She was born in Douglas, Arizona, where her father, Colonel Derosey Carroll Cabell Jr, was a career Army officer. Her mother, the former Edith Morgan, was the daughter of Colonel George Horace Morgan, a Medal of Honor recipient. Virginia's younger brother, Derosey III, later went to the US Military Academy (class of 1944), and also had a military career. She met her husband to be, Army Second Lieutenant Wilmer Kersey Benson, Jr during his first tour in the Panama Canal Zone in 1938, and they were married in the Cathedral of Saint Luke, Ancon, Panama Canal Zone on May 13, 1939. She was a graduate of Balboa High School, in the Canal Zone, in 1937, and had attended the Canal Zone Junior College for one year (1938-39).
Mrs. Benson, known affectionately to her friends as "Gidge," was well known in Army circles for her love of Contract Bridge, Scrabble, Crossword Puzzles, and for the unique parties she and her husband threw. She followed her husband's military career in assignments such as Panama (twice), Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Fort Bliss, Texas. When Colonel Benson retired from the Army in 1968, they settled initially in Rockville, Maryland, and later moved to the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They were active in the Olney Lions Club.
She had three children. She is survived by six grandchildren, three step-grand children, five great-grandchildren, and one step great-grandchild.
She died Saturday evening, May 25, 2002, at the Asbury Methodist Village, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she had lived for the past 14 years. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-three years, Colonel Wilmer Kersey Benson, Jr (US Army, Retired), who died in July of 1999. In her final years, she suffered from diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease, although she died in her sleep from complications following a stroke. She was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, with her husband.
Mrs. Benson, known affectionately to her friends as "Gidge," was well known in Army circles for her love of Contract Bridge, Scrabble, Crossword Puzzles, and for the unique parties she and her husband threw. She followed her husband's military career in assignments such as Panama (twice), Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Fort Bliss, Texas. When Colonel Benson retired from the Army in 1968, they settled initially in Rockville, Maryland, and later moved to the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They were active in the Olney Lions Club.
She had three children. She is survived by six grandchildren, three step-grand children, five great-grandchildren, and one step great-grandchild.
She died Saturday evening, May 25, 2002, at the Asbury Methodist Village, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she had lived for the past 14 years. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-three years, Colonel Wilmer Kersey Benson, Jr (US Army, Retired), who died in July of 1999. In her final years, she suffered from diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease, although she died in her sleep from complications following a stroke. She was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, with her husband.
She was born in Douglas, Arizona, where her father, Colonel Derosey Carroll Cabell Jr, was a career Army officer. Her mother, the former Edith Morgan, was the daughter of Colonel George Horace Morgan, a Medal of Honor recipient. Virginia's younger brother, Derosey III, later went to the US Military Academy (class of 1944), and also had a military career. She met her husband to be, Army Second Lieutenant Wilmer Kersey Benson, Jr during his first tour in the Panama Canal Zone in 1938, and they were married in the Cathedral of Saint Luke, Ancon, Panama Canal Zone on May 13, 1939. She was a graduate of Balboa High School, in the Canal Zone, in 1937, and had attended the Canal Zone Junior College for one year (1938-39).
Mrs. Benson, known affectionately to her friends as "Gidge," was well known in Army circles for her love of Contract Bridge, Scrabble, Crossword Puzzles, and for the unique parties she and her husband threw. She followed her husband's military career in assignments such as Panama (twice), Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Fort Bliss, Texas. When Colonel Benson retired from the Army in 1968, they settled initially in Rockville, Maryland, and later moved to the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They were active in the Olney Lions Club.
She had three children. She is survived by six grandchildren, three step-grand children, five great-grandchildren, and one step great-grandchild.
She died Saturday evening, May 25, 2002, at the Asbury Methodist Village, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she had lived for the past 14 years. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-three years, Colonel Wilmer Kersey Benson, Jr (US Army, Retired), who died in July of 1999. In her final years, she suffered from diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease, although she died in her sleep from complications following a stroke. She was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, with her husband.
Mrs. Benson, known affectionately to her friends as "Gidge," was well known in Army circles for her love of Contract Bridge, Scrabble, Crossword Puzzles, and for the unique parties she and her husband threw. She followed her husband's military career in assignments such as Panama (twice), Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Fort Bliss, Texas. When Colonel Benson retired from the Army in 1968, they settled initially in Rockville, Maryland, and later moved to the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They were active in the Olney Lions Club.
She had three children. She is survived by six grandchildren, three step-grand children, five great-grandchildren, and one step great-grandchild.
She died Saturday evening, May 25, 2002, at the Asbury Methodist Village, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she had lived for the past 14 years. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-three years, Colonel Wilmer Kersey Benson, Jr (US Army, Retired), who died in July of 1999. In her final years, she suffered from diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease, although she died in her sleep from complications following a stroke. She was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, with her husband.
