Sarah Bennetts

Sarah Bennetts (née Ness) of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, died Monday, November 20, 2023, at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Born May 2, 1966, in Edina, Minnesota, to Mr. and Mrs. John M. (Jacqueline) Ness, Sarah Bennetts grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota. She graduated from Bloomington Jefferson High School in 1984. In 1988 she graduated from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and worked for Fairway Foods and the University of St. Thomas before earning a master's degree in counseling and joining Nystrom & Associates in 2008 as a licensed marriage and family therapist. For her entire adult life, Sarah lived in White Bear Lake, where she and Troy Hoover raised one daughter, Melynda Hoover (Derek Kreidler), now of Seattle, Washington. On October 31, 2015, she married James Bennetts of Virginia, Minnesota.

Sarah was a member of the White Bear Center for the Arts. She was a prolific artist, producing many pieces in a variety of media. In addition to art, Sarah loved music, playing both piano and ukulele. During her life, Sarah traveled extensively. Among her favorite places was Cozumel, Mexico, where she frequently returned to scuba dive among the rich sea life and corals. Everyone who met her knew her as the life of every party. To her family and friends, she was a caring mother to all.

In addition to James and Melynda, Sarah is survived by her mother Jacqueline (Emery) Ness, White Bear Lake, Minnesota; her brother John (Denise) Ness, Heathsville, Virginia; stepdaughter Sarah (Ian) Connel, Little Canada, Minnesota; stepson John (Stephanie) Bennetts, Providence, Rhode Island; step-grandsons William Connel and Gabriel Bennetts; step-granddaughter Claire Connel; and Quincy, her beloved dog. Preceding her in death were her father John and sister Julia.

Family will host a celebration of Sarah's life on Saturday, December 2nd, from 1 to 5 pm at Kellerman's Event Center in White Bear Lake. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Coral Reef Alliance (https://coral.org/en/) or Sea Walls (https://seawalls.org/).