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Marian Josephine McNevin

Marian Josephine McNevin, the daughter of W. T. and Ella Payne Benfield, was born February 11, 1928 at West Plains, Missouri.  She entered into eternal rest March 29, 2017 at the age of eighty-nine years.
She graduated from the West Plains High School with the Class of 1945. One June 24, 1946, she was married in Hernando, Mississippi to Jack McNevin.  For more than eighteen years, Marian was a librarian at the West Plains Public Library retiring in 1978 as Assistant Librarian.  Her love for reading continued to be an important past time of her life.  Marian was very proud of West Plains and always wanted to do anything to help her hometown grow and prosper.  She attended First Presbyterian Church in West Plains.
Marian is survived by her husband of seventy years, Jack McNevin; four daughters, Sue Ann Warden, West Plains, Sandy McNevin, Wellington, Kansas, Sally Watkins, West Plains and Sunie Pace and husband, Bo, West Plains; seven grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren;  two great-great-grandchildren; brother-in-law, Pat McNevin; and several nieces and nephews.
Her parents, four sisters, Bea Clark, Pauline Chandler, Juanita Lane, Helen Patterson and one brother, Orville Benfield, precede her in death.
Often when Marian would hear someone talking about their dreams and plans, she would laugh and tell them about plans she had made when she was very young.  She loved to dance and was a very good dancer.  Her dream was that she was going to marry a tall blond man that liked to dance.  Then a black haired runt came into her life and everything changed. Marian and this runt, Jack, spent over seventy years living another dream filled with much love and happiness.
She had two things she loved in life, dancing and ice cream.  She always said to celebrate her life, she would like to have everyone get together, eat ice cream, play big band music and dance all they wanted.  
A private burial will be held at a later date.  
To celebrate her life, there will be a visitation at the West Plains Country Club on April 9, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for all to eat ice cream and enjoy music.
Marian would like the memories of her to be happy ones.  She would like to leave an after  glow of smiles now that her life is done.
Memorial contributions may be made to the West Plains Public Library, Three Rivers Hospice of West Plains or the McNevin Restricted Scholarship at Missouri State University, West Plains and left at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.  On line condolences may be expressed at www.robertsondrago.com.