Obit of Benson, James Collis - Delaware County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 31 Jul 2005 Return to Delaware County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/delaware/delaware.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== JAMES COLLIS BENSON OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Funeral service for James Collis Benson, 31, of Grove, Okla., will be at 11 a.m., on Saturday, February 1, 2003, at the First Presbyterian Church of Norman, Okla., with Terry Lucarelli, officiating, and Dr. John McGarey and Dr. Bill Guilford, assisting. He died Wednesday, January 29, 2003, at an Oklahoma City hospital. Services are under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home. James Collis Benson was born December 25, 1971, in McAlester, Okla., to Harry James and Victoria Collis Benson. He grew up in Duncan, Okla. and graduated from Duncan Senior High School in 1990. While in high school, Jim was a three year letterman in both wrestling and football; student council president; Eagle Scout; editor of the Duncan Senior High School Newspaper, and editor-in-chief of the newspaper of Boys State. He then attended and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in English 1994. He was a member of the President's Leadership Class of 1990 and was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, serving as the ritualist. He was a columnist for the Oklahoma Daily Newspaper, was a recipient of the Golda M. Cooksey Creative Writing Prize and was on the Dean's Honor Roll. Continuing his education, he attended the University of Oklahoma College of Law and received his Jurisdoctor in 1997. During law school, he was on the Dean's Honor Roll; a member of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity; received the Achievement Award in Evidence; the Carl Albert Public Internship with the Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma and served as General Counsel for the University of Oklahoma Student Association. He married Trisha Eilleene Wilbur in El Reno, Okla., on July 14, 1995, and to this union were born two daughters, Gabrael Victoria Ashton Benson and Riley Lane Ashton Benson. Upon graduation from law school, Jim practiced law in Chickasha, Okla. and Duncan before settling in Grove, as General Counsel for Grand River Abstract and Title Company. Jim was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Duncan where he served as a deacon and committee member. He was a member of the State Bar of Oklahoma since 1997, a member of the Stephens County Bar Association, serving as president in 2001, board member of the Duncan Public Schools Foundation, volunteer for the Legal Aid of Western Oklahoma and was active in the United Way of Stephens County. Survivors include: his wife, Trisha Eilleene Benson of Grove; two daughters, Gabrael Victoria Ashton Benson and Riley Lane Ashton Benson, both of Grove; his mother, Victoria Collis Benson of Duncan; his father, Harry James Benson of Oklahoma City; two brothers, Andrew Keith Benson of Duncan, and John Martin Benson of Oklahoma City; his grandmother, Essie Mae Benson of Norman; and many loving family members and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Dr. Keith Benson of Lawton, Okla., and his maternal grandparents, John and Vera Collis of Hinsdale, Ill. Memorial contributions may be made to the James Collis Benson Memorial Fund, in care of Stillwater National Bank, 6301 Waterford Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73118 or to John Benson, 915 NW 38th, Oklahoma City, OK 73118. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Delaware County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/delaware/delaware.html