Frederic Perry Benfer (1918-1945)

BENFER, WEBBER, SHEPARD, BAKER, SCHMELLIK, PERRY

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:14

From Nevada Evening Journal January 13, 1950 (page 4)

Military Rites For Lt. F. Perry Benfer

Funeral services were held Friday afternoon, Jan. 6, in the Colo Evangelical U. B. church for Lt. Frederic Perry Benfer. The Rev. O. C. Gatrelle of Radcliffe, close friend of the family, was in charge of the services, assisted by the Rev. Otto Hoffner, pastor of the Colo church.

The flag-covered casket was banked with the many beautiful floral offerings. A memorial fund, in tribute of Lt. Benfer, was given by friends of the Marshalltown Grace U. B. church and a large floral piece was presented from the Des Moines First Evangelical U. B. church, of which he was member. On either side of the pulpit were portraits of the deceased with bouquets of red roses arranged beneath them.

Charles Hinton sang "God Understands" and "Sleep Soldier Boy Sleep", accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Ralph Schnur, who played appropriate numbers preceding and following the impressive services.

The Colo American Legion post, with LaVern Horner as commander, was in charge of the military service. Herbert Jopkins rendered "Taps" and John Dickinson was sergeant of arms. Members of the firing squad were Robert Dunahoo, Raymond Smith, Richard Wilson, Kenneth Brannon, Ray Granger, Jack O'Donnell, Hugo Armbrecht and Bill Goodwin. Colo Guard members were Ronald Billman, Raymond Wilson and Paul Thomas. Charles Lehman, a chaplain, assisted with the graveside services. All Legion men were in uniform.

Casket bearers were Supt. W. P. Truesdell, Stanley Squires, Max Lounsberry, Don Baker, Gordon Lundy and Lester Shickell.

Obituary

The following obituary was read by Rev. Gatrelle at the services:

"Frederic Perry Benfer was born June 10, 1918 at Colo, Iowa, the son of George and Mary Benfer. His early life was spent in Colo and Marshalltown. In 1930, the family moved to Des Moines, where he attended the schools, graduating from North High school. In 1938, he was united in marriage to Maxine Webber and to this union was born a daughter, Terry Sue.

He was employed at Ward's store in Des Moines, later being transferred to the Newton branch store, where he was manager of the rug and furniture department at the time of his enlistment in 1942.

His training was in various camps in the west. He received his wings as a bombardier at Victorville, California. The final training with his crew was at Mountain Home, Idaho. Leaving the U. S. in Dec. of 1944, he was based in southern Italy with the 343rd B. Squadron, 98th B. group. He was flying in at B-24 at the time of his death and had participated in 32 missions.

After one particular dangerous mission, in which the plane, after being riddled with flak and the gas tanks leaking, limped back to the home base, the entire crew was sent to the Isle of Capri for a rest.

Promoted to First Lieutenant, after his mission, two weeks later the fatal mission came when bombing the Uipiteno railway bridge in the Brenner Pass. Here the Germans were making their last stand and the flak struck Lt. Benfer's plane while on a bombing run, exploding it at a height of 23,000 feet, killing the entire crew of 10 and two additional men who had been sent along for first time that day.

Awarded posthumously the Purple Heart and the Oak Leaf Cluster, he was buried in St. Avoid cemetery in Europe."

Survivors

Surviving are his wife, now Mrs. Ray Shepard, and little daughter, Terry Sue, of Des Moines, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Benfer; two sisters, Mr. Jeanette Baker of Cedar Falls and Mrs. Carolyn Schmellik, and his grandmother, Mrs. Fred C. Perry of Colo.

The body was accompanied to Colo by an escort, Lt. Kinison of White Plains, N. Y. who presented Mrs. Benfer with the flag from the casket following the military services at the graveside.

Relatives attending the services from a distance came from Des Moines, Grand Junction, Reasnor, Readlyn, Zearing, Nevada and Stanhope.