Patricia B. (Bell) Benfer

Patricia B. Benfer, 88, of Beavertown, passed away on Sunday, March 16, at Nottingham Village in Northumberland.

She was born on September 20, 1936, in Hop Bottom, Pa., a daughter to the late Walter E. and Frances (Jones) Bell.

On July 2, 1956, she married George L. Benfer

who preceded her in death on March 27, 2009.

Patricia was a graduate of Lebanon Valley College in Annville. She taught school in the Elk Lake Joint School System and the Midd-West School District.

She was a member of St. Paul’s Reformed Church, Beavertown, where she had served on the council. She was also a member of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees, where she served as secretary; the Snyder County Historical Society, where she was second vice president; The Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War; Tent 60, where she had served as president; the DAR Conrad Weiser Chapter; the Susquehanna County Historical Society and the Chit Chat Card Club.

Patricia loved spending time with family, at cards or games, as well as reading, traveling and being with friends and doing genealogy.

Surviving are two daughters and sons in law, Amy E. (Jerre) Etzler, of Beavertown, and Anne P. (Thomas) Gilfert, of Selinsgrove; grandchildren, Bryce (Nicole) Etzler, Lindsay Etzler, Jesse (Kristy) Etzler, Grace Gilfert and Aaron Gilfert. Eight great-grandchildren,

sister-in-law, Linda Bell; and nieces, Kim Clark and Heather Bell.

She was preceded in death by a brother, David W. Bell.

Services will be private with burial in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Beavertown.

Contributions to honor Patricia’s memory may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Breakthrough TID, PO BOX 5021, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5021, or the Epilepsy Foundation, 3540 Crain Highway Suite 675, Bowie, MD 20710.

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