Dorothy M Bennett

Dorothy Mae (Willats) Bennett joined this world on September 10, 1934, to her proud parents, John "Jack" and Lottie (Crisp) Willats of Wakefield, Nebraska. Dorothy was a lifelong resident of Nebraska.

She graduated from Plainview High School in 1952 then attended Wayne State College. Dorothy then entered a fulfilling career in elementary education. Dorothy's educational career started in the one room Kemma School House near Creighton, NE.

She married the love of her life, Harvey Bennett, in 1959 and continued to teach in Wahoo Public Schools. After Wahoo Public Schools, she taught 2nd grade in Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) until the spring of 1963. She then raised her two boys, James and Edward, before returning to her passion in education.

Dorothy served as a Para Educator until 1996 with LPS while earning a Master of Education from University of Nebraska/Lincoln. Most of this time period, she was helping Kindergarteners at Saratoga Elementary.

Dorothy also worked part time in the Dietary Department of Tabitha (now Eventide) from early 1990's though 2014 in the evenings and on weekends, enjoying the younger crowd that served food for the elderly at Tabitha.

After retiring from LPS, she remained active with the "Pie Ladies" of St. James United Methodist Church which provided homemade pies for the church's main fundraiser. These pies were sold by the piece at the Nebraska State Fair until 2006.

Dorothy sustained her active Methodism when St. James UMC merged into New Visions United Methodist Church. Dorothy involved herself in church life until her passing on May 13, 2026.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Robert Willats and his wife Katherine Willats (Johnson) of Glenn Burnie, Maryland. Dorothy is survived by her sons Edward and James Bennett.

A Celebration of Dorothy's life will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S. 14 Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. A reception will be held at the funeral home following the service.