- Date Of Birth: August 29, 1986
- Date Of Death: February 10, 2022
- State: Georgia
Heather Benton Koenig passed away on February 10, 2022, in her home at the age of 35. She is preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Helen Patterson; three uncles – Willie Joe Patterson, John Patterson, and Billy Wayne Patterson; and her aunt, Margie Patterson. She is survived by her parents, Rayburn and Betty Benton; her brother, Bradley Benton (wife Misty); her husband, Joshua Koenig; and her three daughters – Lillian and Charlotte, age 7, and Gabrielle, age 4; and many other nieces, nephews, family, and friends, all who loved her dearly.
Born at Lee County Hospital in Opelika, Alabama, on August 29, 1986, Heather was the younger of two children. She admired her older brother, Bradley, and found a role model and friend in him, both as kids and as they grew into adulthood. As a girl, Heather loved spending time with her friends, and her brother, sharing laughs and finding new ways to have fun. She always loved being outdoors, exploring and discovering new favorite natural wonders. She grew up in Opelika, where she was a cheerleader in high school and voted Beulah High School Prom Queen, as well as the apple of her daddy’s eye. Heather continued living in Opelika while she studied apparel merchandising at Auburn University and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2009. After graduating, Heather worked in several retail positions around the South, and all of that would lead her to Radcliff, Kentucky, in November of 2010, where she would meet the love of her life – her husband, Josh.
Heather and Josh met at a Panera Bread in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, after being set up on a date by mutual friends. Before long, they were dating, and their life together took them to several places across the country due to Josh’s military service. They landed in Killeen, Texas, for a while, and Josh proposed to her on May 26, 2012, at Stillhouse Hollow Lake. They had a beautiful Texas fall wedding on October 12, 2012, surrounded by family and friends. Josh and Heather most loved going on quick adventures together to hike, kayak, or discover the hidden treasures of new towns. After Killeen, Josh was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, where they grew their family with their twin girls, Charlotte and Lillian, on December 17, 2014. In September of 2016, they moved to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and their family grew even more with their third daughter, Gabrielle, to their family in October of 2017. They left El Paso for Fort Benning in 2018 and settled around Columbus, Georgia, where she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Heather began treatment, and they found a new home in Newnan, Georgia, in 2019, where she courageously fought the disease for almost three years. Throughout it all, she leaned on her faith in God and love for her family to uphold her in her fight.
Heather had a creative soul, and photography, painting, and quilting were particular passions for her. She started her own business, Cottonseed Creations, where she made custom clothing and home goods. She also took pictures for friends and family while in Georgia. Along with sewing and photography, Heather was an avid gardener, and it was her dream to have her own small, pick-your-own family farm. She often took her girls to go berry-picking at local farms around town, and it became a favorite family activity. She was also fond of traveling and learning about other countries and cities, and had a long list of destinations awaiting her. Above all else, Heather loved being a mom. She loved her girls, and loved showing them new things in the world, teaching them to love nature, and how to play and explore their curiosity. Her light shines in them. If you knew Heather, you knew that light – funny and sarcastic, passionate about her faith, her family, and her dreams, and an incredible strength and compassion in her desire to use her story to uplift others also struggling. She was a bright ray of sunshine, and she will be greatly missed.
