Edith Bennett Passes Away at 82

Ms. Edith Bennett, born June 21, 1931 passed away today, April 12, 2013.

Edith worked at WOMI since November 28, 1950, when she first began to work on Radio Church Chapel, heard on WOMI Sunday Morning from 5:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for over 52 years.

Edith loved WOMI. When I last saw her last Saturday morning, she requested I I get her a WOMI t-shirt like the one I was wearing. She had a WOMI license plate holder on her car and her apartment is full of WOMI related memorabilia.

The 2000 tornado struck her home and she lost about two-thirds of her collection of newspaper articles, photographs and phonographs but always seem grateful for what remained and what she continued to add to her collection up to her final days.

There were some milestones in her life that she was very proud of.

On December 4, 2000, two bricks were dedicated to Edith Bennett at the Southern Gospel Music Association Walk of Fame at Dollywood, near Sevierville, TN. It was for her service to WOMI 1950 - 2000.

In November, 1990, she compiled Owensboro's Soundest Citizen-WOMI Radio, a collection of essays and remembrances.

1986, Edith Bennett’s Radio Church Chapel is broadcast over the Voice of the Caribbean, 4-VOC in Port Au-Prince, Haiti. Copies of her program would be sent to the station for delayed airing.

She attended every annual performance of the Owensboro Chorus presentation of Messiah. She missed one – due to illness – in over 60 years.  WOMI has broadcast that program in its entirety since 1941.

In February, 1989, she was elected President of the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was scheduled to speak to their gathering this summer. She had attempted to email me the details of the event but was having trouble getting her computer to cooperate.

She was extremely honored by the friendship she had with the Potters, Hugh O. and Cliffordean (AKA Miss Joanna), who managed and programmed WOMI from 1939 to 1972. They remained in continual contact with Edith until their deaths.

She spoke often of Elvis Presley, whom she met as a young man, when in starting his singing career he came to WOMI and she interviewed him.  The autograph he gave her she passed along to a friend, an Elvis fanatic. Edith was like that. She was always the most generous and gentle of souls.

She did so much for me in helping me compile my record collection. If she had a tune I needed, or if I brought her some vinyl, she would convert it to mp3 format on a CD for me.

We will dearly miss our friend and co-worker. She treasured WOMI anniversaries, such as our 75^th in February. She devoted the entire month’s programs to saluting that highpoint.

“The heart of nearly every home was its radio. Radio has always kept us up to date on any subject. Radio is your friend, We’ll always be here for you, our friends, our listeners. Radio never an intruder, always a guest.” . . . Edith Bennett.

She signed off her Sunday Shows with the line, “Music of the masters for the Master”, in Whose Eternal Arms she now rests.