Marie Christina Benson Newton

Marie Christina Benson Newton was born on November 20, 1914 in the small eastern Montana town of Hathaway, to Ben Benson and Mary Neilsen Benson. She passed away on June 9, 2013 at the Rolling Hills Manor care home with her family by her side. Marie attended a one-room schoolhouse through elementary school and then boarded in the town of Rosebud to attend high school. She graduated from the University of Montana and then ventured to Boston to intern and joined the staff in dietetics at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Marie met Dr. Aaron W. Newton while in Boston, but they were apart for a while when she transferred to the Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Aaron, as a commissioned officer, was transferred to Cleveland during WWII and after numerous weekend visits, they were married in the chapel at the Children’s Hospital on March 8, 1941. During the war, they made their home in Cleveland and then Norfolk, VA After the war, they returned to Aaron’s home state of Massachusetts where she assisted Aaron in setting up his medical practice in Greenfield. Marie did volunteer work at the Franklin County Public Hospital where she served as President of the Board of Organized Work at the time of retirement. Marie was a Girl Scout Leader and taught nutrition to student nurses and Sunday school at the Second Congregational Church where she was a member. She was a super mother to her three children, and the best grandma ever to her grandchildren. Marie was a gracious hostess, great cook and baker, and enjoyed sewing clothes for her children. She enjoyed doing handcrafts, crossword puzzles and reading. In 1975, Aaron and Marie retired and moved to Arizona where she took up the game of golf and was a member of the Nine Holers at Antelope Hills. Marie and Aaron were married for 60 years. Marie was preceded in death by her husband Aaron, her brothers, Bennie and Robert, and her sister, Sigrid. She is survived by her children: Bea Loomis, Betty (Roger) Antony, and Aaron (Page) Newton, Jr. She is also survived by her sister, Gerrie, and grandchildren: Jason, Trey, and Seth Newton, Hilary Horton, Adam Loomis and Aaron Loomis. She was the proud great-grandmother of Clara and Austin Newton and Audrey and Mia Horton. She also leaves behind her sister-in-law Donna, and nieces and nephews in Montana, California, Massachusetts and Maine. The family is most grateful for the kindness and care from the staff of the Good Samaritan Hospice and from the staff at the Rolling Hills Manor. Their help, kindness and love will not be forgotten. Marie will be greatly missed. The family invites friends to help celebrate Marie’s life at an open house at Aaron and Page Newton’s home at 1235 Solar Heights Dr. on Sunday, June 16th from 4 pm to 7 pm.