Gail Patricia Benson
December 3, 1937 - February 8, 2015
Gail (Headrick) Benson was born in Los Angeles on December 3, 1937 to Donald and Mildred (Howerton) Headrick. Ten days later, the three of them moved back to Mildred's home town of Lompoc. Twelve years later, younger brother Dennis came along and Gail became the default baby sitter.
She lived a full life and often reminisced about her Lompoc childhood – stories of living in an apartment in the historic Rudolph Mansion; stories of her doting father who considered her "Daddy's little girl;" stories of her grandparents, Frank and Bertha Howerton and their "ranch" on West Ocean Ave.; stories of her colorful cowboy uncles; and stories of her many cousins and their escapades.
Gail graduated from Lompoc High School in 1955 and then went on to Allan Hancock College to study Journalism and English. As a member of the Lompoc High School Blue Ribbon Band, she played Oboe, Saxophone and Glockenspiel. In her younger years, she took piano lessons from Faye Porter and later became a talented organist, playing background music for the annual Alpha Club Flower Show and for many local fashion shows. She became acquainted with Pat Farage, who managed the local Baldwin Piano and Organ Studio, and soon began teaching organ techniques to eager students.
Her father served as a volunteer firefighter with the Lompoc Fire Department. It was there where she caught the eye of a young firefighter. As they say, he pursued her until she caught him. Gail and that young firefighter, Garry Benson, were married in 1960. Garry later admitted that he had first met her when she was twelve years old, while she was visiting her aunt and uncle, Ruby and Smitty Howerton, in Goleta.
Never one to avoid hard work, Gail spent a couple of summers staying with her aunt and uncle, Edith and Harry Sorensen in Grover City, while earning money picking strawberries. She began her formal working career at Miller Pharmacy, after which she was employed in the traffic department at Johns-Manville. Her last "paying" job was in the family business, Lompoc Valley Stationers and Bookstore, in the mid-1970s.
Her passion was genealogy. The research fascinated and challenged her. She documented both sides of her family history and, to her dismay, found no Native American blood and, most importantly, no horse thieves.
She recently received her 50 year pin from the Native Daughters of the Golden West and was a charter member of the Lompoc Valley Historical Society and member of the now inactive Lompoc Pioneer Society.
Gail and Garry entered the dog show world showing Papillons. They were not experienced handlers, but managed to show champion dogs alongside professionals with many years of experience. She is survived by three of her beloved fur babies; Corky, Queso and Cowboy.
Gail will always be remembered for her dedication to family. She was one who could be critical and make light of family members, but woe be to those outsiders who did the same. Those critics would soon discover her "other side" as she defiantly defended her family. Opinionated and outspoken are the two qualities that summed her up.
She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, all her aunts and uncles, and her "adopted" brother, Keith Parsley. She is survived by her husband, Garry Benson and brother, Dennis Headrick of Lompoc, her "adopted" kids, Larry and Carla Harrison of Georgia, her beloved Headrick and Howerton cousins, and the Parsley family of Orcutt, whom she considered her extended family and who accepted her as one of their own.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, February 20 at 2 p.m. in the pavilion at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Lompoc, CA 93438, or an animal welfare organization of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Starbuck Lind Mortuary.
December 3, 1937 - February 8, 2015
Gail (Headrick) Benson was born in Los Angeles on December 3, 1937 to Donald and Mildred (Howerton) Headrick. Ten days later, the three of them moved back to Mildred's home town of Lompoc. Twelve years later, younger brother Dennis came along and Gail became the default baby sitter.
She lived a full life and often reminisced about her Lompoc childhood – stories of living in an apartment in the historic Rudolph Mansion; stories of her doting father who considered her "Daddy's little girl;" stories of her grandparents, Frank and Bertha Howerton and their "ranch" on West Ocean Ave.; stories of her colorful cowboy uncles; and stories of her many cousins and their escapades.
Gail graduated from Lompoc High School in 1955 and then went on to Allan Hancock College to study Journalism and English. As a member of the Lompoc High School Blue Ribbon Band, she played Oboe, Saxophone and Glockenspiel. In her younger years, she took piano lessons from Faye Porter and later became a talented organist, playing background music for the annual Alpha Club Flower Show and for many local fashion shows. She became acquainted with Pat Farage, who managed the local Baldwin Piano and Organ Studio, and soon began teaching organ techniques to eager students.
Her father served as a volunteer firefighter with the Lompoc Fire Department. It was there where she caught the eye of a young firefighter. As they say, he pursued her until she caught him. Gail and that young firefighter, Garry Benson, were married in 1960. Garry later admitted that he had first met her when she was twelve years old, while she was visiting her aunt and uncle, Ruby and Smitty Howerton, in Goleta.
Never one to avoid hard work, Gail spent a couple of summers staying with her aunt and uncle, Edith and Harry Sorensen in Grover City, while earning money picking strawberries. She began her formal working career at Miller Pharmacy, after which she was employed in the traffic department at Johns-Manville. Her last "paying" job was in the family business, Lompoc Valley Stationers and Bookstore, in the mid-1970s.
Her passion was genealogy. The research fascinated and challenged her. She documented both sides of her family history and, to her dismay, found no Native American blood and, most importantly, no horse thieves.
She recently received her 50 year pin from the Native Daughters of the Golden West and was a charter member of the Lompoc Valley Historical Society and member of the now inactive Lompoc Pioneer Society.
Gail and Garry entered the dog show world showing Papillons. They were not experienced handlers, but managed to show champion dogs alongside professionals with many years of experience. She is survived by three of her beloved fur babies; Corky, Queso and Cowboy.
Gail will always be remembered for her dedication to family. She was one who could be critical and make light of family members, but woe be to those outsiders who did the same. Those critics would soon discover her "other side" as she defiantly defended her family. Opinionated and outspoken are the two qualities that summed her up.
She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, all her aunts and uncles, and her "adopted" brother, Keith Parsley. She is survived by her husband, Garry Benson and brother, Dennis Headrick of Lompoc, her "adopted" kids, Larry and Carla Harrison of Georgia, her beloved Headrick and Howerton cousins, and the Parsley family of Orcutt, whom she considered her extended family and who accepted her as one of their own.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, February 20 at 2 p.m. in the pavilion at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Lompoc, CA 93438, or an animal welfare organization of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Starbuck Lind Mortuary.
Gail Patricia Benson
December 3, 1937 - February 8, 2015
Gail (Headrick) Benson was born in Los Angeles on December 3, 1937 to Donald and Mildred (Howerton) Headrick. Ten days later, the three of them moved back to Mildred's home town of Lompoc. Twelve years later, younger brother Dennis came along and Gail became the default baby sitter.
She lived a full life and often reminisced about her Lompoc childhood – stories of living in an apartment in the historic Rudolph Mansion; stories of her doting father who considered her "Daddy's little girl;" stories of her grandparents, Frank and Bertha Howerton and their "ranch" on West Ocean Ave.; stories of her colorful cowboy uncles; and stories of her many cousins and their escapades.
Gail graduated from Lompoc High School in 1955 and then went on to Allan Hancock College to study Journalism and English. As a member of the Lompoc High School Blue Ribbon Band, she played Oboe, Saxophone and Glockenspiel. In her younger years, she took piano lessons from Faye Porter and later became a talented organist, playing background music for the annual Alpha Club Flower Show and for many local fashion shows. She became acquainted with Pat Farage, who managed the local Baldwin Piano and Organ Studio, and soon began teaching organ techniques to eager students.
Her father served as a volunteer firefighter with the Lompoc Fire Department. It was there where she caught the eye of a young firefighter. As they say, he pursued her until she caught him. Gail and that young firefighter, Garry Benson, were married in 1960. Garry later admitted that he had first met her when she was twelve years old, while she was visiting her aunt and uncle, Ruby and Smitty Howerton, in Goleta.
Never one to avoid hard work, Gail spent a couple of summers staying with her aunt and uncle, Edith and Harry Sorensen in Grover City, while earning money picking strawberries. She began her formal working career at Miller Pharmacy, after which she was employed in the traffic department at Johns-Manville. Her last "paying" job was in the family business, Lompoc Valley Stationers and Bookstore, in the mid-1970s.
Her passion was genealogy. The research fascinated and challenged her. She documented both sides of her family history and, to her dismay, found no Native American blood and, most importantly, no horse thieves.
She recently received her 50 year pin from the Native Daughters of the Golden West and was a charter member of the Lompoc Valley Historical Society and member of the now inactive Lompoc Pioneer Society.
Gail and Garry entered the dog show world showing Papillons. They were not experienced handlers, but managed to show champion dogs alongside professionals with many years of experience. She is survived by three of her beloved fur babies; Corky, Queso and Cowboy.
Gail will always be remembered for her dedication to family. She was one who could be critical and make light of family members, but woe be to those outsiders who did the same. Those critics would soon discover her "other side" as she defiantly defended her family. Opinionated and outspoken are the two qualities that summed her up.
She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, all her aunts and uncles, and her "adopted" brother, Keith Parsley. She is survived by her husband, Garry Benson and brother, Dennis Headrick of Lompoc, her "adopted" kids, Larry and Carla Harrison of Georgia, her beloved Headrick and Howerton cousins, and the Parsley family of Orcutt, whom she considered her extended family and who accepted her as one of their own.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, February 20 at 2 p.m. in the pavilion at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Lompoc, CA 93438, or an animal welfare organization of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Starbuck Lind Mortuary.
December 3, 1937 - February 8, 2015
Gail (Headrick) Benson was born in Los Angeles on December 3, 1937 to Donald and Mildred (Howerton) Headrick. Ten days later, the three of them moved back to Mildred's home town of Lompoc. Twelve years later, younger brother Dennis came along and Gail became the default baby sitter.
She lived a full life and often reminisced about her Lompoc childhood – stories of living in an apartment in the historic Rudolph Mansion; stories of her doting father who considered her "Daddy's little girl;" stories of her grandparents, Frank and Bertha Howerton and their "ranch" on West Ocean Ave.; stories of her colorful cowboy uncles; and stories of her many cousins and their escapades.
Gail graduated from Lompoc High School in 1955 and then went on to Allan Hancock College to study Journalism and English. As a member of the Lompoc High School Blue Ribbon Band, she played Oboe, Saxophone and Glockenspiel. In her younger years, she took piano lessons from Faye Porter and later became a talented organist, playing background music for the annual Alpha Club Flower Show and for many local fashion shows. She became acquainted with Pat Farage, who managed the local Baldwin Piano and Organ Studio, and soon began teaching organ techniques to eager students.
Her father served as a volunteer firefighter with the Lompoc Fire Department. It was there where she caught the eye of a young firefighter. As they say, he pursued her until she caught him. Gail and that young firefighter, Garry Benson, were married in 1960. Garry later admitted that he had first met her when she was twelve years old, while she was visiting her aunt and uncle, Ruby and Smitty Howerton, in Goleta.
Never one to avoid hard work, Gail spent a couple of summers staying with her aunt and uncle, Edith and Harry Sorensen in Grover City, while earning money picking strawberries. She began her formal working career at Miller Pharmacy, after which she was employed in the traffic department at Johns-Manville. Her last "paying" job was in the family business, Lompoc Valley Stationers and Bookstore, in the mid-1970s.
Her passion was genealogy. The research fascinated and challenged her. She documented both sides of her family history and, to her dismay, found no Native American blood and, most importantly, no horse thieves.
She recently received her 50 year pin from the Native Daughters of the Golden West and was a charter member of the Lompoc Valley Historical Society and member of the now inactive Lompoc Pioneer Society.
Gail and Garry entered the dog show world showing Papillons. They were not experienced handlers, but managed to show champion dogs alongside professionals with many years of experience. She is survived by three of her beloved fur babies; Corky, Queso and Cowboy.
Gail will always be remembered for her dedication to family. She was one who could be critical and make light of family members, but woe be to those outsiders who did the same. Those critics would soon discover her "other side" as she defiantly defended her family. Opinionated and outspoken are the two qualities that summed her up.
She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, all her aunts and uncles, and her "adopted" brother, Keith Parsley. She is survived by her husband, Garry Benson and brother, Dennis Headrick of Lompoc, her "adopted" kids, Larry and Carla Harrison of Georgia, her beloved Headrick and Howerton cousins, and the Parsley family of Orcutt, whom she considered her extended family and who accepted her as one of their own.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, February 20 at 2 p.m. in the pavilion at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Lompoc, CA 93438, or an animal welfare organization of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Starbuck Lind Mortuary.
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