DENISON - Patsy Ann Miller Bengel, 89, died peacefully Dec. 24, 2010 at Texoma Medical Center.
Visitation for Patsy will be held from 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 29 at Bratcher Funeral Home, located at 401 W. Woodard St. in Denison. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30 at Waples Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 830 W. Main St. in Denison with Rev. Judith Brandt officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery, located at 1501 Hwy. 91 North in Denison.

She was born Oct. 10, 1921 in Savoy, daughter of Homer D. and Laura Helen Miller. She graduated from Denison Senior High School and entered Southeastern State Teachers College in Durant, Okla., where she obtained her BS in Education and her certificate to teach. She later returned to Southeastern for her Masters.
Patsy married John W. Bengel on May 29, 1944 in Denison. They were married for 49 years before his death in October of 1993.
She had a long and successful career as a teacher in the Denison school system, where she taught for 38 years. She loved the upper elementary grades and especially loved her fifth grade classes. One of her proudest moments was being named Educator of the Year in 1987. She was never happier than when she was "teaching school" and later delighted in meeting her former students downtown, hearing how their lives were going and remembering the year she spent with them. After her retirement in 1987, she began her second career as a Wedding Coordinator. She loved helping brides create their dream weddings.

She is survived by her children, John W. Bengel II and his wife Elsa of Boston, Mass., Mary Helen Thomas and her husband Larry of Half Moon Bay, Calif., and Laura Beth Wakefield of Denison; five grandchildren, Jason Wakefield, Amie Wakefield and Brian McBride, Alison Bengel Sisk and Daniel Sisk, Joanna Bengel and Brendan Eygabroat, Amanda Slack and Nate Rand; and three great-grandchildren, Joshua, Laurynn and Abigail McBride.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care and direction of Bratcher Funeral Home, 401 W. Woodard Street, Denison, Texas 75020. For further information, please call the funeral home at (903) 465-2323, or for an online obituary, directions or to leave a condolence, please go to www.bratcherfuneralhome.com.
Published in The Herald Democrat on December 30, 2010