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It is with sorrow that we inform every one that our mother, Violet Long, passed Wednesday October 15th at 3:50PM at age 85 years old. She was surrounded by all of her six children and many grandchildren and friends in her last days and left us peacefully and comfortably.
Violet Evelyn (Roark) (Bennett) Long was preceded in death by her parents, Clara Brockman Roark age 83, in 1982; and Charles C. Roark, age 94, in 1990; her brother Frank Roark of Sallisaw in 2007; Charles Roark Jr. of Vian, OK in 1944; and Dixie Ruth Cook in 2001. She is survived by her sisters Lillian Cantrell of Oklahoma City, OK; Lois Shanks of Glenpool, OK; Monnie Sourjohn of Sapulpa, OK; Fern Andrews of Sallisaw, OK; and her brothers Paul Roark of Checotah, OK; and John Roark of Vian, OK. She is also survived by her six children, Loren Bennett of Davis, CA; Ronald Bennett of Wilmington, CA; Caleb "Dan" Bennett of Sacramento, CA. Violet was widowed by their father Asbury Bennett. Her three children, Mona Ricard of Pleasant Hill, CA; Lana Hurley of Prescott Valley, AZ; and Frank Long of Sacramento, CA are from their father, Howard Long.
She has 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Born in Vian, Oklahoma as the oldest of 10 children on a rural farm, she was dearly loved as she helped raise her younger brothers and sisters and they grew their own food in the depression era. She was married to Asbury Bennett at the age of 17 and moved to Woodland, CA, with her in-laws and then moved to rural farms in Dixon, CA, where they raised their 3 sons. She took part time jobs as a tomato picker, waitress, and hospital orderly until the untimely death of Asbury. She married Howard Long in 1960 and raised her second family in Pleasanton, CA, where she worked as a medical office manager and assistant. Later she worked as a realtor and medical billing specialist. She was part owner of an antique shop, "Grandma's House", with life long friends in Pleasanton. After her divorce, she moved back to Vian, Oklahoma, to be closer to family. She owned the malt shop, the "Wolverine Den", across from the high school. She later worked as a cashier at the Fig Tree Restaurant in Sallisaw, OK.
On returning to California in 1984, she lived with her daughter Mona's family, where she helped to raise her grandchildren for the last 24 years in Pleasant Hill, CA. Her victory as a breast cancer survivor in 1987 inspired all of us. She then continued to work as a medical assistant for her second husband, Dr. Howard Long, revitalizing his medical practice as office manager in the 1990's. While living as a "soccer grandma" during retirement, she made frequent trips to see her brothers and sisters in Oklahoma, and to Seattle to see her grandchildren. The last six months she was limited by a severe stroke and had to stay in a rehabilitation center with frequent re-hospitalization.
Her calm welcoming presence and unconditional sincere love was a cornerstone of her personality to all who knew her sweet way. She was not only our mother, but our friend, cheerleader, and "the wind underneath our wings" and will be missed by all of us.
The Family of Violet Long
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