VICKY IS REJOICING WITH THE ANGELS!
Victoria Raye (Goodman) Benson, 77, of New Paris, died unexpectedly of natural causes in her home on Saturday, April 23, 2022. She had been a resident of Winona Lake and then New Paris since 1976.
Vicky was born in Milford, Delaware on November 30, 1944, to Watson and Rose (Stair) Goodman. Most of her school years were spent in South Africa where Watson and Rose were missionaries. The family moved to Winona Lake in 1961 when Vicky was entering her senior year in high school. She graduated from Warsaw High School in 1962 and from Marion College, now Indiana Wesleyan University, in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. The following year she received her Master of Arts in Journalism from Syracuse University, New York.
She married the love of her life, Jay Ellsworth Benson, on October 28, 1967. After working for the Free Methodist Church of North America, the Bensons served as literature missionaries in association with Kalam Hidup, the publishing house of The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) in Bandung, Indonesia. While in Indonesia, Bensons coordinated the publishing of three million copies of the Help From Above Scripture booklet in three languages for World Missionary Press (WMP), many of which were distributed through C&MA ministries. During this time their son, Jeff, was born.
In 1976 the Bensons returned to the U.S. to work with WMP, a worldwide donor-supported ministry of publishing Scripture booklets and Bible-study booklets. Many of the Bible Study booklets were compiled by Vicky. During her 45 years at WMP Vicky had many opportunities to travel and to speak. She served in various roles, including Study booklet compiler, prayer coordinator, Treasurer, and Vice President. Her favorite tasks were writing and editing. She especially loved studying the Bible to glean truths to apply to her life.
An avid reader, she enjoyed finding gems of books to share with others. Her great love was reading the romance novels of Grace Livingston Hill, which she found fascinating for their accurate historical details, and their insight into human nature.
Vicky was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother and sister-in-law Donald and Kim Goodman, and her brother-in-law Jerry Johnson.
Surviving are her son, Jeffrey C. (Dana) Benson, and four grandchildren, Audrey, Eli, Emily and Isaac of Aurora, Illinois; her sister, Ruth Johnson of South Bend, Indiana; and her brother, Harry (Tricia) Goodman of Goshen, Indiana, as well as many cousins, in-laws, and nieces and nephews.
She is greatly missed by all her family and loved ones, by those with whom she prayed, shared a laugh or an adventure, and by those who looked to her for spiritual wisdom and support.
Visitation is from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Yoder-Culp Funeral Home in Goshen on Friday, April 29, 2022. The memorial service will also be held at the Yoder-Culp Funeral Home on Saturday, April 30 at 10 a.m.
Burial will be at the Violett Cemetery in Goshen.
Memorials may be sent to World Missionary Press, Inc., PO Box 120, New Paris, Indiana, or online at www.wmpress.org.