Leora Marie Lee was born on October 3rd, 1928 on a small farm west of Leavenworth, Kansas, to Earl Leon Lee and Ora Marie Lee. She was the 4th of six children, and is preceded in death by all her siblings; Alfred, Delbert, Freda, Robert and Norman. Leora attended Leavenworth High School and then obtained a teachers certificate from Pittsburg State Teachers College in Kansas. Leora moved to Kansas City where she got a job with Merriman Mortgage Company in downtown Kansas City. Leora liked to ice-skate for recreation so she frequented the Pla-More Ice Rank at 31st and Main Street. One night, a young man named Ward Benson saw her, and “skated up to her” to ask her to skate together. From that point on, Leora and Ward were inseparable. On her birthday, October 3rd, 1951, Ward proposed marriage. Leora said yes, and on November 17th, 1951, they were married at Community Christian Church in a small ceremony. Leora wore a simple jacket and skirt, and Ward a suit. They lived for a short period of time in a small apartment at 47th and Cleveland in Kansas City, Missouri.
In 1953, Ward and Leora built a new home in south Kansas City on a lot that was formerly a part of a lighted 9 hole golf course known as the Eastwood Hills area off Sni-A-Bar Rd. They had two children, Gail Marie Benson born June 12th, 1954, and then Russell Lee Benson, born Sept 11th, 1956. Leora was the homemaker until about 1968 when she became the church secretary for Ridgeview Christian Church at Sni-A-Bar and Blue Ridge Cutoff. Leora and Ward enjoyed raising their children and spent summer vacations boating at Norfolk and Table Rock Lakes in Arkansas and southern Missouri. Leora was a loving and supportive wife during a particularly difficult time in the late 1960s when Ward underwent major heart surgery for congenital heart disease. After 1992 (when Ward retired) they travelled the United States sightseeing with a group from the Nazarene Church.
Leora is survived by her children: Gail Benson of Overland Park, Kansas; and Russell and Mary Ann Benson of Marco Island, Florida, 5 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; Lee Benson Smith of Raytown, Missouri; Jason L. and Kortni Benson (Scott, Luke and Raegan) of Leawood, Kansas; Jonathon R. and Bre Benson of Kansas City, Missouri; Matthew W. Benson and Pia Nitzchke (Oskar and Charlotte) of Mission Hills, Kansas; and Megan Benson of St. Petersburg, Florida.
