90’s Club

Kathryn Blackwell Benton

Kathryn Benton is age 93. She was born in 1916. Her parents were Rosser and Clifford Blackwell and she was born in the Shady Dale community. She was one of three children including Rosser (Jack) and Virginia.

She attended schools in Shady Dale and Monticello and graduated from Monticello High School in 1932. She then attended Peace College in Raleigh, N.C.

In 1935 at age 19, she married Louis W. Benton who was working at the First National Bank in Monticello. They had one child, Louis, Jr. who now lives in the Atlanta area and retired in banking. His family has two children, Mona and Louis III and they provided Kathryn with three great-grandchildren.

Kathryn taught school in Shady Dale for one year and then went to work for J.H. Kelly Co. and was also a supply teacher in the Monticello Schools. She then was hired by The Feldspar Corp. and later opened her own business, Kathryn’s Flowers, on the Square in Monticello. She also opened her own Insurance Agency at the same location representing Cotton States Insurance.

She and her husband both retired after selling her business and they settled into their home on Maddux Street where they enjoyed their beautiful home and yards and Louis, who died in 2005, continued his fine art work.

Kathryn is still staying at home and out driving every day and I am sure would enjoy your call congratulating her on this great milestone in her life, and joining the 90’s Club.

Daisy “Blossom” Malone Henderson

Blossom is now 97, born in 1912 to Daisy Kingman and Randolph Augustus Malone, one of four children—Daisy, Randolph, Elizabeth and Ann (Tink). She was born in Monticello on Frobel St. In 1931 at age 19, she married Charles Lee Henderson, also of Monticello and they had two children, Betty Joyce and Mary Ann.

Betty Joyce married Dr. Joseph Lindsey a cardiologist and they live in the Washington, D.C. area. They had three children, Lee, Wade and Drew and they then provided “Blossom” with five great-grandchildren. Mary Ann married Dr. Daniel Clayton Johnson, a pediatrician, and they live in Concord, N.C. They had three children, Clay, Laura and Charles and they provided “Blossom” with five more great-grandchildren. Two children, six grandchildren and 10 great- grandchildren Wow!

Blossom is presently in the Retreat Nursing Home but will be moved soon by her daughters to the Washington, D.C. area to be near Betty Joyce. She is to be moved by “air ambulance service” directly to DC. “Blossom” has her house on Eatonton St. for sale now along with a beautiful 380 acre farm in the southern end of the county with a nice cabin and lake—a great buy for an interested party.

“Blossom” has always been a loyal and active Presbyterian and it is sad that she will be leaving our area soon. She helped her husband Charles in the peach canning business for years, one of his many local operations.

“Blossom” was in a terrible wreck on Highway 16 several years ago and survived. This led her to walk every day thereafter for her health and recuperation (five miles) and it must have helped. She used to walk from her home to the Retreat every day to help feed some of the patients. A great new member of the 90’s Club.

Footnote:

The Museum History Books are selling great and we may have to reorder soon. They are available at the banks, the Chamber of Commerce and the News office. Be sure and get one for all the kids too.