marilyn.  He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, his four sons and their spouses, 14 of his 15 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren, his brother, LaMoin (Midge) and sister-in-law, Sharon Bennington. He was preceded in death by his parents, step-father Leonard Walker, sister Aften and her husband, Leo Buckley, brother Garry, and grandson Nathan Lynn Bennington.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at Lindquist’s Roy Mortuary, 3333 West 5600 South. The family will meet with friends Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary.
Interment, Roy City Cemetery.