WEST PARIS – Aili Alina Benson, 91, of West Paris, died June 6, at her residence, with her loving family at her side.

Born at Tuelltown, West Paris, April 24, 1913, the daughter of Renne and Sarah (Piikarainen) McKeen, she attended local schools and graduated from West Paris High School Class of 1931.

She married Maurice G. Benson on June 28, 1931, and he died on July 15, 1991. She was a homemaker all her life and was a member of Finnish American Society and had volunteered many years for the Hospital Auxiliary at Stephen’s Memorial Hospital. She had also worked for the Oxford County Extension Services getting local children physicals and immunizations.

She loved her cats, was an avid beano player, loved to travel and did knitting and crocheting. Her family was her life.

Survivors include three daughters, Nancy McKellick and her husband, Al of South Paris, Maurise Veatch and her husband, James of West Paris and Marcia Benson of Saugus, Mass.; two brothers, Renne Rudolph McKeen of Mechanic Falls and Viekko McKeen of Wallingford, Conn.; five grandchildren; 10 great-granddaughters; and one great-great-granddaughter.

She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years; twin sons, Renne and Abner; one brother, Walter McKeen; one half-brother, Edwin Heikkinen; and one sister, Hilja Polvinen.


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