Bennie Louise Cloninger Sanders, 85, of Oak Ridge, passed away on Nov. 5 at Asbury Place in Maryville.

She was born to parents Benjamin A. and Louise M. Armbruster Cloninger on Aug. 10, 1927, in Chattanooga.

Bennie was a member of First United Methodist Church for 45 years, where she enjoyed volunteering as a “Hello Girl” in the earlier years.

For nearly 50 years, she was also a member of the Oak Ridge Lioness Club and the Oak Ridge Lions Club. She had served as a Pink Lady with the Methodist Medical Center and was a member and officer of the Oak Ridge Woman’s Club.

Survivors include husband, John P. Sanders Sr. of Oak Ridge; sons, John Sanders Jr. and wife Laurel of Martinsburg, W.V., and Robert Sanders and wife Donna of Forest, Va.; grandchildren, Mattea Sanders of Washington, D.C., and Corbin Sanders of Fairfax, Va.; and brother, Robert O. Cloninger and wife Arlene Rae of Falmouth, Mass., and their children, Dean and Paula.

The family will receive friends at First United Methodist Church from 1 to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. at the church with Rev. Stella Roberts officiating. Entombment will follow at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.

The family requests that memorials be in the form of donations to First United Methodist, Music Program, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 or to the Oak Ridge Lions Club, PO Box 4085, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.

An online guest book may be signed at weatherfordmortuary.com.