VIRGINIA, Idaho – Keith W. Bennett, 86, returned home to our Heavenly Father on Friday, November 16, 2001.

He was born in Virginia, Idaho, on June 14, 1915, to Chauncy P. and Amy Juchau Bennett. His early years were spent in East Virginia where he attended school in a one-room school-house until he completed the eighth grade. He continued his education at Downey High School, graduating on May 25, 1933. After high school, he worked as a brakeman for the Union Pacific Railroad while attending college in Pocatello. It was at this time that he met the love of his life, Maxine Brady. They were married on March 20, 1942, in the Logan LDS Temple.

Shortly after their marriage, he enlisted in the Navy as fireman and was called to active duty in September 1942. He served for 27 months as a Navy Seabee. Most of this time was spent in the South Pacific. At the end of World War II he received an honorable discharge from the Navy. He returned home to get his bride and then continued his education at Brigham Young University in Provo.

Keith and Maxine drew a farm on the Hunt Homestead Project near Jerome. They moved to Hunt for a short time and then returned to Virginia to run the family farm. The rest of his life was spent in Virginia.

Keith was a high priest in the LDS Church and an active member of the Virginia Ward. He served as bishop of the Virginia Ward for over 10 years. Keith and Maxine served in the Logan Temple for seven year. He also served is the High Priest Group leader, a stake missionary, on the High Council and on the Stake Farm Board. He had many callings as a teacher in the various organizations, but his most enjoyable was teaching the youth in Sunday School.
Keith was not only active in the church but also in his community. He served on numerous boards, including the Portneuf-Marsh Valley Canal Company, Downey Grain Growers and Bannock County Farm Bureau. For several years Keith worked as an appraiser for Bannock County.

Keith enjoyed all of his activities, but his biggest joy was spending time with his family. He will be greatly missed by his family, which includes Maxine, his wife of sixty years; his children, Linda (John) Bell, Denise (Butch) Bloxham, Mark (Penny) Bennett, Chauncey (Traccy) Bennett, all of Virginia, Idaho; Renee (Verlenj Andrews, Afton, Wyoming; Trudy (Creg) Christensen, Boise, Idaho; and Lisa ( Paul) Weller, Kamas, Utah; his 38 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Melba (Arlo) Gunter, Kennewick, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and four sisters.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, November 20, 2001, at 12 noon in the Arimo LDS Stake Chapel. Friends may call at Horsley’s Marsh Valley Funeral Home, 570 N. Meadowview Dr., Arimo, on Monday evening, November 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Tuesday at the church from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Arimo City Cemetery with military rites accorded by the Downey American Legion Post 21.