Camille Margaret Rachel Day Arnold Bennett was born in Lake Helen, Fla., on February 11th, 1911, and soon after her family moved to Pasgalua, Miss. While living there, she contracted diptheria and scarlet fever, she was not expected to live but miraculously survived even though she had to learn to walk again. Because of a nurse who lived next door, who intervened on her behalf, Camille remained in awe of nurses and encouraged all of her children and grandchildren to become nurses. One daughter and two granddaughters took her advice and became nurses. Her family moved back to Florida while Camille was still very young and resided in Daytona Beach where she met and married Albert Arnold. Camille and Albert raised one son, Jack, and two daughters, Betty and Margaret. Camille was a hairdresser during the depression and owned her own shop on Beach Street. She and her husband also ran a grocery store as well as being landlords. Having survived the Depression, she was a lifelong Democrat and credited her family's ability to survive that period of time with the strong values of the Democratic Party. After the death of Albert, she married Omar Bennett. Camille and Omar together ran Bennett's Framing Shop, they remained in Daytona Beach until his death. While residing in Daytona Beach, Mrs. Bennett was an active member of the Holly Hill Church of Christ. In the early 1990's Camille moved away to be near her daughters and granddaughters. While in Gainesville, she was a member of the University City Church of Christ. Camille loved to sew, knit and crochet and used her talents to make hats for the Gainesville area homeless and sent many blankets to local hospitals for the newborn babies. She also stitched Jesus signs for the church to use in their Zambia missions work and was currently completing another 200 for the Honduras missionary efforts. She was often known to carry them around in her purse to pass out to strangers. Mrs. Bennett also loved fishing, gardening, visiting with friends, studying the Bible, working crossword puzzles and playing scrabble. Mrs Bennett was a direct descendant of Fransico Pellicer who was named a "Famous Floridian" in 1999 by Governor Jeb Bush. The Pellicer homestead is now a historic site in St Augustine, Fla. Mrs. Bennett passed away November 29th, 2007 from cancer. She is survived by two daughters, Betty Pixley and Margaret Stoyer, Gainesville; and one stepdaughter, OmaJoy Snow, Daytona Beach. She has 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 7 great-great-grandchildren. She had a great influence on every member of her family and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. A viewing will be held on Monday, December 3rd, from 11 a.m. until 12 noon at Baggett & Summers Funeral Home, 736 S. Beach Street in Daytona Beach, (386) 236-1100.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers to please send donations to the Holly Hill Church of Christ, 1725 Ridgewood Ave, Holly Hill, FL 32117 or the University City Church of Christ, 4626 NW 8th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32605. Condolences may be shared with the family online at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are under the careful direction of Baggett and Summers Funeral Home.