By Nicole Gearhart
Beacon Correspondent
Retired Colonel Normajean Bennett, 93, of Grand Marais says she is enjoying the peacefulness of being back in the Upper Peninsula after a busy life split between the U.S. Army Reserves and teaching college courses.
“It’s so nice to be where it’s quiet, and you don’t have all the traffic,” Bennett said.
Born to Ed and Bernice Bennett in September 1932, Bennett grew up mostly in the U.P., with some time spent downstate during her school years. She graduated from Loretto High School in Sault Ste. Marie in 1950 before going on to Western Michigan University to pursue her degree.
Bennett said that despite her younger siblings, Maxine and Paul, being involved in the military — Maxine in the Navy and then the Army and Paul in the Marines — she never really considered it as a career path for herself as she pursued her schooling.
“I was always interested in the military,” Bennett said. “I admired their uniforms. But I never pictured myself there.”
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from WMU in 1955, Bennett said she tried to do affiliations through the military, but was rejected for medical reasons. She then worked for a few years in Chicago and at Eastern Michigan University before joining the Army Reserves in October 1961, after a friend in the Reserves suggested she enroll.
“The Navy wouldn’t take me because I had an overbite. But the Army isn’t so fussy, I guess,” Bennett joked.
Bennett worked as an assistant professor of associated health professions at EMU for more than 40 years, teaching courses on occupational therapy and assisting students with their placements, before retiring in 2000. During this time she also earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan and was active in the U.S. Army Reserve for more than 30 years, retiring from her position as colonel of the 323rd General Hospital in Southfield in 1992.
Bennett said when she was in her 50s, leaders kept telling the reservists to be ready to be called into action. She laughingly recalls being told, “Normajean, don’t you ever worry about being called; you’re too old.” A short time later, she was called to active duty at Fort Sam Houston (now part of Joint Base San Antonio) in San Antonio, Texas.
“At 50 years old, they put us into a building with 25 cots, and the bathroom was down the street,” she said.
Bennett said after being deployed to Fort Sam Houston she and a handful of others were asked to lead refresher courses for a group of occupational therapy assistants in preparation for being assigned to different hospitals.
“We had no notes, no books.” Bennett said. “I don’t know how we did it, but we taught them. And I think we did a pretty good job.”
Bennett said she would encourage anyone thinking of joining the military to take the plunge.
“I would say do it,” she said. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s a very growing experience, and I have no regrets about it. It was one of the best things I’ve done in my life.”
Mary Post of Grand Marais, friends with Bennett for about 20 years, said she’s inspired by her friend’s spirit.
“I’m always amazed at how well she does,” Post said. “She’s a bit older than me, but she’s still very active. She certainly doesn’t act her age. I think she’s a fun person to be with; she has a lot of stories and a good sense of humor. She’s really adventuresome, game for just about anything. She has a real positive attitude.”
Post shared a story of a power outage that occurred in the area, when she invited Bennett to stay at her home until service was restored. Bennett opted instead to stay at a local church that was equipped with a generator.
“She said she wanted to stay at the church, because it would be a new experience,” Post said.
In response to this story, Bennett laughed and said of Post, “She thinks I’m courageous for my age.”
Anita Henlein of Ypsilanti is one of Bennett’s longest-lasting friends, having known her for about 60 years.
“I probably know her the best of her friends down here,” Henlein said. “She’s kind and a really good friend. She’s very personable. She would do anything to help people if she could.”
Henlein said when Bennett is in the Ypsilanti area, where she still owns a home today, they like to get together and play card games like Bridge and Euchre, a favorite pastime of Bennett.
Bennett said during her time in the reserves, she would get her fellow servicewomen involved in games as well.
“When we’d go active duty in the summer, I’d always bring some games, and in the evenings we’d get together and play,” Bennett said.
Today, in addition to meeting with friends to play cards, Bennett enjoys snowshoeing and cross-country skiing during the winter and visiting the beach in the summer. While at the beach, she likes to collect rocks, which she uses to create figurines that she then sells at The Market Place, an arts and crafts co-op in Grand Marais. She also makes and sells woven bookmarks.
She said she has no big plans for her future, focusing instead on the small everyday victories.
“I’m just going to try to keep myself healthy and enjoy Grand Marais, and enjoy my family when they visit,” Bennett said.