Eddie Benge (2011)

BEEDLE, BENGE, CLAUDE, COOPER, CRONE, GARNER, GILBERT, HANSEN, JORDAN, LANE, NEAL, PETERSEN

Posted By: Shirley Keating
Date: 6/18/2011 at 12:49:26

From Funeral Flyer
McCalley - Collins Funeral Home
Winterset, Iowa
June2011

Eddie Benge

Eddie Benge, 92, of Winterset, Iowa, died Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at the Madison County Memorial Hospital in Winterset. Eddie was born on May 4, 1919, at Winterset to Perry & Evy (Lane) Benge, being one of twelve children in this large family.

He graduated from Winterset High School in 1938 and enlisted in the US Army in April of 1941, several months before the start of WW II. After war was declared, Eddie was sent to fight in the Northern African Campaign. He was captured during battle and spent 27 months as a POW.

Following his honorable discharge from the military, he married Daisy Dell Neal on February 14, 1946 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. To this union were born two children, Randy and Sue. He had been a lifetime resident of Madison County and had retired from the Madison County Secondary Roads Department.

Eddie was an accomplished fiddle player and banjo player. He and his family have toured the state and the country playing for numerous events. They had been a musical mainstay for numerous local events including playing for nursing homes, the Covered Bridge Festival and the Annual Winterset Lions Club Show to name just a few.

Eddie belonged to numerous organizations including the Old Fiddlers Association, American Music Hall of Fame; and was a Master Fiddler for Iowa State University. He won the Iowa State Fair Grand Championship Fiddle Contest in 1971 and had won several senior Iowa State Fair fiddle and banjo awards. Eddie belonged to the V.F.W. Post #8142 of Winterset, the Madison County Historical Society, served as King of Madison County during the State of Iowa Sesquicentennial, and had also served as King of the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival along with Daisy being Queen.

Eddie is survived by his wife, Daisy Dell Benge of Winterset; son, Randy (Melany) Benge of Winterset; daughter, Sue (Jeff) Hansen of Winterset; grandchildren, Greg Hansen, Kirk Hansen, Heidi Garner, Heather Claude, Jordan Benge, Nathan Benge and Addy Benge; and great grandchildren, Daxton Claude, Rafe Claude, and Shaley Jordan.

He was preceeded in death by his parents, Perry & Evy (Lane) Benge; brothers, Harland, Benge, Fay Benge, Richard Benge, and John Benge; sisters, Orrel Beedle, Opal Crone, Nina Gilbert, Wilma Cooper, Marjorie Petersen, Adeline Benge, and Natalie Benge; and grandchild, Brad Lee Benge.

Funeral services were held 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 17, 2011, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Winterset with Pastor Joel Nau officiating. Eddie was laid to rest at the Union Chapel Cemetery in Madison County with military honors performed by V.F.W. Post #8142 and American Legion Post #184 of Winterset.

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