Saralee (Flora) Bentley

Saralee Flora Bentley died June 21, 2019, in Manhattan, Kansas at age 93. She was born the eighth of ten children to Norman and Lizzie Flora on a farm east of Quinter on January 12, 1926. She attended high school in Quinter and Manhattan and graduated from Manhattan High School in 1944. She married Rod Bentley on July 16, 1944, and they immediately moved to Bangor, Maine where he was stationed with the Army Air Force during World War II. Soon after the birth of their first child, Sara, and the end of the war, they moved back to Gove County to begin farming and ranching with Rod’s parents, Art and Vera Louise Bentley. The birth of two more children, Fred and Dana, followed. Saralee lived a long and full life as a wife, mother, and homemaker, involved in her local community and state. She was active with her family in the Shields Grade School, the Shields Jayhawks 4-H Club and the Shields Methodist Church. She was a member of the Missouri Flats EHU and Gove County Republican Women’s Club. She participated, along with Rod, in the Kansas Livestock Association, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, and Rotary International. She served for three years as president of Kansas Wheathearts and played an important role in organizing the Kansas Bakeoff which later became the National Festival of Breads. Later, she joined the First Christian Church of Dighton, the Lane County Historical Society and the Dighton Red Hatters. She and Rod enjoyed searching for antiques and collectibles and traveling the world. Their journeys took them to nearly all 50 states in the United States and to Europe, the Soviet Union, Turkey, Africa, Mexico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and on a cruise through the Panama Canal with stops in the Caribbean and Central America. She loved music and gardening and during the last summer of her life, she would still be found in her garden, weeding, watering and cutting her beautiful flowers accompanied by her favorite cat Sophie. This would usually be followed by listening to her favorite music while resting in her favorite chair. Saralee valued family and friendship above all else and enjoyed spending time with those she loved. Until the end of her life, she stayed in touch with childhood friends and other friends she made during her long journey through life. She liked going to the annual District Governors’ reunions with Rotary friends even after Rod was gone. She was born into a large family and always remained close to her brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. Most of all she loved being with her children, granddaughters and great-grandchildren. Over the years they all enjoyed spending time with her and Rod at the ranch. She will always be remembered with great love by her children, Sara (Joel Lazinger), Bangor Wisconsin, Fred, Manhattan, and Dana, Dighton; granddaughters, Tara Moyer (Randy), Denver, and Suzanne Reese (Michael), Manhattan; and great-grandchildren, Dylan and Brooklyn Moyer and Ava and Gavin Reese; her three remaining siblings, Rosa Pyles, Wheatridge, Colorado, Angie Fishburn, Lawrence and Sylvus Flora, Rocky Mount, Virginia; and by her many nieces and nephews and cherished friends, young and old. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rod, and six brothers and sisters. A memorial service and celebration of her life, followed by a luncheon, will be held on Saturday, August 31, 2019, at 11 a.m. in the First Christian Church of Dighton, 210 South Lane St., Dighton, Kansas. Later, the family will scatter her ashes among the prairie wildflowers she loved. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Christian Church, P.O. Box 96, Lane County Historical Society, P.O. Box 821, Lane County Library, P.O. Box 997, and the Joy Center (Senior Center), P.O. Box 386, all in Dighton, KS 67839.