Willma Alberta Gard Bennehoff, 89, a lifetime Baker City resident, died Dec. 22, 2007.
She was born in 1918 to Harriet Creathbaum Gard and Bert Gard and spent her childhood years on the Auburn Beaver Creek Ranch. Willma was a 1936 Baker High School graduate. After high school, she attended business school in Portland for two years only to return to Baker County and continue the ranching life she so loved.
She married Duane E. Bennehoff in 1956. They lived and worked on the Auburn Beaver Creek ranch before moving to town in 1967.
Willma was a home-care provider and working partner with her husband, Duane. They enjoyed restoring and selling homes in the Baker area.
She also worked several years as a cook at Brooklyn Elementary School. She was an active member of the Baker Veterans Women’s Auxiliary and the Baker County Extension program.
Survivors include two children, Glen E. Bennehoff and Brenda Bennehoff Boyle; and stepchildren, Gary Bennehoff and Bert Bennehoff.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker Veterans Women’s Auxiliary through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, January 7, 2008
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
