Benna, Evelyn (1916-2014)

BENNA, JUNKERMEIER, KRAMERSMEIER, GUNDERSON, SCHLEUSENER, WULF, WEBER, TSCHETTER, LAWSON, SORENSON, SMITH

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 7/20/2014 at 11:54:37

Evelyn Benna
January 8, 1916 - May 31, 2014

Evelyn Benna, age 98, of Albert City, Iowa, died on Saturday, May 31, 2014, at the Pleasant View Home in Albert City.

Evelyn Hulda Mary Junkermeier, a daughter of Johann and Lena (Kramersmeier) Junkermeier, was born in Marathon, Iowa, on January 8, 1916. Baptized at the United Church of Christ in rural Storm Lake, Iowa, and confirmed as an adolescent at Our Savior’s in Rembrandt, Iowa, she spent her youth in the Rembrandt vicinity and received her education at Rembrandt High School. While in her teens, she took private violin lessons, and during her high school years, her father gave her lessons on alto horn, which she played in the Marching Band and the city band at the band shell. Following her graduation, she continued her education at the Jackson School of Business in Chillicothe, Missouri. After working as a secretary in Chicago for one year, she moved back to Rembrandt to be with her family and work in a store.

On January 15, 1940, in Rembrandt, Iowa, Evelyn married Carl Benna of Albert City, Iowa. Subsequently, they were blessed with three children: Margaret, Burton, and Bernadine. Evelyn worked alongside her husband on their farm while raising their children. As their children were growing up, they also foster parented two teenage girls on two occasions. As loving parents, Evelyn and Carl attended their children’s activities, encouraging and supporting their interests, a practice which they continued in time as grandparents and great grandparents. Although Evelyn enjoyed her role as a homemaker, she, later, went to work as a legal secretary for the Diehl and Diehl Law Office, a position she held for fifteen years.

The Bennas enjoyed working and socializing with their neighbors, especially the “neighborhood gang,” the Bjorks, Bergs, Larsons, Lundbergs, Olsons, and Andersons. They celebrated many a birthday with potlucks, card playing, and other fun activities. They went swimming, fishing, and on picnics together. They picked wild raspberries and cherries, cleaned chickens, and otherwise helped each other in various ways. One summer, Evelyn and Carl enjoyed hosting a foreign exchange student from Sweden with whom they continued a relationship for many years. Although Carl passed away in 1998, Evelyn continued to live on the farm until 2003 when she moved to Countryside Independent Living in Albert City. On January 6, 2011, she became a resident of the Pleasant View Home also in Albert City.

Evelyn had many interests. She lived out her faith at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church where she served on many committees and participated with the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA) and its Bible studies and workshops. A member of the Golden Rule Club and the Women’s Federated Club, she, along with Carl, enjoyed her membership in the Albert City Historical Society, the Threshermen’s Organization, and the Northwest Iowa Scandinavian Club. She continued to express her love of music by playing the alto horn with the Albert City Band at the band shell. At age sixty-five, she started taking more violin lessons and played in the Little Sioux Symphony in Cherokee for several years. She also enjoyed sewing, gardening, quilting, and knitting. Since Carl worked as an insurance agent, they hosted dinners for some clients in their home. Her cooking specialties included wild raspberry/rhubarb pies, cinnamon rolls, rye bread, ostkaka, sour cream chocolate cake, and chow mein. During their retirement, she and Carl enjoyed taking many bus tours around the United States as well as traveling abroad to Germany and Sweden, visiting relatives and friends.

Evelyn’s life and memory are loved and honored by her family which includes her children: Peggy (Jon) Gunderson, of Lake Park, Iowa, Burton (Marcia) Benna, of Ames, Iowa, and Berny (Mick) Schleusener, of Marathon, Iowa; her grandchildren and great grandchildren: Ann (Duane) Wulf, and their children, Cassidy, Axel, Zachariah, Garret, Marshall, and Victoria; Joni Weber, and her children, Misha and Mikah, (fiancé, Ron Tschetter); Tim (Jody) Gunderson, and their children, Lilli, Gracie, and Jackson; David Benna, and his children, Emily and Anna; Jodi (Matt) Lawson, and their children, Max and Allie; Carol (Matt) Sorenson, and their children, Megan and Amber; and Deb Schleusener; and her sister, Dorothy Smith, of Bancroft, Iowa; as well as by nieces; nephews; other extended family members; and many lifelong friends.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Carl; her brothers, John, Alfred, and Louis; and her sisters, Nora, Luella, and Vanetta.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Albert City. Burial will follow at the Fairfield Township Cemetery in Albert City. Visitation will take place on Thursday, June 7, 2014, from 9:30 a.m. until the service time at the church. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City is in charge of the arrangements.

Blessed be the life and memory of Evelyn Hulda Mary Benna.

Copyright © 2014, Sliefert Funeral Homes

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