George "Earl" Bennett

SIDNEY — On Wednesday (Aug. 28, 2019), George “Earl” Bennett passed away at home. He was 59 years old.

Earl was born Dec. 26, 1959, in Tillar, Ark., to George Washington and Viola Bennett. At the age of 4, he was adopted by his cousins, George and Lorene. In the fall of 1979, Earl attended Mid-South Christian College where he met his wife, Alana. They were married a year later and would have celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary on Aug. 30. They raised four children: Brett (Linda), Trent, Grant (Tanner), and Paige (Tim).

Earl and Alana moved from Dewitt, Ark., to Sidney in 1987. Earl worked at a hardware store and joined the Sidney Fire Department. In 1990, Earl began to work full time for the village of Sidney. In 2009, Earl became the fire chief for Sidney Fire Department and was well-known around the county for his Southern “twang” on the radio and his warm smile when he saw a familiar face on a scene.

Earl’s legacy is one of quiet service to others. He was never one to brag or seek attention for the work that he did. He would respond to fire department or village maintenance calls at any hour of the day or night, sacrificing personal or family time to serve those in need. He was a member of Sidney Christian Church and often was the unofficial caterer for whoever needed it. He wore many hats — over the years, he served his friends, family and community as a coach, referee, mechanic, carpenter, chef and all-around handyman and was instrumental in the Sidney Fun Daze.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Alana; his four children, Brett, Trent, Grant and Paige; his granddaughters; his brother, David Bennett of Stuttgart, Ark.; sisters, Nancy Jasie of Hot Springs, Ark., Brenda (Scott) Meins of Almyra, Ark., and Karen (Ricky) Willams of DeWitt, Ark.; and multiple nieces, nephews and cousins.

Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, at Freese Funeral Home in Sidney. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Sidney Christian Church, 305 E. Main St., and Earl will be buried at Mount Hope Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Sidney Firefighters Association (P.O. Box 380, Sidney IL 61877) or Sidney Christian Church.
CU News-Gazette 9/2/2019