Deleta Manning, beloved mother and grandmother, was called home on August 7, 2015. She
was born on April 23rd to James Carrel and Beulah May Davis Bennett, in Clay County Kansas.
She spent her childhood in Yuma, Arizona and moved to Pocahontas, Arkansas in her late
teens. There she met her future husband, Aubrey Daniel Manning. She was 18 when they wed
on August 4th, 1949. They were married for 51 years at the time of his death in 2000.
In the early years of their marriage Danny and Jeannie moved several times. She often said she
had a gypsy soul. From Arkansas, where their first born, Carrol Wayne was born, to Colorado,
Arizona, and then sunny California. There, they raised their four children, Karen, Bruce, Judy
and Nancy.
She led a busy life, balancing work while raising four children. Her children loved sports, and
she was there to cheer them on at countless baseball, basketball and softball games. She took
her children on frequent trips to the beach, although she didn't know how to swim. She was a
seamstress, and enjoyed making clothes for her family. She was an advocate of DIY, (Do It
Yourself); long before it was popular. Trips to the library were mandatory. One of her proudest
accomplishments was earning her high school diploma by taking college classes and receiving
straight A's.
Her children remember how generous and kind she was to all her friends and neighbors, she
would always help out and lend a hand when needed. Her quick wit and laughter at situations
where others might fail to see the humor, endeared her to many. She was not above using her
southern drawl if it suited her, she charmed many with it. She enjoyed playing countless games
of Wahoo with her children and grandchildren. Her tireless pursuit of garage sales was
legendary, as was her singing, alas, she couldn't be stopped. She instilled a love of reading in
her children that has been passed down through the generations. Her grandchildren loved her
cooking, spontaneity, and how she could make them laugh with her southern accent. She told
them funny stories about her pets, and how much she loved animals; especially her two
Pomeranians, Daisy and Amy.
She was a devoted daughter, she remained close to her parents though-out their lives. Once
she took her father deep sea fishing even though it made her sick because he loved it so. She
moved her aging mother, Beulah, into their home in Perris, Ca., and cared for her until her
death. In 2005 she moved to Hughesville, MD. to live with her daughter Nancy, and her
husband, Gary, and their 4 beautiful daughters who all took great care of her. In 2013, with her
health failing she became a resident of Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. Where she made many
friends. She will be missed by many.
She is survived by her daughters, Karen Pancottine (Jeff), Judy Moore (John) and Nancy Kelley
(Gary); 11 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren; her much loved niece, Susie Edwards; and
childhood friend and cousin Clarice Hansen. Her husband Dan, beloved son Bruce and infant
son Carrol Wayne, and brother Glendon Bennett, predeceased her. Memorial service will be held on Friday, August 21st beginning at 11:00 am at Whitehurst Funeral Chapel, Los Banos,
California. Burial beside her husband, will follow at San Joaquin Valley National
Cemetery, Gustine, California. Her daughters' request that friends and family share a memory of
their mother at whitehurstfunerals.com