Marie Rose Bentley, age 96, a resident of Spooner, WI passed away on December 26th, 2022.

Marie was born on December 24, 1926 at her grandparent’s homestead near Benoit Lake, Scott Township, Burnett County, WI. The daughter of Delbert and Glayde (Stafford) Christner. Though her parents divorced when Marie was quite young, she was always surrounded by family. She had a very close relationship with both sets of grandparents, Christner cousins and when her father remarried, a wonderful bonus mom and 8 younger siblings.

Marie graduated from Spooner High School in 1944, and shortly after boarded a train headed west that ended in Portland, OR. Never one to shy away from hard work, Marie was hired as a welder and worked in the shipyards on the NW coast.

By 1951, Marie had moved back to Wisconsin, reconnecting with high school sweetheart Dwaine Bentley and marrying that July in Pine City, MN.

There were some years of living and working in Minnesota and Alaska but by 1960 they returned to settle down in Wisconsin.

Marie held a variety of jobs over the years, from waitressing at Gelhars A&H Café, packaging cranberries at Searles cranberry marsh in Hertel and running the Washburn County tourism booth in Spooner. Marie retired from Doerr Electric Co. in 1988.

Marie loved jigsaw puzzles, making quilts with recycled jeans, camping, playing cards and reading. She loved to garden and always seemed to have more flowers planted than veggies. After retirement, Marie and Dwaine enjoyed many years of traveling, especially in the south when the Wisconsin winters were coldest.

Marie will always be remembered as the first to send a card, whether it was a birthday, anniversary, marriage or sympathy.

Preceding Marie in death is her parents, Delbert (Dorothy) and Glayde (John); in-laws, Ben and Mae; her loving husband of 71 years, Dwaine; sister, Ellen; sister-in-law, Delores; and brother, Darrel.

Marie is survived by her children, Donna (Joe), Shelton (Julie), Mike (Rena) and Brenda (Mikel); grandchildren, Geza (Robin), Julie (Randy), John, Josh (Molly), Aaron (Lauren), Dayna (Clint), Elizabeth (Micah) and Derek (Fabrienne); great grandchildren, Amy, John, David, Macy, Ivy and Tucker; great great grandson, Travis; siblings, Don, Hazel (Mike), Mike (Joy), Rick (Sharon), Betty (Butch) and Myia (Jim); along with many friends.

No formal services are planned at this time.

Arrangements were entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home.

Last Update: Dec 29, 2022 1:12 pm CST