Ilse Martha Bennett

Ilse Martha ""Illy"" Bennett, of Longmont, Colorado, died Tuesday, June 3, 2008, due to complications of heart surgery. She was 86 years old.Ilse was born February 22, 1922, in Zinnowitz, Germany, to John and Anna (Plautz) Kmieciak. As an infant, she immigrated to the United States with her parents and sisters, and was registered at Ellis Island. The family settled in Milwaukee in the mid-1920s. She graduated from Bay View High School in Milwaukee. As a young woman, Ilse worked with Harris Upham & Company on the Milwaukee Stock Exchange.On September 13, 1948, she eloped with Duane William Bennett in Crown Point, Indiana. The couple made their home in Milwaukee until moving to El Paso, Texas in 1979, and had celebrated 52 years of marriage before Duane's death on December 2, 2000. While primarily a homemaker, Ilse worked as a manicurist at her sister's beauty shop and at a local Holiday Inn. She was a talented seamstress and enjoyed sewing for herself and others. She enjoyed family vacations to Pompano Beach, Florida, walking and visiting with friends, and playing golf.In 2002, Ilse moved to Colorado to be closer to her daughter. She is survived by her daughter, Jacquelin Stevenson and her husband, Jeffrey, and their son, Charlie, all of Longmont; and two sisters, Ursula Greeb and Erna Michalzik of Milwaukee.In addition to her husband, she is preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Hildegard Kmieciak; and an infant granddaughter, Haley Stevenson.A cremation has been entrusted to Howe Mortuary and Cremation Services, Longmont. Private services will be held at a later date.Memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, the American Cancer Society or a charity of the donor's choosing.Please share thoughts, memories and condolences with her family at www.howemortuary.com.