The funeral for Reta Faye Miller Benedict, 75, Hennessey, was at 11 a.m. Sat., Aug. 27, 2016 at First Christian Church officiated by Pastor Gary Miller.

Burial followed at Hennessey Cemetery under the direction of Cordry-Gritz Funeral Home.
Visitation with the family was at the funeral home Friday evening from 6-8 p.m.

Reta was born in Marshall on Oct. 4, 1940 to Ora “Buck” and Elsie Jay Parker Miller and died Tuesday Sept. 23, 2016 at OU Medical Center in Edmond. The family attended Pleasant Hill Church where Reta began singing at the age of three. Her dad would stand her up on the piano bench and play the guitar as she sang. She started school at Bethel one room school. She and her cousin Martha Casteel were the only two students in the first grade. Reta was very shy and would not talk to the teacher for the first six weeks of school. The teacher even took her home with her to stay the night and she still would not talk. The family moved to Covington in 1947 and began attending the Free Methodist Church. Reta was involved in music and later helped with Vacation Bible School. She sang in the school chorus and was song leader in the FHA club. She also served on the student council and held an office in her class. Reta and her brother Orville sang together and attended tri-county singing conventions. They entered a talent contest on KCRC radio station and won each week. Finally the radio station asked them to stop entering in order to give other talents a chance. A country western band asked them to sing a gospel song on their show which followed the talent show. Every Saturday night all the kids in the Miller family would get together and sing. Buck played guitar and Elsie always had food prepared for them. Reta married F. J. “Jay” Benedict in Enid on Dec. 7, 1960. Jay worked as a welder and Reta worked at a hospital as a bookkeeper and insurance clerk. They moved several times and eventually moved to Hennessey. They owned and operated Jays Frac Tanks until their retirement in 1992. Reta attended Oak Grove Church and First Christian Church in Hennessey until ill health kept her from attending.

She is survived by two daughters, Brenda Benedict and son Kerry Todd, Sherry Bradley and children Randy, Whitney and Samantha, Michael and wife Tonya and children Jacob and wife Ronda, Nikki Nikole and husband Lee and Jaidann. Honorary grandchildren Brandon, Quinton, Trinton and Chance; great-grandchildren T.J. and River Bradley, Krysten and Kinzie Bradley, Natalie Crissup, Brayden and Jaxon Benedict; Brothers Danny Miller of Kansas City, Kan., Clifford and wife Judy Miller of Fayetteville, N.C.; sisters Cleta and husband John Schaefer, Betty Garvie all of Enid, Patricia Hunefeld of Great Bend, Kan.; one aunt Dean Parker of Enid and a host of cousins and extended family.

Reta was preceded in death by her parents; her husband., Jay; brothers, Orville Miller, Lavern Miller, J.D. Miller, and one sister, Linda Wickham.