Wednesday, August 11, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Obituaries
Marvin Benson
Meredith Chaffin McKittrick Taylor
October 26, 1938—August 5, 2021
Passed July 26, 2021
Marvin Benson passed
away peacefully in his
Sisters home surrounded by
family on August 5. Marvin
was born and raised in
Chicago, Illinois, and grew
up helping in the family
milk and grocery business,
and lifeguarding on the
shores of Lake Michigan.
After graduating from
high school, Marvin enlisted
and saw many parts of the
world through the lens of the
U.S. Marine Corps. Shortly
after his discharge, he met
the love of his life, Trine, a
Norwegian nurse working in
the hospital at which he was
a patient. They were soon
married and blessed with
two sons, Benny and Sam.
The young family moved
from the big city of Chicago
to Parker, Colorado, for
the adventure of building a
house and raising their boys
on a farm in the country.
Marvin spent a 30-year
career as a lithographic
pressman. After retiring,
Marvin and Trine moved
to Sisters in 2008, fol-
lowing their granddaugh-
ter, Cammi, whose family
moved to Sisters two years
earlier. Marvin immediately
became involved in the local
community. As a lifelong
gardener, he built the Sisters
Community Garden located
at the Sisters Eagle Airport.
As a skilled wood crafts-
man, Marvin was a daily
volunteer at the Sisters High
School in the woodshop
classes.
He developed the unique
skill of <painting with
wood,= called intarsia art.
He passed on this skill by
teaching many students as
the leader of a 4-H wood-
working club, the Sisters
Sawdusters.
Marvin also loved to
swim early in the morning
at Sisters Athletic Club.
To Marvin, all kids have
special needs, but some
more than others, and for
those he always had a soft
spot and an uncanny kind-
ness to help. In Colorado,
he was an active volun-
teer at the Praying Hands
Ranch, connecting kids and
horses as therapy for both
mental and physical needs.
In Sisters, he set up unique
gardening experiences in the
Sisters Community Garden
for the special-needs kids,
who became known as
Veterans memorial...
PHOTO BY LANCE TROWBRIDGE
Family members attended a memorial honoring deceased Sisters
veterans Dr. Lindsay Simmons, Frank Leithauser, and Gordon Halsten
at Sisters Village Green on Saturday, August 7, 2021
Sisters
Dental
WE
ARE
HERE
FOR
YOU!
Trevor Frideres, D . M . D .
Greg Everson, D . M . D .
541-549-2011
491 E. Main Ave. • Sisters
www.sistersdental.com
Hours: Mon., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
<Marvin9s kids,= and offered
one-on-one time in his per-
sonal woodshop.
Marvin is deeply missed
by his devoted wife of 57
years, Trine Benson; his two
sons and daughters-in-law
Benny and Julie Benson,
and Sam and Anne Benson;
two grandchildren, Erick
Benson and Cammi Benson;
his sisters, Anne, Bobby,
and Fran; and his Rhodesian
ridgeback, Zoey.
T h e B e n so n fa mily
wishes to thank Partners in
Care, and the Sisters Fire
medics for their outstanding
help and support. Donations
in honor of Marvin can be
made to the Sisters School
Foundation, Special Needs
Program.
Meredith Chaffin
McKittrick Taylor, loving
wife, mother, grandmother,
and great-grandmother,
passed away peacefully at
the side of her beloved hus-
band, Al, on July 26, 2021
at the age of 90.
Meredith was born and
raised in Los Angeles,
California. She graduated
from Smith College in 1952.
Meredith spent most of her
adult life in Santa Barbara,
California. In 1997, she
began spending the sum-
mer months at Black Butte
Ranch, where she became a
cherished part of the Sisters
community. Besides rais-
ing four children, she was
actively involved in the
Episcopal church and other
nonprofit organizations in
Santa Barbara and Sisters.
She valued most being
with her family and friends,
including the group of life-
long friends she met at
Marlborough Prep School.
She was an accomplished
bridge player, an avid
reader, and loved the arts.
She stayed active by taking
walks around Black Butte
Ranch, swimming, hiking
on the Metolius River, and
playing golf.
Meredith is survived by
her husband, Al; her first
husband, James; her brother
Larry; children Mimi
(Dennis), Jim (Diane),
Peter (Jennifer), and Ann
(Lee); grandchildren Evan
(Caitlin), Heather (Miles),
Timothy, Megan, and Brian;
and last but definitely not
least, great-grandson Amos.
She will be remembered
for her intellect, quick wit,
and generosity. She believed
in a lifelong commitment to
self-improvement, and was
able to mentor and help
many people along the way.
She will be put to rest at her
family plot at San Gabriel
Cemetery in Los Angeles in
a private ceremony.