Therese Marie (Kohler) Benser, 21 May 1957 - 28 Oct 2021

BENSER, KOHLER, LINES, HOCKEY, FROMKE, KRUEGER, DICKSON, STOLTENBERG, MCMURRIN

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 11/6/2021 at 09:34:47

Therese Marie Benser, passed away suddenly at age 64, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, at Mercy Hospital after having been diagnosed with a heart condition. She passed away quietly with her husband, Gary Benser, at her bedside. A visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, and a memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5, both in the chapel at First Congregational Church, 361 17th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403. Internment will follow at noon at the Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, Garden of Tranquility.

Therese Marie Kohler was born May 21, 1957, the daughter of Robert and Helen (Lines) Kohler in Waterloo, Iowa. She grew up in Waterloo and graduated from Columbus High School, Class of 1975. Following high school, she continued her education at Hamilton Business College in Cedar Rapids, graduating in March, 1986. She was married to Richard G. Hockey Jr. from 1975 to 2006. Then, after a very long engagement, she married Gary R. Benser on Aug. 7, 2021.

Therese was a devoted wife and mother as well as working professionally with several companies in Cedar Rapids, including Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC) as office administrator, Edward Jones as branch office administrator with Ian Robinson, AEGON USA as senior administrative assistant for Corporate Risk Management, United Life Insurance and Heritage Property Management as an accounting clerk. She also worked at Parker Hannifin Corp. in Marion, Iowa, as the plant secretary and ACT in Iowa City as a secretary and assistant to director of Educational Services. In her "quality time." she raised Brian and Becca, and was very involved in their school and scouting activities and Marion High School Music Boosters, Theater, Band and Flag programs for her kids.

She supported the local arts and volunteered with the Marion Summer Theater program, Rich Heritage Theater of Cedar Rapids (RHCR), Theatre Cedar Rapids (TCR) and City Circle Acting Company (CCAC) in Coralville. Therese loved her church fellowship at First Congregational UCC and played in the bell choir.

Therese loved being "Grandma" and most enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and loving family. She was a master crafter and rocked at quilting, counted cross-stitch, sewing, ceramics and scrapbooking. She was an avid reader and was also devoted to her pets, as her many cats could attest to, over the years.

Survivors include her loving husband, Gary R. Benser of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; her brother, Tim and Dena (Fromke) Kohler of Waterloo, Iowa; her two children, son Brian and Allison (Krueger) Hockey of Waverly, Iowa, and daughter, Rebecca (Hockey) Dickson and Will Stoltenberg of Williamsburg, Iowa. Beloved grandchildren, Kyleigh McMurrin (16), Claire Dickson (14), Adrian "AJ" Dickson (12), and Chloe Hockey (10). Her extended family includes son-in-law, Jerry Dickson of Marion, Iowa; and stepdaughter, Deidra Benser.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

You may send flowers through the Flower Shop at Cedar Memorial to the church or in lieu of flowers, the family has respectfully requested that any memorial contribution be made to the Cedar Valley Humane Society.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Published in The Gazette on November 2, 2021.