Dixie Lee (Bennett) Ryan, age 80, went to be with her Lord, Thursday, April 20, 2017. She resided in Oak Grove until diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, and finished her last weeks in the wonderful care of John Knox Village, Lee’s Summit.
Dixie was born on May 3, 1936 to Howard V. Bennett and Electa Joan La Rock Bennett Wilson. She was the oldest child, with her full brother Howard “Bud” Bennett (deceased), then half-brother and sisters, Jim Wilson (deceased) and Leafy Wilson on her mother’s side, and on her father’s side, Patricia Bennett Reed and Kathleen Bennett Palmer.
Dixie married her true love, Jerry D. Ryan on June 30, 1956. When he passed away July 19, 2012, it broke her heart but they had the legacy of five children to keep her going, along with the lights of her life, her seven grandchildren, and NOW her grandest love, her great granddaughter, Raylee Pritchard, who was born in February. Raylee is all she talked about and was convinced Raylee was calling her when the phone would ring with a Minion sound.
Her children are: Renee Ryan-Edwards (Jeff Edwards), Michael S. Ryan, Renita Geddes (Doug), Mark Ryan (Shelley), Matthew Ryan (Michelle Kueck). Grandchildren are Rachelle (Geddes) Pritchard (Trent), Reanna Geddes, Adrianna (Ryan) Bates (Justin), Alexis Ryan, Shelbey (Waln) Smith, (Levi), Kayla Ryan and Taylor Ryan. At this time, only Rachelle Pritchard provided Dixie with Grandma’s PERFECT Angel, Raylee, her obviously GREAT Granddaughter!
Dixie was very involved in Humanitarian work for years, including assisting Orphanages in Poland, and the current mission work of Our Father’s House in the Philippines. Her most current passion has been as a Member of the First Baptist Church of Oak Grove and Leader of The Elderberries, where she oversaw organizing mini trips for the group and each trip was always sold out.
In her past, Dixie was the Editor of The Arabian Horse Journal, wrote and published a book “Stories of Champions”, went to Poland 31 times to assist the people during Solidarity, worked with Kenny Rogers in raising the funds to get the Cerebral Palsy Center in Sikeston, MO, just to name a few.
Dixie was a force in this world and made everyone better by challenging them, making them think of how they could add to the world instead of take. She cried at Disney movies and commercials, and had a heart that wanted to take care of children in this world all the way to the end. She has been receiving hundreds of notes, cards, emails, texts and calls from her friends around the world all sending notes of how much she will be missed, but her family will miss her the most.
A Celebration of Life will be at the First Baptist Church of Oak Grove on Wednesday, May 10th at 6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the First Baptist Church of Oak Grove so they can delegate funds to Our Father’s House, the Oak Grove tornado victims, and other areas Dixie loved.
Arrangements: Royer Funeral Home, Oak Grove, MO 816-690-4441