Anna Bennett, 82, of Oskaloosa, passed away Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at the Mahaska Health Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa.
Anna Dung Nguyen Bennett, daughter of Van Hai and Thi Loi (Hai) Nguyen, was born on December 31, 1943, in a small village south of Saigon, South Vietnam. As a youngster, she was brought up in a strict Catholic family of schoolteachers. The family eventually moved to Saigon, where her dad was a university professor, and her mother returned to college to further her education. Because the country was at war, her activities with friends and outside the household were severely restricted. She was able to attend college after graduating from high school, but left after two years at age 21 when she married her Marine Lieutenant boyfriend, Chau Hong Vo. He went off to combat soon after their marriage and was killed in action after almost two years of marriage, having only spent 20 days of that time with his new wife.
Anna was then faced with being a widow with a two-month-old son, Quan, to look after. She soon returned to her parents’ home for safety and assistance with her new baby. Eight months later, Anna decided she needed to get a job to help support the family. Because of her artistic skill, she was hired as an electrical draftsman at a U.S. Army base. It was there that she met her husband, 2nd Lieutenant George Carlton Bennett, a West Point and University of Missouri graduate engineer, working with the Army Corps of Engineers. It took some convincing, but Anna finally relented, and they married on Thanksgiving Day in 1970 in Saigon. Shortly after they were married, they moved back to Oskaloosa, George’s hometown.
George took over his father’s jewelry business, Lyle’s Jewelry, and Anna assisted him and ran their busy household with three small children. Anna’s true passion was her artwork, which encompassed many forms, from painting and ceramics to sewing, knitting, crocheting, jewelry design and creation, and general arts and crafts. She made dolls and sewed clothing for them, which she sold at Lyles. Her gardens and floral arrangements were an essential creative outlet for her as well, and she shared her creations with her church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, for many years.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church was central to her life. She never missed the weekly masses and loved cooking for the local priests – her spring rolls were a favorite treat. She also helped with the church-sponsored refugee programs – she had great empathy for newcomers in a strange new world, and tried to make their adjustments easier in any way she could.
After George passed away in 2013, Anna remained in her home; she was very pleased to be surrounded by nature and to pursue her artistic and gardening pursuits at her own pace. It was because of the generosity of her friends and church family that she could remain in her home – a blessing that returned to her for all the blessings she bestowed on others.
Her family includes her children, Katia (Timothy Crowley) Bennett of Falls Church, Virginia, and George “Carl” Bennett of Brooklyn, New York; two grandchildren, Declan and Maeve Crowley.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, a son, Quan Vo Bennett, and a brother and two sisters.
A Memorial Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 27, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Rev. Joseph Phung officiating. Her ashes will be interred privately at Old White Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Langkamp Funeral Chapel & Crematory has been entrusted with Anna’s final arrangements.
