Margaret Geneva Bennett of Gainesville dies at 85

Margaret Geneva Bennett, 85, of Gainesville died Oct. 20, 2026, at Pecan Tree Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, according to an obituary published by Geo. J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home.

The obituary, posted in the funeral home's online collection, gives her birth date as Sept. 26, 1941, and her birthplace as Bowie, Texas. The listing does not say who is handling her funeral arrangements.

Her husband, Jerry Leroy Bennett, died Jan. 25, 2025, according to his obituary on the same website. That notice identifies her as Margaret Geneva (Hammer) Bennett and calls her his wife of 65 years. It records that the two married in Brownfield on Dec. 19, 1959.

Jerry Bennett's obituary scheduled his graveside service for Jan. 28, 2025, at Fairview Cemetery. The Rev. Hollis Parsons was to officiate.

The City of Gainesville's published history says Fairview began as the Howeth family cemetery. The land was deeded to Cooke County in 1868, and a 999-year lease passed control to the city in 1878. The city says the grounds cover 85 acres and hold more than 20,000 graves.

Geo. J. Carroll & Son gives its address on its website as 602 S. Lindsay Street in Gainesville. The firm describes itself as family owned and operated, with more than 100 years of service to Cooke County families.

Published price lists offer a general look at funeral costs. They do not describe the Bennett family's arrangements. A Carroll & Son price list effective Feb. 1, 2025, put direct cremation at about $3,000, depending on the container. It excluded viewing or ceremony services and preparation of the remains, and it said prices were subject to change. Bill DeBerry Funeral Directors in Denton listed direct cremation at $2,500 in a price list effective April 15, 2026. That package covered professional services, transfer to the funeral home, a utility vehicle, a minimum urn and the crematory charge. It did not cover a viewing or ceremony.

The National Funeral Directors Association's 2025 Cremation & Burial Report projected that cremation would account for about 63% of U.S. dispositions in 2025, compared with roughly 32% for burial. Those are national projections. The same report projects that every state and the District of Columbia will exceed a 50% cremation rate by 2035, and that the national share will reach about 82% by 2045.