Curtis L. Mandrell — Benton, IL

Curtis L. Mandrell, 88, of Benton passed peacefully on Oct. 18, 2020 after a short illness.

He was born in Benton, IL on June 5, 1932, the son of Leslie Rufus & Bonnie Mae (Eldridge) Mandrell. He was a member of the Church of Christ. Curt was a loving husband, dad, grandpa & great-grandpa.

A native and lifelong resident of Benton, he would never imagine living anywhere else. It was here that he learned carpentry skills from his father and grandfather. Curt honed these skills to not only make a living, but also generously help many others with his talent. More importantly, his strong faith in God and service to others helped him construct a living legacy as a father, loving husband, church member, and community servant. Curt embodied the apostle Paul’s admonition of Philippians 2:3-4: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Beverly Mandrell, children, Debby (Gary) Kraft, of Benton, Carla Davidson, of Mt. Sterling, KY, Darrell (Jenny) Mandrell, of Mt. Sterling, KY and Bonnie Garza, of San Antonio, TX. He is also surived by six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Curt was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers.
Curt was a carpenter for 40 years, 25 of which were spent at SIU.

Graveside Services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, Oct. 31st at the Shiloh Cemetery in Whittington, with Steve Reeves officiating.

For more information or to send online condolences please visit www.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com