LOVELAND, Colo. — A 95-year-old Colorado woman has finally started receiving survivor benefits from the U.S. government more than 20 years after her World War II veteran husband died.
Loveland resident Betty Sheneman has been awarded a monthly benefit of $1,289, a one-time burial benefit of $1,050 and a retroactive payment of more than $116,000.
The Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald reports that her husband, Leland, fought in Europe in World War II and earned two Purple Hearts.
But he had a number of health problems related to the war service, including nightmares, PTSD and hearing loss. He died in 1996 after a stroke that was tied to health issues because of the war.
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis and his staff assisted in the effort to get her application for benefits approved.