Philip Morris Bennett, Jr., 88, was born May 17, 1928 and died peacefully in his sleep at his home on May 15, 2017. He graduated from Julius Freyhan High School in St. Francisville. He served in the US Marines in the Korean War. He retired from the state as a Master Pilot III for the ferries, Feliciana, St. Francisville and New Roads. He was a member of The American Legion Post # 0164 and an avid hunter.
He is survived by his daughter, Derry Anne Bennett Cartee and husband Louie, siblings, James W. Bennett, Shirley B. Hicks, Charles R. "Choo Choo" Bennett, Dodie B. Charlet, Helen "Ruthie" Davis and husband Randy, Grandchildren, Carlin B. Kendrick, Cory F. Bennett, Mary Elizabeth Barrow, R E Barrow, Liza Barrow and great grandchild, Douglas L. Kendrick IV and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Walker Bennett and Son, Sherwood Copeland Bennett and second wife, Elizabeth Ann Bennett, parents, Philip Morris Bennett Sr. and Helen Valin Bennett, sisters, Martha B. Senter, Irma B. Bryant, and Betty Ruth Rinaudo.
Visitation will be on Wednesday, May 17, 2017, his 89th birthday, at Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, St. Francisville, from 9:00 am until service time at 11:00 am. Burial will follow in Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery. Pallbearers are Louie Cartee, Randy Davis, Francis Rinaudo, Emmett Barrow, Bill Bennett, Lance Walker,Cory Bennett & Tiger Olsen. Honorary Pallbearers are Russell Daniel, Kenneth Yoes &
Michael Bennett.
Phillip Morris Bennett Sr., his father, arrived in St. Francisville in 1937 with an old Model A and a carload of kids to operate the Mississippi River ferry from Bayou Sara to New Roads . His son Morris was all of five years old when he first took to the water to help, and by the age of 11 or 12 he was running the ferry by himself. In 1945, still in high school, he became a licensed ferry pilot, a career that would last half a century and touch thousands of lives. He absolutely loved the river and everything on it, and boy, could he tell some tales…ice floes and hurricanes, elephants pushing circus wagons up the steep ramp, run-away boars and monkeys, motorcycle weddings and moonshiners, piloting everything from the early tug with four-car barge to 40-car modern vessels crossing more than a thousand cars a day. And after he retired, Captain Bennett would drive his golf cart with American flag flying down to check on his beloved river almost daily, that old river water drawing him back to its source..
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