AUBURN – Jennie Bennett, 85, of 1 Nottingham Road, Auburn, died peacefully at her home Tuesday morning, Feb. 15, having succumbed to a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born Vicenza DiMauro in Vieste, Italy, on March 30, 1919, she was the daughter of Vicenzo DiMauro and Filomena Scianname DiMauro. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 2, was educated in Lewiston schools, and was a resident of Auburn most of her life.

On Sept. 9, 1939, she married Sam Bennett of Portland, and together they established Sam’s Italian Sandwich Shoppe that same year, and later Sam’s Italian Bakery, which they ran successfully for many years before turning those businesses over to younger family members.

She was a longtime parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church in Lewiston. She was an active volunteer in charitable and social community affairs. She had been a member of the Sons of Italy, Women’s Literary Union, Woman’s Hospital Association, and Martindale Country Club.

She enjoyed more than five decades with her beloved husband, Sam, and together they enjoyed life to the fullest with their family and dear friends. They traveled extensively throughout the world including trips to her native Italy to reunite with family members.

Survivors include a son, John Bennett and his wife, Oksana; a daughter, Mary Curtis and her husband, Gary; a sister, Isabel Clements and her husband, Linwood, all of Auburn; three brothers, Frank Chiarvelotti and his wife, Philomena, of Lewiston, Anthony Chiarvelotti and his wife, Mary, of Newton, Mass., and Mario Chiarvelotti and his wife, Barbara, of North Conway, N.H.; four grandchildren, Jeremy Bennett and his wife, Elizabeth, Sam Bennett, Christopher Curtis, and Katherine Curtis; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband on Feb. 24, 1997.