Funeral service for Morris Bennor will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 16, 2012 at the Christian Church in Gillette, WY with Pastor Lon Sassman officiating. Burial to follow at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. Military Honors provided by American Legion Post #42 Drill Team.
Morris Bennor, age 92, passed away April 5, 2012 at Close To Home Hospice House, Gillette, WY.
Morris L. Bennor was born the second child of Daniel and Elsie (Johnson) Bennor on December 7, 1919 in Gillette, Wyoming. Except for the few months in Laramie at mechanics school and when he served his country during World War II, he spent his entire life in Gillette. He married Anna Jean Stuart on February 7, 1947. To that union two daughters were born, Nellie and Judy.
They began their lives together on a farm ten miles west of Gillette on Force Road and their lives together there ended when they moved to town shortly before Jean died on December 8, 2010.
In 1956 they left the farm and moved into town, returning to the farm in 1974. During those eighteen years he worked as a mechanic, often spending the summers working on various places seeding fields, building fences and putting up hay. The old saying that "you can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man" really applied to him.
He was happiest out in the open air, whether on a tractor or on a motorcycle on the open road. He rode his Yamaha 750 many thousands of miles on trips into Canada and as far east as the Mississippi River. One of his most memorable trips was through Wyoming visiting all twenty three county seats. He last road his motorcycle at the age of eighty eight. He also loved snowmobiling and four wheeling. He hated that he had gotten so old he couldn't do that anymore.
After moving back out to the farm, he worked as a gas plant operator at the plant on Wild Horse Creek until he retired. Retirement to him meant making hay, repairing fences, and woodworking in his shop. Many in the family have items he built that are proof of his skill, creativity, and pride of workmanship.
He grew up with little and knew how to make do. If there wasn't a part available or he didn't have the money to buy one, he would figure out a way to make one. If he didn't know how to do something, he would persist until he did.
He wasn't a quitter, evidenced by surviving a heart attack, two bypass surgeries, several angioplasties, and living several years with CMML, a form of leukemia.
He was always there to lend a helping hand. He knew how to fix most anything and loved that sense of being needed. He always wanted to be in the middle of every project. His advice and help will be sorely missed.
He had a quirky sense of humor and you always knew he was up to something with the little grin and the twinkle in his eyes. He had a wonderful laugh that could lighten any mood.
He is survived by his daughters, Nellie Wermager and Judy (Franklin) Jundt, both of Gillette, WY; grandchildren Becky (Steve) Libby of Bellevue, NE; Jeff (Erin) Wermager of Lincoln, NE; Mony (Gerald Fischer and Mike (Amanda) Jundt both of Gillette, WY: twelve great-grandchildren, his sister Ruth Ward of Vancouver, WA; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by Jean, his wife of sixty three years, his parents, brothers Boyd and Ellis, son-in-law Richard Wermager and a infant grandson.
Memorials and condolences may be sent in Morris's name to Walker Funeral Home 410 Medical Arts Court, Gillette, WY. Condolences may also be sent via the website to www.walkerfuneralgillette.com
