MARCH 25, 1942 – JULY 14, 2023
Obituary
Mrs. Bennie Dale Fryman entered her Savior’s presence on Friday, July 14th, in Nacogdoches, Texas. Bennie was born March 25th, 1942, to Theodore Cyrus Dobbs, Sr. and Sally Mae (Arnold) Dobbs in Nacogdoches County, Texas.
Bennie was a loving wife, sister, mother, and grandmother. Bennie was intelligent and hardworking, graduating Valedictorian of Central Heights High School in 1960. She married Don Fryman in 1960. They raised their four children in both East Texas and Denver, Colorado. They made many wonderful friends over the years in both states. Bennie worked most of her life in office management and was always liked and respected by her colleagues.
She was a long-time member of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Mount Enterprise, Texas. She dedicated her life to her family and her church and had a heart for missionaries and their work to share the gospel message around the world. Bennie had a sweet, warm smile, and she loved sharing family stories. She was deeply proud of her East Texas roots and was quick to recount her experiences growing up in Nacogdoches County over a good fellowship meal. She was an avid reader, a fan of the Andy Griffith Show, loved to sit back and watch a good Western, and music from a country gospel quartet would get her feet tapping and put a smile on her face every time.
She considered herself especially blessed by her ten grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She was always eager to rock a new grandbaby and proudly shared stories of their accomplishments as they grew up. She loved to travel with them or excitedly cross the country to spend time with them. Bennie leaves a legacy of love that will continue in her family for generations.
Bennie was preceded in death by her mother and father, Sallie Mae and Theodore Dobbs, Sr; her brothers, T.C. Dobbs, Jr. and Billy Dobbs; her sisters, Margaret Hutchinson and Katherine Johnson; and her husband of 42 years, Don Fryman. Her four children and their spouses survive her: Donna and Andy Parker of Kingsport, Tennessee; Sherry and Carl Benda of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Terry and Scott Lee of Mount Enterprise, Texas; and Johnny and Kimberly Fryman of Mount Enterprise, Texas. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Lucas and Lily Parker of Durham, North Carolina; Samuel Parker of Charlotte, North Carolina, Austin and Elizabeth Parker of Indianapolis, Indiana; Jeremiah and Caitlin Lee of Mount Enterprise, Texas; Elizabeth and Tyler Burkhalter of Mount Enterprise, Texas, Curtis and Kiera Benda of Columbia, South Carolina, Hunter Benda of Aurora, Colorado, Nicole and Gregg Caudill of Mount Enterprise, Texas, Laura and Jacob Gafford of Mount Enterprise, Texas, and Donelle and James Hargraves of Washington D.C., and her great grandchildren Caroline Lee, Bryce Burkhalter, Tesla Lee, Archer Lee, Deacon Burkhalter, Cassandra Caudill, Deckard Lee, Charlotte Gafford, Autumn Parker, Isabelle Hargraves, and Jordan Curtis Benda, Jr. She is also survived by close family friend Chris Baird and his wife Mary Jo and son Tim.
A memorial service will be held at the Landmark Missionary Baptist Church Family Life Center in Mount Enterprise, Texas, with a date and time to be announced in the near future. The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to the staff of Westward Trails Nursing and Rehabilitation, Heart to Heart Hospice, and to the late Melba Smith and her family for the love and care they showed Bennie. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Mrs. Bennie’s honor may be made to the Missions Fund or Wonderful Widow Women Ministry of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church 202 NW 3rd Street, Mount Enterprise, Texas 75681.