Garren Orel Benson (1939-2013)
BENSON, SPRINGMIRE, DANIELS, REECE, SERSLAND, DANIELS, ALLEMAN, LAHR
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 7/4/2013 at 17:47:13
From Adams & Soderstrum Funeral Home obituary, Story County, Iowa:
Garren O. Benson
April 7, 1939 - May 25, 2013Garren Orel Benson was born April 7, 1939, in Decorah, IA. He was the eldest child of Orel and Irene (Springmire) Benson. He passed away on Saturday, May 25, 2013, in Ames, IA, at the age of 74.
Garren was raised on a farm near Harmony, MN. He was baptized and confirmed at the State Line Methodist Church. He began his education in country schools, and graduated from Harmony High School in 1956. He spent one year at Rochester Junior College, before transferring to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He subsequently transferred to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where he earned both bachelors and masters degrees in soil science. He went on to receive a Ph.D. from Iowa State University in 1971.
Garren's first job was as a tour guide at Niagara Cave, which his father helped discover near the family farm as a boy. Garren also worked for Consolidated Lumber and Harmony Feed and Fuel. In 1964, he began work as an Iowa State Area Extension Agronomist in Mt. Pleasant, IA. Following his Ph.D. studies, he remained in Ames. He was a state-wide extension agronomist, specializing in corn and soybean production. He was honored with many awards in his career, including the Iowa Master Farmer Exceptional Service Award from Wallaces Farmer in 1996. Garren retired from extension in 1996, but continued to work for the ISU agronomy department until 1999, and enjoyed returning to the office as an emeritus professor.
While in the Twin Cities, Garren met the love of his life, Patricia Ann Daniels. They were married on December 22, 1962, in Tracy, MN. They had two children, DeeAnn Dawn, and Kent Daniel. He was a member of Collegiate United Methodist Church in Ames for 46 years.
As a young man, Garren liked to play sports, fish and hunt, and made many trips to Minnesota’s North Shore in pursuit of the big buck. He was a Civil War and World War II history buff, and was thrilled to have gone for a ride in a B-17 bomber in 2008. He enjoyed tracing his family genealogy, and traveling with Pat to California, Hawaii, England and France. He was a dedicated fan of ISU football and basketball, attending games for decades, tracking the statistics of players and recruits, and making sure his children at an early age learned the difference between Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes! In retirement, Garren kept up with his buddies drinking coffee at Panera.
Garren is survived by his wife of 50 years, Pat, Ames; daughter, DeeAnn Benson (Cameron) Reece, Town of Ellington, WI; son, Kent (Deana) Benson; grandchildren Drew and Makenna of Woodstock, MD; his dear sister, Lynne (Ron Carlson) Benson of Hastings, MN; aunt, Karol Sersland, Decorah; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, David and Irene Daniels of Lakewood, CO; niece, Teresa (Jeff) Alleman of Lakewood, CO; nephew, Eric (Rachael) Daniels of Central, SC; and many cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his father-in-law and mother-in-law Donald and Evelyn Daniels; brother-in-law Jerome (Skip) Lahr; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Memorials may be directed to Collegiate United Methodist Church, Ames, IA, or to the charity of your choice.
June 1, 2013 Funeral Service 10:00AM - 10:45AM
Collegiate United Methodist Church
2622 West Lincoln Way
Ames, IA, US, 50014June 3, 2013 Graveside Service 12:00PM - 12:15PM
State Line Methodist Cemetery
345 State Line Road
Harmony, MN, US, 55939
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