Josephine Benton

Josephine Martha Olsen Benton, 91, passed away May 7, 2019.

She was born in New York City, N. Y., on November 22, 1927 to Charles and Marie Graves Olsen. She was educated in the New York City schools, and later took some business courses to hone her stenographic and clerical skills. She worked for the former Guaranty Trust Co, of New York before moving to Washington, D.C. to work in the Pentagon as administrative assistant to a special consultant on matters pertaining to the Army Board for the Correction of Military Records (ABCMR). In April 1955, she was married to Gaylord N. Benton, and in 1958, they moved to Kansas City. Josephine was transferred to, and worked for, the Army Corps of Engineers in Kansas City before becoming a full-time housewife. Following divorce in 1966, she and her daughter, Gayle Marie, moved to Concordia, MO, where she lived for more than 35 years. While there, she served briefly as Assistant and City Collector for the City Of Concordia, and also worked for Rival Mfg. Co. After her daughter graduated from high school, Josephine returned to federal service with the Social Security Administration in Kansas City. She retired in 1992. In 2002, she moved to Independence to be closer to family.

She loved singing and hearing the glorious hymns and anthems of the past. One of the thrills of her life was singing Handel's "Messiah" with the National Lutheran Chorus in Constitution Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor George Mitchell and revered choir director R.E. Snesrud.

Josephine was preceded in death by her parents, a son, John, and daughter.

She is survived by her daughter Gayle Marie Benton.

A visitation will be held from 10-10:30 AM, service 10:30, on Wednesday, May 22, at Johnson County Funeral Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66210. Burial will follow at Johnson County Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/ways-to-give/ or City Union Mission, https://cityunionmission.org/donation-page/