Harry Bennett

HARRY J. BENNETT

Harry Joseph Bennett was born in Phoenix, Arizona on March 1, 1916. Why Phoenix, since the Bennett family hails from southern Illinois? His father, Harry Charles Bennett, was an outstanding literature evangelist (selling printed religious materials door-to-door), and had been appointed by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to head up the publishing work in Brazil and all of South America. During the physical exams required for overseas appointees, it was found that Harry Sr had tuberculosis. The only known treatment for TB at that time was sending the patient to a drier climate. Harry Charles and his wife Mary went to the southwest and so, Harry Joseph was born in Phoenix.

On the same day that Harry was born, Jerry Pettis was delivered by the same doctor in Phoenix. Jerry Pettis later represented the 33rd and 37th districts of the state of California in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. while Harry represented his Lord in mission service in Africa.

Sadly, Harry's father died from TB when Harry was only 2 months old. His grandmother cared for him until he was about 6. Most of his education was in Adventist schools. He finished the 10th grade in 1931 at Fountain Head Industrial Institute at Fountain Head, TN (now Highland Academy in Portland, TN). He graduated from Hinsdale Sanitarium Academy in 1933, attended Madison College, and Southern Junior College (1934-1937) at Collegedale, TN. It was at Collegedale where he and Ercel Bradley met. He graduated from Nursing in the Class of 1941 from the Washington Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing in Takoma Park, MD.

In August of 1940, Harry married Ercel Bradley at Forest Lake Academy near Orlando, Florida. Clara Wright (Burton Wright's mother) played the wedding march and Grace Larsen (wife of Walker Memorial Hospital founder Dr. Larsen) coordinated their wedding. In June of 1942 he graduated from Washington Missionary College with a B.S. in Nursing. He was one of the first male nurses to obtain this degree, and the first college graduate in his entire family history, paving the way for the rest of his family to obtain higher education.

Harry Jr had put in an appearance in January of 1942 right in the middle of semester exams. Harry almost flunked the semester tests due to his excitement of becoming a father! August of 1942 found Harry and Ercel and their baby son at Sheyenne River Academy in Harvey, ND where Harry taught Chemistry and Biology, was School Nurse and Dean of Boys. Ercel organized and directed both a girls chorus and a boys chorus.

The day after graduation in May 1943 found the trio with all they owned packed into the old trusty '33 Chevy pulling a trailer headed south. The North Dakota winter had been a bit too much for Ercel, a Florida native! The school year of 1943-44 was spent in the Dean’s Apartment of the Boys Dorm at Forest Lake Academy (near Orlando, FL). There Harry taught Biology, was School Nurse and Dean of Boys. Daughter Marilyn Faye was born in January 1944. In April 1944 a request arrived from the Adventist World Headquarters for the Bennett family to go to Africa. This was during the ravages of World War II. Harry trusted his God so much that he was willing to risk their lives to traverse the German U-boat infested waters of the north Atlantic Ocean. Though usually a 4-5 day journey, the Bennett family’s ship took 14 days to cross because the captain had to change course every 15 minutes to avoid torpedos from German submarines. This boat carried precious cargo—25 Adventist missionaries en route to Africa, the Middle East and India. To make the story more exciting, the previous group of Adventist missionaries had crossed the Atlantic on a vessel that was torpedoed by a German submarine. Though all survived, that boatload of missionaries spent the rest of the war in a German prisoner-of-war camp.

Though the Bennett’s destination was Africa, the boat only took them to Portugal, the only neutral country in the war with shipping across the Atlantic. The Bennetts spent 5 weeks in Lisbon waiting for a ship to Africa. Harry secured passage on a tiny freighter en route to the Belgian Congo. The freighter didn’t dock at port, but transferred its goods and passengers onto an open barge beyond  the mouth of the Congo River, but what seemed to be the middle of the ocean. This open barge carried the Bennett family to land in the Belgian Congo. Harry recalled the challenges of trying to corral 2 active toddlers, Marilyn, age 1, and Harry Joe, age 3, on this open barge. (Marilyn had just learned to walk in Portugal.)

Next, the journey carried them up the Congo River on a steam generated 100-year-old Mississsippi River paddle wheel boat that had been dismantled in Louisiana and re-assembled in Africa for use on the Congo River. Harry was appointed to be in charge of Rwankeri Mission Medical Dispensary (Rwanda, Central Africa) but by the time they arrived (June 1945), every missionary in central Africa was so long overdue for their furlough that opening the dispensary was forgotten about. During World War II overseas travel had been impossible. Church leaders made Harry a mission director almost immediately to allow all the current missionaries to take their furloughs. The job description for a mission director in those days was similar to being leader for Volunteers,Yyouth Ministries, Sabbath School, Education, plus being Conference President.

Harry’s first job in Africa included supervising 63 schools, 15 churches and 10 ordained district pastors. For a time he was secretary-treasurer of the newly organized Rwanda-Burundi Mission Field and later President of the Katanga Mission Field in what is now the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Harry’s last 2 years in Africa were spent teaching at Helderberg College near Capetown, South Africa.

Upon permanent return to the US in 1958, the family spent a year at Potomac University in Takoma Park, MD (the forerunner of the present Andrews University). Next came 14 years of service in that foreign country of Texas—11 years teaching at Southwestern Jr College and Chisolm Trail Academy at Keene, TX and 3 years as pastor and chaplain at the Adventist Church and Hospital in Menard, TX.

In 1973 John McClellan called Harry to be chaplain of Walker Memorial Hospital in Avon Park, FL (now Florida Hospital-Sebring). At age 66 he retired. He afterwards said that was just the year the pay checks quit, but the work went on! He remained active as a volunteer chaplain, both at Florida Hospital-Sebring and at Royal Care Nursing Home in Avon Park FL.

For 45 years Harry made rounds and ministered to the residents of Hillcrest (now Royal Care) and other Nursing Homes. Harry’s wife, Ercel, died in 2007. He continued living in his own home and remained active in the community and in the Avon Park Seventh-day Adventist Church. His hobbies included caring for his yard, maintaining his car, and music. He loved classical music and played the violin and sang in choirs. He loved to walk and ride his 3-wheel bike. His driver’s license was still valid until age 106.

Harry was fortunate in regards to health. His father died from tuberculosis when he was 2 months old. Harry’s mother had active TB until Harry was 12. His lungs must have taken in a lot of TB germs. Every fluroscope or X-ray that was ever taken showed calcified lung lesions from TB, but they never broke down to give Harry the active disease. He grew up in an era when exercise was mandated—no car, no motorcycle, but plenty of hard work, all of which produced a good strong heart that served him well over the years. He never had a rugged physique, but was relatively healthy all his life. He referred to Isaiah 58 and then condensed it in his own words: "Do something for someone else and it will better your own health." It must have paid off as he lived past his 102nd birthday.

Harry Joseph Bennett died peacefully on October 12, 2018, just before sundown Friday evening at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Sebring, Florida. Surviving is son Harry Jr, of San Diego, California, and daughter Marilyn Bennett-Justesen of Avon Park, Florida, 4 grand-children and 7 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Harry’s life will take place at Avon Park Seventh-day Adventist Church (1410 Avon Blvd, Avon Park, FL 33825) on November 18 (Sunday) at 3:00 pm. All are invited. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial gifts to one of the following:

Good Shepherd Hospice (1110 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33870), www.chaptershealth.org
Adventist World Radio (12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904) www.awr.org
Walker Memorial Academy (1525 W Avon Blvd, Avon Park, FL 33825) www.wmaeagles.org

Funeral arrangements are with Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home of Avon Park,  Florida.

I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak His praises.

Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;

let us exalt His name together.

—Psalm 34:1,3 (New Living Translation)