Dorothy Ellen Benes passed away suddenly on Thursday, November 7, 2019, at Genesis East Medical Center, Davenport. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 12 from 5:00-7:00 pm at The Runge Mortuary. Funeral services will be Wednesday, November 13 at 10:00 am at the mortuary. Burial will be in Holy Family Cemetery, Davenport. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities or to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Davenport.
Dorothy was born in Davenport on December 14, 1929, to Arthur and Ellen (Malone) Miller. She graduated from Davenport High School in 1948. She married James Benes on June 24, 1950. They were married 63 years until Jim’s death, on November 6, 2013.
Dorothy was a den mother for her son’s Cub Scout troop and was an assistant baseball coach for West Little League. She worked at Highland Potato Chip, West High School Cafeteria, and the A&P grocery store. Dorothy and her husband enjoyed restoring antique cars and were members of the QC Antique Ford Club. They also supported the Bix Beiderbecke festival and drove their antique cars in many area parades. Dorothy enjoyed crocheting, quilting, and crafts. But her true passion was playing cards. She loved doling out “Draw 4” wild cards while playing Uno. Over the decades that she played cards, potentially thousands of dollars were won and lost, all at a nickel a game.
Those surviving to honor Dorothy’s memory include her children, Denny, Mark (Sharon), and Danial Benes; grandchildren, Kevin (Ellen), Joshua, Tabitha, Maddison, and Dallas Benes; two great-grandchildren; sister Judith Qualls; and niece, Dr. Angela (Jason) Thomas.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a sister, Lois G. Hardin; brothers, Arthur “Buck” and Melvin Miller; and sister-in-law, Mary Busch.
