Manola Allen Byrd-Benjamin

Manola Allen was born the oldest child of seven to Johnnie & Leda Bell Allen on April 15, 1945 in Hartsville, South Carolina. She attended Darlington County schools and graduated from Butler High School in 1963. Manola began babysitting at a young age, earning enough money to get her family their first house phone installed at the age of twelve. She worked various jobs, one being at the local hospital.

Manola married Calvin Byrd in September 1963 and moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming. While living there, she worked at the local hospital as a nurse’s aide and got intro-duced to bowling. Throwing horseshoes with her father as a child made it an easy transition into the sport. She then had her first child, Raynard. Manola and her family moved to Boulder, Colorado after her then husband was discharged from the Air Force. Following the move, she then had her second child, Deborah. She devoted her time to raising her two children.

In 1968, the family moved to Madison, Wisconsin where she ran a home day care and spent her free time bowling, further improving her skills. In 1974, Manola and her family moved to Essex Junction, Vermont where she bowled in several leagues and won multiple tournaments. Bowling became more than just a mere hobby, but a lifelong passion. Shortly after moving to Essex, Manola met her dear and lifelong friend, Sandy Barrett. The two young mothers came from very different back-grounds, but this did not stop the strong bond that they shared or the love between the two families.

In addition to running a home daycare, she worked as a bookkeeper for her bowling leagues, coached the junior league and found time to play tennis, volleyball and soft-ball. While successfully balancing these tasks, she was heavily involved with her children’s various activities. She also supported charities such as the American Heart Association by canvassing for donations and even organized a walkathon. She en-couraged her children to be well-rounded, like herself.

In 1981, her family moved to Catlett, Virginia. While living in Virginia, she began a new chapter with her two children as a single mom. Manola worked a nursing assistant, completed cosmetology school and starting managing 7-Eleven stores while still finding pockets of time to bowl. She and her two children became closer than ever during these pivotal years.

In 1989 after her grown children began their adult lives, she moved back to her home state of South Carolina. She married again A. K. Benjamin and devoted more time to her favorite pastime, bowling. She enjoyed being a member of a traveling league and spent a lot of time competing in tournaments with her friends. One of her favorite jobs was working with students at the local rehabilitation center. Manola then worked as a nursing assistant and activities director at the local convalescent center where she later retired from. During these years, she welcomed two grandchildren whom she adored. She enjoyed watching/attending all kinds of sports events such as basketball, football and golf and was as avid L.A. Lakers fan.

In addition to bowling, retirement allowed her to devote more time to her two grand-children. She stopped bowling in 2022 after a hip replacement. Manola spent her final years surrounded by both her children and their families.