Edith Bennett

Ms. Edith Lillian Bennett is quite a legend in Owensboro--at least in my way of thinking. The Livermore born native has been employed at Owensboro's 1490 AM WOMI Radio station since November 1950. She's involved herself in all kinds of community events over the years she's lived in and has been associated with Owensboro. She's performed for Owensboro's Annual Chorus Society since 1954 and has been a past member of the Daviess County Historical Society. She likes local history, state history, genealogical history, U.S. history, scrapbooking, taking photographs and all kinds of music. On Sunday mornings from 5:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. she hosts two radio programs. The first one, Radio Church Chapel, begins at 5: 00 a.m. and lasts until 8:00 a.m. At 8:00 a.m. she hosts the program entitled, "Down Memory Lane" where she plays a lot of the oldies music such as jazz, orchestra, Guy Lombardo hits, and seasonal music (depending upon the upcoming holiday at the time).

Edith Bennett was born at Livermore, Kentucky on June 21, 1931 to Dorsey Bennett and a "Ms. Lucy?" Bennett. Her half brother was Wendell Rone, who used to pastor several churches across the McLean-Daviess County area. He's written some books on local church history. He was also president of the Daviess-McLean County Baptist Association. He was also the first pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in Owensboro in 1959. Ms. Bennett attended school in Livermore and once she graduated she attended the Owensboro Junior Business College. In November 1950, Hugh O. Potter, then station manager at WOMI, hired her to work the Sunday morning shift. She started out on Sunday mornings working the 5:00 - 9:00 a.m. shift, according to the WOMI timeline on the station's website. She used to make studio recordings for the Faith Family Quartet who used to live in the Beech Grove Area. She later became the secretary, the receptionist, and continuity writer at WOMI. In April 1972 she was given her own Sunday morning program. In 1973, she was promoted to Traffic and Office Manager. I don't know the year but I believe it was around 1995 when she became semi-retired from the station. Today she hosts both of the Sunday morning programs for WOMI out of her own home, which has been but a couple of years ago. She also continues hosting WOMI's Christmas program on Christmas Eve beginning at 3:00 p.m. and for the large part of Christmas Day. She's hosted WOMI's Christmas program for a number of years. She features all kinds of Christmas music such as Christmas carols, orchestra music, music from the collection of various albums she has, etc. Carl Davis, her friend and one-time news director on WOMI, is with her on Christmas Day and he features music from Owensboro's Music Symphony. This past Christmas he shared a Christmas album that the once retail store, W.T. Grants, used to record.

On the "Radio Church Chapel", Ms. Bennett plays a wide range of gospel music on her program. It features music and the spoken word. "Down Memory Lane" hosts all kinds of different music from yesteryear. Depending upon the season or holiday, Ms. Bennett will air programs to fit the time of the year. During WOMI's anniversary month in February for example, she'll play old clips from some of the early years on WOMI from such people as Hugh and Cliffordean Potter. She also will air segments describing both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln given February is their birth month. She'll also air segments on some famous black people in American history as well. During Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July, she'll devote both her pgorams commemorating America's heritage during these particular holidays. She'll play patriotic music and remember the sacrifices many war veterans have made over the course of history. In 1987 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, Ms. Bennett celebrated the Constitution on her radio programs featuring segments of U.S. history and the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention. She loves Christmas. Beginning with Sunday following Thanksgiving until the New Year's she'll air all kinds of Christmas music on her programs and she'll discuss what the meaning of Christmas is. She's also aired some old segments that Cliffordean Potter made on Christmas during the Stork Program. (Ms. Potter used to host a stork program interviewing the parents of newborns several decades ago). I've thoroughly enjoyed some of her holiday and seasonal programs. Sometimes on "Down Memory Lane" when there's five Sundays in a month she'll host "Fifth Sunday Singing" featuring gospel quartets.

Ms. Bennett also has written some books about local history such as Lest We Forget mentioning about the history of Livermore, Kentucky. She's also authored other books such as Owensboro's Soundest Citizen (WOMI), Hunt-Hebron Highlights 25 Years Later: All in the Family, Spider Webs, A Steamer Trunk, And Slavery (Co-authored by Lenora Lindley).

Ms. Edith Bennett is also a member of the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was the past president of it in 1989. She is a descendant to a former Revolutionary War soldier, whom I believe the last name was Hunt. In order to be a member of DARS, you must trace your lineage to a Revolutionary War soldier. She's been singing in the Owensbor's Annual Choral Society's presentation of "The Messiah" since 1954 and still performs to this day at Third Baptist Church. She has a long collection of albums ranging from gospel, to patriotic music, all the way to musical hits of the '30's and '40's. There was a picture in the Owensboro's Messenger-Inquirer which displayed a shelf full of albums in her home. She's had to convert some of her albums into CD's whenever she produces a program on the radio. She's the Financial Secretary at Third Baptist Church, a position she's held since August 1981. She's also a member there and heavily involved in the activities of the church.

Around 1960, she went with her father on a trip to Ontario, Canada. While she was in Canada, she had some car trouble and she asked them was there any historic places to visit in Canada. They told her about the Josiah Henson museum in Canada. They saw she had a Kentucky license plate. They told her Josiah Henson was once a slave in the Daviess County area. When she arrived back in Owensboro, she told Dr. Potter and the staff of WOMI about what she learned while in Canada. They dismissed that notion at that time. However, several years later Mr. Potter and Dr. David Orrahood went out on a history junket and found out what Ms. Bennett was told was correct. They had interviewed Ms. Sue Hawes of Yelvington, who was the great-granddaughter of Amos Riley, a former slave owner, who owned Josiah Henson for a time. She told Potter and the museum curator in Ontario of what she knew. Eventually everything she was told was eventually substantiated. When Hugh O. Potter wrote a book about the history of Owensboro, he included the story which stated that Josiah Henson lived in Daviess County.

I've never met Ms. Bennett, but I've listened to her Sunday morning radio programs extensively for the last few years. I also have listened to her annual Christmas programs as well. When you listen to someone on radio for a long time, you learn several things about them. You basically give a piece of your life away to the public when you broadcast on radio. You become an open book. I've spoken to some people in Owensboro that know her personally. They say she's a great Christian lady that's very kind and compassionate. I've never heard a derogatory word about her. From listening to her, she seems to be a very happy and content lady. That's something considering she's never been married. But she's learned where true joy and peace come from. It comes from God. My hat's off to Ms. Bennett and all the work she's involved herself with. She's a very remarkable lady!