The Totaled Woman

Please take a journey through the hills and valleys of the author's life. She was a seeker of fame and fortune. There were many fits, starts and detours. Most were met with humor, and all were put into a picture of her life, answering the question: Was she a totaled woman? Laurice Bentz was born Laurice Robbins in Sturgis, South Dakota, in 1933, long before it became famous for its motorcycle rallies. She grew up in Newell, SD, and three weeks after graduating from High School married John Bentz and the family moved to a farm near Nisland, SD. They had four children, two boys and two girls. After 16 years, the Bentz family moved to a farm in the Columbia Basin, near Quincy, WA, where she was employed as a Teacher's Aide. After another decade, they moved to a farm near Mountain Home, ID, where Bentz currently resides. No matter where she lived, Bentz has always volunteered with a variety of organizations such as the American Red Cross, Desert Mountain Visitor Center, the Mountain Home Historical Museum, and the St. Luke's Elmore Medical Center, and is also currently a member of the Friends of the Library, Book Club, the Mountain Home Arts Council, and Grace Lutheran Church. She also recently retired from an active part in the Red Hat Society, which she helped organize in 2003. Laurice Bentz, a businesswoman, consummate volunteer, adventurer, and co-author of three children's books, is above all a loving mother and grandmother to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Bentz has undertaken a number of business endeavors throughout her life, including fabric & craft stores, a bed & breakfast, coffeeshop, products for consignment, and worked at a bookstore and gift shop.