Ethel Mae was born on May 10, 1940, to William Warden Beal and Melvina (Vina) Barnett Beal in Bertram, Texas. She was raised in Austin, Texas and graduated from McCallum High School in 1958 as the highest ranking girl. Ethel Mae spent almost every weekend and summer in Bertram with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Barnett, and she attended Bertram Cumberland Presbyterian Church for almost her entire life. She attended the University of Texas for one year, and then worked for Braniff Airlines as a flight attendant from December 1959 to February 1961.
In February 1961 she married Fieldon (Phil) Clyde Benedict of the United States Marine Corps. Together they spent one year in Wichita Falls, Texas (1961), three years in Oahu, Hawaii (1962-1964), one year in Woodbridge, Virginia (1965) and one year in Oceanside, California (1967). During 1966 Ethel Mae lived in Austin with her mother while Phil served his country in Vietnam. In 1968 Phil retired from the Marine Corps and they moved to a ranch in Oatmeal, Texas. Phil passed away in 1984, and Ethel Mae continued to live on the ranch until 1989 when she moved to Georgetown, Texas.
In 1977 Ethel Mae returned to the University of Texas and completed a Bachelor of Business degree in 1981 with highest honors. She was hired as the first Burnet County Auditor in 1981, and she served Burnet County until 1989. Beginning in 1989 she worked for the Texas Department of Insurance as a title company auditor until her retirement in 2003. Later in 2003 she moved to Burnet after she was hired by Ed Hill & Company, CPA as a field auditor. She worked there until her final retirement in December 2018.
Ethel Mae was passionate about many things including her beloved grandchildren and great-grand child, the Texas Hill Country, The University of Texas Longhorns, ice cream, traveling the world with dear friends, the United States Marine Corps, her Sunday afternoon lunch bunch, her cherished dog Ziva, water skiing, snow skiing, her childhood church – Bertram Cumberland Presbyterian, and her current church home – Marble Falls United Methodist Church. She loved to play the piano and organ for her Bertram church where her service covered 7 decades. Most of all she was passionate for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ethel Mae spent the last three months of her life at peace in hospice care knowing that she would soon be with the Lord.
Ethel Mae was preceded in death by her father, Bill, her mother, Vina, and her husband, Phil. She is survived by her son, Mike (Mary) of Kingsland, granddaughters Elizabeth (Sam) Lauffenburger of Austin and Kathryn Benedict of Arlington, Virginia, great-grand daughter Jane Lauffenburger, sister June Prentiss Johnson of Longview, and many cherished cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Friday, September 20th at 10:00 am at First United Methodist Church, 1101 Bluebonnet Drive, Marble Falls, Texas. A catered meal will follow the service. Memorials can be made to: First United Methodist Church; 1101 Bluebonnet Drive; Marble Falls, Texas 78654.
Condolences may be offered to www.clementswilcoxburnet.com
Arrangements entrusted to Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home Burnet, Texas
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