Barbara Ann Ashton (Benne/Young), 80, of Huntington Beach, Calif., lost her battle to cancer on March 6, 2023, at Huntington Terrace MBK Senior Living.
Barbara was born on Sept. 23,1942, in Long Beach, Calif., to Christopher and Lillian (Johnson) Young. They later moved to Tekamah where she attended Tekamah High School. Barbara married Gerald Benne of Oakland in June of 1961, and through this union had three children, Bruce, Jeff, and Brenda. Gerald and Barbara started their own business, Benne Refrigeration and Electric, in Oakland shortly after being married, but moved to Omaha in 1970. They divorced in June of 1973.
Over the next several years Barbara worked as an accounting manager at Zoobs Department Stores and 7-Eleven in Omaha. She then moved to Denver, Colo. where she worked as a controller at Wymodak, eventually moving to Scottsdale, Ariz., to work for Movie Max.
Barbara married Larry Ashton in 1991 in Gilbert, Ariz. They started their own trucking company, Ashton Transport of Phoenix, Ariz., where Barbara held the position of CFO. They divorced in 2014. During her retirement years, Barbara worked part time as a Tax Professional for JB Tax Group from 2015-2020
Diagnosed with Dementia in 2020 and Stage 4 stomach cancer in March of 2021, she moved to CA with her daughter Brenda and Brenda’s husband Walter, to receive treatment from the City of Hope Cancer Center in Newport Beach, Calif.
Barbara loved everything social; she was loved by so many people because of her outgoing; friendly personality. She took pride as a volunteer park ranger at Val Vista Village in Mesa, Ariz., where she lived for many years during her retirement. She enjoyed golf, pickle ball, line dancing, Husker football and her devotion to Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mesa, and the Lighthouse Community Church in Costa Mesa, Calif.
She is survived by her sister, Diane Young, children Bruce Benne (and Tina) of Albion. Jeffrey Benne (and Fran) of Lincoln. Brenda Roberts (and Walter) of Huntington Beach, Calif., eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents Chris and Lillian (Johnson) Young.
Services will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church 2745 N 32nd Street Mesa, AZ 85213, April 2, 2023, at 1 p.m.
In lieu of memorials, Barb was very passionate about St. Jude (Children's Cancer) and The City of Hope where she was receiving treatment. If you like, donation websites are listed below.
https://www.cityofhope.org/giving/give-honor-or-memory?_ga=2.221389467.2089896885.1678895537-535054742.1678895537&_gac=1.162396366.1678895537.Cj0KCQjw2cWgBhDYARIsALggUhrMyjKKHU9xFq0SoBkUpp6u1jF2hCaVL0mhEYH7ZSfjMet8bvZqalAaAtt5EALw_wcB
