Mary Evelena Bentley, 85, died Wednesday, Jan. 23, in Springfield, Missouri.

Funeral services will be held at noon on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home with Robert Simmons officiating.

Interment will follow in Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Nathan McCarty, Jay Langley, Jacob Langley, Michael Bracken, Scott Bracken, Sam Langley, Jordan Hembree, and Ken Herrera.

The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until service time on Saturday at the funeral home.

Mary was born on Oct. 3, 1933, in Columbia, Missouri, to Raymond Lee Hart and Drusilla Francis Wright Hart. In 1951, she received her high school diploma from Warrensburg High School (formerly known as College High School). She married Joe Allen Bentley on July 3, 1954, in Kansas City, Missouri, and to this union were born four children. She was a homemaker and raised her young children, and later went to work as an administrative assistant for Bendix/Honeywell for 15 years.

Mary was an expert seamstress – she made all four of her children’s clothing. She created bridesmaids dresses and maternity clothing for her daughters as well. She stayed active with water aerobics at the YMCA, and at the age of 80, she was the youngest in her group of girls. She loved to travel when she could, and she particularly loved seeing shows in Branson. She loved to feed her family and friends, and her carrot cake was second to none. She would dress to the nines to go on a simple errand, complete with rings on every finger. She will be remembered for being classy, vibrant, sociable, and full of laughter. 

Mary is survived by her four children, Joyce Bentley of Springfield, Phillip (wife, Lynn) Bentley of Nixa, Michelle Bentley of Springfield and Paulette (husband, Ken) Herrera of Lee’s Summit; four grandchildren, Nathan McCarty of Springfield, Brittney (husband, Jordan) Hembree of Nixa, Jessica Herrera of Lee’s Summit and Lauren Herrera of Lee’s Summit; and two great-grandchildren, Brycen and Maylee Hembree, both of Nixa.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe, her parents and her sister, Virginia Hart McDow.

Contributions may be made to Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks. Checks may be left in care of the funeral home.