WINONA BENEKE
Winona Parsons Beneke, 100, died Saturday, June 22, three days shy of her 101 birthday at the Continuous Care Center where she had been a resident for the past five years. She was married for 60 years to the late Alvin F. Beneke and resided on Decatur Avenue in Elm Grove for 67 years before moving to the CCC. A lifelong West Virginian, she was born on June 25, 1923, and grew up in Morgantown as the youngest child of the late Dr. Dickson Ward Parsons and Ethel Parsons. She was predeceased by her siblings: Harold Parsons, Norman Parsons, and Alice Parsons May.
Winona (or Parky as she was known) graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors from West Virginia University in 1944 with a BA in English. After graduation she moved to Pittsburgh, PA, for a brief time and then to Wheeling where she met Alvin Beneke, whom she married on June 7,1947. They had three daughters, and she became a wonderful homemaker and mother sewing her daughters’ clothes and their dolls’ clothes, being a Girl Scout leader, baking every week, reading to them, and teaching them about nature, among many other things.
Parky was a woman of many talents and interests throughout her life enjoying sewing, knitting, quilting (every grandchild has both a quilt and knitted throw made by her), basketry, painting, gardening, and birds to name a few. She read constantly and maintained a large personal library on diverse topics from the history of the English language, historical biographies, and science books to Agatha Christie mysteries. She could discuss ancient history as well as current events and was a resource and wealth of information for her family. As a long-time member of Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church, she joked she was the “last one standing” of her friends. Parky was also involved with many community groups and bridge clubs over the years.
She is survived by her three daughters and their husbands: Carol and Ken Seitz of Woburn, MA, Elaine and Bill Strauch of Wheeling, WV, and Alice and Mark Sobray of Greenville, SC. Also surviving are her seven grandchildren: Dana Seitz (Sue) of Woburn, MA, Kendra Seitz of Attleboro, MA, Brad Strauch (Stephanie) of Chillicothe, OH, Gretchen Kurl (Todd) of York, PA, Geoff Strauch (Kerri) of Pittsburgh, PA, Ryan Sobray (Katie) of Chatham, NJ, and Carly Tesolowski (Zandr) of Greenville, SC. Her great-grand- children, who will miss their GGB, include Olivia and Kylie Seitz, Nora Martin, Ella and Quinn Strauch, Brady and Raegan Kurl, Emily and Kate Strauch, Edie and JoJo Sobray, and Amelia and Piper Tesolowski.
There will be no visitation, and the funeral and interment will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to the D. W. Parsons Scholarship Fund c/o the West Virginia University Foundation. An endowed scholarship for West Virginia residents in the Davis School of Agriculture was established by Winona to memorialize her father’s years of service as a professor. The address for memorials is: WVU Foundation, One Waterfront Place, 7 th Floor, P.O. Box 1750, Morgantown, WV 26507-3856.
Arrangements by Kepner Funeral Home, 900 National Road, Wheeling, WV 26003 (304-232-2732).