Yen Lan Bennett

Yen Lan Thi Tran Bennett, 82, formerly of Nolanville, Texas, went to her eternal home on September 17, 2024, in Abilene, Texas. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on September 23, 2024, at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery, 7457 W. Lake Road, in Abilene. Retired Pastor “Eli” Ly Tran of the Vietnamese Baptist Church of Killeen, Texas, will officiate.

Yen Lan was born on February 3, 1942, in Binh Duong, Vietnam, to Van Ton Tran and Thi Moi Pham. She lived through the turbulent times of the French occupation of Vietnam and the Vietnam War, demonstrating resilience and strength during those challenging years. She was blessed with two daughters: Thu Thuy Tran and Thu Tran Porter. She met Gale William Bennett, who was serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war, and they were married on November 3, 1969. Yen Lan became a devoted Army wife, moving to various military posts including Fort Lewis in Washington, Fort Carson in Colorado, Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) in Killeen, Texas.

Yen Lan and Gale were blessed with four sons: Norman and Laurence, born in 1969; Anthony, born in 1974; and David, born in 1979. In 1995, they adopted their grandson, Minh Sang Vo Bennett (born 1988), and cared for him during his battle with leukemia until his passing in 1997. Throughout her life, Yen Lan worked hard to create a loving home for her family, wherever the Army sent them, while also working as a nail technician, cook, and seamstress to support her family.

In addition to her role as a mother and wife, Yen Lan was proud to become a U.S. citizen on June 14, 1976, which was Flag Day on the 200th anniversary of the U.S. flag. She was a devoted member of the Vietnamese Baptist Church of Killeen, where she was baptized in 2004. She also enjoyed attending an annual revival in Houston with members of her congregation for many years.

In her spare time, Yen Lan enjoyed sewing quilts, knitting blankets, and collecting fine porcelain and coins. She was known for her homemade egg rolls, cucumber salad, pho soup, and pies. She also taught herself how to make American dishes which became family favorites, such as her stuffing at Thanksgiving and her barbecue ribs at summer cookouts. Gale and Yen Lan made frequent trips to Vietnam to visit her extended family, keeping strong ties to her homeland.

Yen Lan was preceded in death by her parents, Van Ton Tran and Thi Moi Pham, of Vietnam; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Archie and Maureen Bennett, of Thousand Oaks and Oceanside, California; her brothers, Van Dac Tran and Van An Tran, of Vietnam; her sister, Thi Chieu Tran, of Vietnam; her adopted son, Minh Sang Vo Bennett, of Kempner, Texas; her brother-in-law, Phillip Taylor, and his wife, Sarah, of Thousand Oaks, California; her sister-in-law, Alyssa Bennett, of Killeen, Texas; her brother-in-law, Andrew “Dave” Davis, of Joliet, Illinois; and her nephew, Brett Taylor, of Thousand Oaks, California.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 54 years, Gale Bennett; three sister-in-laws, Margaret Bennett and Kathleen Biersteker of Oceanside, California, and Rosalie Davis of Joliet, Illinois; two daughters, four sons, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren:

Daughter: Thu Thuy Le and her husband Tung Chinh Le of Vietnam. Granddaughters: Ngoc Phuong Le and Thanh Thao Le.

Daughter: Thu Tran Porter of Temple, Texas; Grandchildren: Thuy Lien “Mimi” Vo, and her husband, Ryan, of Austin, Texas; Pretty “Patricia” Vo, of Denver, Colorado; and Kevin Tran, of Odessa, Texas; Great-Grandchildren (Patricia’s children): Manny, Mia, and Lana.

Son: Norman Bennett and his wife, Barbi, of Crane, Texas.

Son: Laurence Bennett and his fiancée, Leslie Alexander, of Naples, Florida.

Son: Anthony Bennett and his wife, Erin, of Abilene, Texas; Grandsons: Andrew and Eli.

Son: David Bennett and his wife, Bao Huyen Tran, of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Grandsons: William and Lucas.

Yen Lan is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins, including Tan Ngoi Tran, and his wife, Hum Son, of Vietnam, and two great-nieces who she was more like a grandmother to: Truc Quynh Tran and husband, Steven Tran, of Katy, Texas; and Lan Anh Tran of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Another dear nephew is Jeff Taylor of Thousand Oaks, California.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Lyndale Assisted Living, Dr. David Randell and his nurse, Tammy, Dr. Samuel Brinkman and his assistant, Vickie, Physical Therapist Erin Brannon of Enhabit Home Health, the staff at Northern Oaks Nursing Home, and Angie Chacon and the nurses and staff at Hendrick Hospice Care, for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a favorite charity.