Thelma Laverne Wilson Bennett

Thelma “Laverne” Bennett was born on March 29, 1937 in Rayville, LA, to the union of Emmett and Gladys Wilson. She passed peacefully on April 16, 2024 at the age of 87.  Her homegoing will be held on Saturday April 20, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Columbia Heights Baptist Church with Rev. Warren Maxwell officiating.with visitation Friday, April 19 from 5:00-8:00 pm . Visitation for Saturday will be from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Interment will follow in the Bennett Family Plot at the Burroughs Garden of Memories Cemetery east of Columbia.

Laverne was a kind, loving, graceful & compassionate wife, mother and grandmother, sister, and friend. Her faith and her family were the most important parts of her life. She loved to share her cooking, especially her fudge and chicken and dumplings with others. 

She graduated from Columbia High School and retired from the State of Louisiana after 27 years. 

Laverne was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Willie Wilson, one sister, Joanne Welch, and her husband of 58 years, Robert Bennett.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Kevin & Sandra Bennett and Shannon & Vicki Bennett, all of West Monroe, LA. Also her brothers Peck (Joy) Wilson, Donald (Jeannie) Wilson, Russell (Rhonda) Wilson, Lynn Wilson and Daniel Wilson, and her sisters, Charlotte (Joe) Smith and Patsy Lee. 

Also survived by her cherished grandchildren Kaleb (Bridgette) Bennett, Ashton Smith, Summer Bennett, Zach (Lauren) Bennett, Morgan (Chris) Ferris and Trace (Kaylee) Bennett. She was deeply loved by 14 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews, including special nieces Lisa Davidson, Angie Boggs, and Misty Munholland and special nephew, Rusty Wilson, who lost their mother when they were all small children.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Kaleb Bennett, Zach Bennett and Trace Bennett; great grandsons, Drake Lofton and Abram Bennett; and friend and brother-in-Christ, Gaylon Head. Honorary pallbearers are Steve May, Kenneth McMillan, Dean Hart, Denver McKeithen, Alvin Berry, Waymon Calhoun, and Kenny Anderson.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; John 11:25