Henry William Sebastian Benz (1961)

BENZ, SCAR, GRIESER, STOLL, SCHOFFENOCKER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 3/27/2020 at 13:08:44

The Dallas County News
Adel, Iowa
February 8, 1961
Page 13, Columns 3 & 4

Henry William Sebastian Benz was the son of Christopher Benz and his wife Margaret Scar. He was born on June 23, 1883, in a farm home one mile southeast of Dexter. In his infancy he was baptized in the Lutheran faith, in which he was confirmed on May 26, 1899.

In January of the year 1907 he went to Vivian, South Dakota, where he homesteaded a farm. There he met and married his life’s companion, Florence Mae Grieser. The wedding too place on December 18, 1907. Shortly after his marriage he returned with his bride to Iowa, to begin what was to become his life’s occupation, that of a farmer. For a number of years he lived on various farms in the Dexter and Stuart community. Then, in the year 1920, he purchased the farm which had been the home of his parents. There he continued to live until the time of his death, actively engaged in farming until about two years ago when he entered upon semi-retirement.

In the month of November last year he suffered a stroke of apoplexy, from which he recovered sufficiently to return home from the hospital on December 12, but after three days at home he suffered another and much more severe stroke and had to return to the hospital in Dexter, where he departed this life on January 24, at the age of 77 years, 7 months and 1 day.

Immediate survivors include his wife, named above; 3 children, Lucille, now Mrs. Robert Stoll, of Orient; William Benz, of Casper, Wyo.; and Howard Benz, of Earlham; 10 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Lucy Schoffenocker, of Lincoln, Illinois; and two brothers, John and Walter Benz, both living in Dexter.

The deceased was a loving husband and father and a good friend and neighbor.