Marsha Kay Woodard-Benedict

Funeral services for Marsha Kay Woodard Benedict will be held on Thursday, March 5th, 2020 at 10:00 AM at the First Freewill Baptist Church of Ft. Gibson with Pastor Guy Parish and Pastor Tom Honeycutt officiating. She will be laid to rest at Ft. Gibson National Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the United States Air Force. She will have a visitation on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 beginning at 1:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Online condolences for her family may be left at www.reedculver.com.

Pallbearers for Marsha include Coleton Blake McMillen, Dobert Dale “Robert” Lafave, Tyler Roy Lafave, Dusty Wayne Bynum, Ray Jennings, and Brian Gean Jennings. Her Honorary Pallbearers include Landon Lafave, Joe Deere, Jimmy Whatley, Mike Bynum, Bill Rowland, and Jerry Dale Woodard.

Marsha Kay Woodard Benedict was born on August 11th, 1960 in Tahlequah, OK, the daughter of Clyde Lewis and Joy Marie (Wainwright) Woodard. She grew up in a household with one brother and three sisters, Jerry Dale, Janice, Teresa, and Marcella. She graduated from Coweta High School and enrolled into the United States Air Force, entering in 1978 and was honorably discharged in 1982, as a Material Facilities Specialist. She then set out to raise her family of one daughter, Kaylynn Lariviere and her son, David Lariviere. She worked at a number of jobs in her lifetime including owning and operating Daylight Donuts in Wagoner, OK. She was always happy to see the day end so she could spend time with those she loved most, her children and grandchildren. She loved to take them fishing, hunting, swimming or gathering them together. When she did get them all together, you could bet there was some serious cooking in the kitchen, and she would be making her famous bon bons, potato candy, cheesecake, Mississippi Mud Dessert, and anything else their hearts desired. She always made sure the decorating was done for every holiday to make the occasion more memorable. Family reunions were always a lot of fun and she loved reading genealogy. The best people on earth according to Marsha were her very own grandchildren, they could do no wrong. She watched every endeavor they attempted and was their biggest fan. She loved the day to day life on the farm and all that went with it. She had the perfect personality for farm life as well, stubborn enough to not give up, and a sense of humor to see her through. She was proud of her Cherokee Heritage and found a bond with turtles, she often had a piece of jewelry, or a stuffed one not far away. She loved her family with all she had in her and always let them know they were everything to her. She passed from this life on Saturday, February 29th, 2020 in Tahlequah, OK with her loved ones by her side. She was 59 years old. She leaves a vacant chair that can never be filled.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Clyde Woodard and wife Opal Mills-Woodard and Forrest and Emily Wainwright. She also joins her parents, Clyde L and Joy M Woodard, one Uncle, Tommy Woodard, one sister, Teresa Woodard-Turner, one granddaughter, Addyson Kaie Lariviere, and many cousins.

Those left to celebrate her life include her children, Kaylynn Lariviere of the home in Peggs, and her son, David Lariviere and wife Brett of Wagoner, OK. She also leaves her companion of many years, Danny Evans of the home in Peggs. She leaves her brother and sisters, Jerry Dale Woodard of Muskogee, Janice Rowland and husband Bill of Muskogee, OK, and Marcella Bynum and husband Mike of Muskogee. She lives on in her six grandchildren, Coleton Blake McMillen of MN, Amberlynn Rachel McMillen of MN, Emily Joy McMillen of Peggs, OK, Alexas Grace Lariviere of Wagoner, OK, Avery Faith Lariviere of Wagoner, two step children, Michelle Evans and Tyler Evans all of TN, five step grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends and loved ones.