Coping with Grief
We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose.
Mr. Harvey Carl Bennett, age 92, of San Augustine County, Texas, passed away Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital.
He was born January 19, 1930, in Cleveland, Ohio, to his parents, Helen and Carl Bennett. Mr. Bennett had lived in San Augustine County for 30 years, after moving from Indianapolis, Indiana.
He proudly served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy, from 1947 to 1954 (Korean War Period) working in many different capacities, most memorably, as a member of a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) in which he traveled all over the world. Mr. Bennett was a member of the American Legion Post 86 of Nacogdoches, TX. He also served as a past commander of the San Augustine Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.
He had worked as a mechanical engineer and draftsman in the manufacturing of televisions and satellites, working at Memorex, RCA and other similar companies. Mr. Bennett had also enjoyed working with his brother Leslie at the hardware store they owned together in New Palestine, Indiana.
Mr. Bennett loved to serve his community working many years as a volunteer firefighter in New Palestine, Indiana and San Augustine, Texas. He was a professional firefighter in Indiana at the (now) Indianapolis International Airport. His first night on the job, they had an airplane crash land on a runway! Mr. Bennett continued that service in East Texas, volunteering first with the Denning-New Hope Volunteer Fire Department. At one time, he served as president of the East Texas Fireman’s and Fire Marshall Association, then decided he was getting too old, and firefighting was more of a young man’s occupation!
Mr. Bennett attended Stephen F. Austin State University when he was in his mid-70’s. He especially enjoyed his engineer physics class. Mr. Bennett was proud to have been a Lumberjack and enjoyed his days of learning new things at SFA. He was also very proud that the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel did an article on Mother’s Day, May 8, 2005, that highlighted his attendance as well as the fact that there were six of his family members attending SFA at the same time!
Mr. Bennett had a great love for the study and research of genealogy. He had traced his family's roots back several centuries and was always happy to help others with their genealogy projects. Mr. Bennett worked at the San Augustine Public Library for several years in the genealogy department. He interviewed many memorable people of the community to record the history of their lives and the way it was in San Augustine. Those can now be found at the historic Old San Augustine County Texas Jail Museum in the Willie Earl Tindall Texana Research Library.
Mr. Bennett had many great, true-life stories to share with anyone who was willing to listen. He loved to bowl, play cards at weekly family nights, travel and especially loved cruising – all the better if he was sharing the travel with family members! Mr. Bennett led an interesting, exciting life for all his 92 years!
His survivors include his wife, Anita Bennett of San Augustine, Texas; his children, Patricia Grissom of Nacogdoches, Texas, Victoria Huss of San Augustine, Texas, Robert Bennett of Franklin, Indiana, Karen Gorby of North Salem, Indiana, James Bennett of Bradenton, Florida, Scott Bennett of San Augustine, Texas, and Amanda Jones of San Augustine, Texas; a nephew, Lee Bennett of Ohio; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Helen Bennett; his brothers, Robert Bennett and Leslie Bennett; and his cousins Ron Bennett and Ken Bennett – with whom as a child, he went on many adventures.
He was a member of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, located at 4216 County Road 220 in San Augustine's Denning community, with Pastor Randy Mills officiating.
Funeral services will follow at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor Randy Mills officiating. Interment will follow with veterans rites at Shiloh Cemetery.
Visit www.WymanRobertsFuneralHome.com for memories and condolences.
Services are under the direction of Wyman Roberts Funeral Home in San Augustine, Texas.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Harvey Carl Bennett, please visit our floral store.