Marka Lou (Gibson) Bentley

Marka Lou Bentley (Gibson) was taken home to her heavenly cottage on the morning of April 26, 2021 in the comfort of her own bed in Livingston, Texas. Marka was born September 10, 1948 to Jaunice and Ernest Bentley in Odessa, Texas. When she was 11 years old, Lester Gene Klasing became her bonus father, Pop, and played a very important role in her life from that point on. In 1966, she married Johnny Findley in Odessa, Texas and had two children.

Marka was also known as Sissy to many family and friends. She grew up mostly in the Odessa, Texas area. Always tiny but mighty, she was a bright light everywhere she went and made friends with pretty much everyone she met. Marka loved just about everything in life, but of course family and friends were always most important to her. She loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren so much. She was always very close to her brothers and sisters and their spouses and loved them dearly, too. All of her family was very important to her; her aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews also meant the world to her.
Next to family and friends, Marka’s other great love was her animals. She loved her many dogs, cats, and birds she’d had over the years. There was no animal she did not find adorable. She had a very soft heart for strays, always finding a way to feed them and let them in out of the cold.

Marka had many hobbies that she was very, very good at and loved to do. Her most favorite hobby had to be talking on the phone. She absolutely loved talking on the phone. She loved to chat whenever she could. She made it a point to check on family and friends when they were not feeling well, if they had suffered a loss, or any time she felt they needed a friend. Never having been able to drive, talking on the phone was her way to connect to the rest of the world. So, she connected as much and as often as she could. Anyone who knew her well was probably on her list of daily or weekly calls. It was her way of showing her love and her way to receive love as well. Some of her other hobbies included any kind of crafting, ceramics, painting, making dolls, and of course crocheting. She made many, many blankets over the years. She also loved music, dancing, and watching movies.

Marka worked a few jobs through the years including a fabric store and Shipley’s Donuts in Houston and the drive-in movie theater in Livingston. But the most important job to her was being Mom. She adored her children and reminded them of that often.

Marka had one more great love – she genuinely loved the Lord. She prayed for family and friends all the time and often recruited other prayer warriors to pray, too. If she knew of someone in need of prayer or was ill, you can bet she not only prayed for them but she asked others to pray, too.

Marka is survived by her brothers Larry Bentley and wife Patty of Milburn, Oklahoma, Ricky Lansford and wife Jenni of Sarasota, Florida, and Charles (Buster) Bentley of Weatherford, Texas; sister Patricia Bentley of Weatherford, Texas; children, Leslie Brown and husband David of Olustee, Oklahoma and Rex Findley and wife Nashanna of Livingston, Texas; grandchildren Jessica Sanchez and husband Tomas, Jentry Brown and fiancé Gladis, Jordan Medlock and husband Marcus, Haley Findley and Hershal Wood, Sydney Findley, Donna Marsh and Brandon, Hailey Pasa and husband Micah, and Joseph Findley; and five great-grandchildren, Findley and Franklin Sanchez, Kimber Brown, Haven Pasa and Brylen Ky.

Marka was preceeded in death by her father Lester Klasing; mother Jaunice Klasing; father, Ernest Bentley; and sister Martha Ainsworth.
A celebration of Marka Lou Bentley’s life will be held May 16, 2021 at Kellus Turner Park Community Center, 2230 Sycamore Dr. in Odessa, Texas at 1:00 pm. A graveside service will also be held Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 3:00pm at the Olustee Cemetery in Olustee, Oklahoma. Family and friends are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Olustee Cemetery, PO Box 306, Olustee, Oklahoma 73560 or to any Hospice organization. Cards or memoriam can be sent to PO Box 53/19984 ECR 171, Olustee, OK 73560.