Dixie Lee (Champ) Benjamin, 78, of Woodlawn, Illinois passed away February 9, 2024 at 1:27am surrounded by family.

Dixie was born in Mt. Vernon, Illinois on August 7, 1945 to Mary Helen (McMahan) and Lester Lee Champ.

Dixie had many entertaining true and sometimes tragic stories of her family life growing up. She loved her family with all her heart.

On July 20, 1965, Dixie married the love of her life Kenneth "Eddie" Benjamin from Boyd, Illinois. A big church wedding with all the flowers & faciment was planned at Woodlawn Christian Church but at the last minute, her groom could not get leave. Dixie took the photos with the wedding party then hopped on an Amtrak to Oceanside, California where she and Eddie got married in a small chapel with a random couple as their witnesses. Eddie soon left for his first of two tours as a Marine in Vietnam while Dixie starting working as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone Co. She would later land Eddie a job at Illinois Bell where he worked until his retirement on March 31, 2001.

Dixie and Eddie were married for 59 years. Their kids, Kim, Michelle and Ken were privileged to witness their parents dedication to each other through the years, especially the more recent ones with challenging health events.

Dixie never missed a softball, baseball, basketball, cheerleading clinic, band or chorus concert. Dixie was always a room mom and frequent field trip chauffeur, once driving a borrowed camper truck and a crew of teens to the World's Fair in 1984. Dixie was also the host to numerous 80's garage dance parties - still being talked about to this day. Dixie loved being around kids so much that she became a school bus driver for Woodlawn High School for seventeen years.

Dixie as a special kind of nana. She loving cared for her first granddaughter, Shae until Shae's death in 1993. Dixie would light up talking about her nine grandkids, ShaeLynn Braddy, Ryann and Kyle French, Maddie Howard, Lily, Maribella and Grace Falconer, and Kaden and Josie Benjamin.

Dixie was unapologetic about the things she loved - her family, crafting (anything from ceramic Christmas trees to beaded jewelry). Nothing excited her more than decorating for the holidays especially, Halloween and Christmas. She was once featured in the Centralia Sentinel newspaper article for her annual display of Christmas tree decor.

Dixie was a tenacious spirit. She wanted to learn how to sew but she didn't want to learn from her mother who was an avid seamstress. So Dixie enrolled in evening classes to learn sewing. Most people would start with an apron or hand towel, but not Dixie, she took on the task of sewing an elaborate formal dress with sequin trim. She was like that. She wasn't scared to try. She loved learning.

Dixie loved America. She could recite the Declaration of Independence by memory thanks to her elementary school teacher, Mr. Charlie Crane. Dixie never failed to honor her family by decorating graves for Memorial Day. She once survived a torrential 4th of July rain storm while attending a parade and she never let us forget about that.

There are so many things Dixie loved in fact, we could only think of three things that she didn't love (bridges, spicy food, speaking to "SIRI"). In hopes you'll know who Dixie was these are her most loved things: genealogy, Mcmahan family reunions, KOA camping across America, the Covered Bridge Festival, Country Music concerts with Aunt Barb, romance novels, crime shows, any kind of movie, SHOPPING, sparkly jewelry (the more sparkly the better), red blouses and Red Lobster, yellow roses and yellow Lay's potato chips, yard sales and estate auctions, SHOPPING, Queen Ann chocolates, frozen margaritas, ceramic roosters and Coca Cola (did you know she won the Pepsi Challenge?) Did we mention SHOPPING? Lastly, Dixie loved sitting on the porch in the mornings with a hot cup of Folgers coffee, looking at the land where she & Eddie have lived their whole lives, talking about nothing much and precious everything.

Dixie is survived by her husband, Eddie; daughters, Kim Falconer and husband, David of Houston, Texas, Michelle Benjamin of Woodlawn; favorite son, Ken Benjamin of Mount Vernon. She is survived by her eight grandkids. She is survived by her sister, Deanna Hammond and husband, Eldon of Woodlawn, and brother, Dennis Champ and wife, Karen of Mount Vernon. She is survived by her aunt, Barb Champ; sister-in-law, Debra Nichols of Centralia; and brother-in-law, Troy Lewis of Texas. She is survived by nieces, Heather Rogers of Xenia, Chrystal Kitowski of Springfield, Tasha Miller of Mount Vernon, Shelby Kempfer of Mount Vernon, Kaylee Champ of Jacksonville, North Carolina and nephews, Wade Champ of Mount Vernon, Cody Champ of Mount Vernon, and Casey Hammond of Boyd. She is also survived by many cousins.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Mary & Les Champ; her brother, Darrell Champ; her granddaughter, ShaeLynn Braddy; and too many dear aunts, uncles, cousins and friends to name.

A Visitation will be held Monday, February 12, 2024 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Hughey Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, Illinois. A Funeral Service will be held Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 10:00 am at Hughey Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, Illinois with Reverend Tim Champ officiating. Interment will follow at Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens in Woodlawn, Illinois.

Memorials may be made in Dixie's honor to the American Diabetes Association.

Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.

Source:Posted by Betty Sink on Jefferson County Genealogy Facebook group