Joan Louise O'Brien Bennett

Joan Bennett was born in Dadeville, AL to Tom and Louise O’Brien. She graduated from Opelika High School in 1948, attended Brenau College, and married Luther A Bennett, Jr in August 1949. They were married for over 69 years, until his death in December 2018. Joan was a faithful wife who loved being a mother of 4, a grandmother of 8, and a great-grandmother of 22. She was an eighty-year member of First Baptist Church, Opelika, and a believer in Jesus as her Lord and Savior years earlier. Joan faithfully read her Bible every day until her eyesight failed her.

Joan worked as a bookkeeper at Hagedorn’s, a secretary at Northside School, and a bookkeeper at Diversified Financial. Although Joan worked full-time when raising her children, she still enjoyed preparing three meals a day for her family. Joan loved to cook, and cooking for others was her love language. She collected volumes of recipes through the years and compiled those recipes into cookbooks for her children as wedding gifts. Her children and grandchildren have blessed their families with Joan’s recipes. She also loved needlepoint and blessed her family with many needlepoint creations.

Joan and Luther reared their children with a love for camping, including vacations to historical sites, beaches, and mountain campgrounds. Later, she and Luther purchased a motor home and camped throughout the United States. Joan also traveled extensively with Friendship Force, making friends in many states and foreign countries, reciprocating by hosting visitors from across the world in her home.

Joan is survived by her three sons, Al (Charlotte) of Chattanooga, Mike (Debra) and Kevin (Ann) of Opelika, and her daughter Lisa Anne Bennett Milhorn (Mike) of Kingsport, TN. She is survived by 8 grandchildren: Tara Meadows (Joe), Shelley Young, Natalie Warren (Aaron), Katie Caroline Klumpp (Murphy), O’Brien Bennett (Katie), Rob Bennett, Luke Bennett (Courtney), and Michael Milhorn (Wendy); and 22 great-grandchildren. Joan is also survived by her beloved sister-in-law, Christine Johnson of Dora, AL.

The graveside/funeral service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at 11 a.m., with visitation before the service at 10 am at Jeffcoat Funeral Home, Opelika.

All condolences are welcome and memorials may be made to the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes https://www.alabamachild.org/give or the charity of your choice.