John Benson

BENSON

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 4/1/2005 at 09:44:35

John Benson is a retired farmer residing in Fertile, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. His life for many years was a period of untiring and unfaltering business activity and whatever success he now enjoys is the direct result of his intelligently directed industry. Iowa numbers him among her native sons, for his birth occurred in Winneshiek county on the 7th of April, 1873, his parents being Ben Thorson and Christina Thorson, both of whom were natives of Norway, where they were reared and married. Four children were born to them ere they crossed the Atlantic to the new world. It was in the late '60s that they came to the United States, establishing their home in Wisconsin, and about 1871 they removed to Winneshiek county, Iowa. In 1875 they took their abode in Worth county, the father purchasing the farm in Fertile township now owned by his son Thomas, situated on section 31. Thereafter the father devoted his time and energies to the further cultivation and development of the property and upon that place made his home until his death. Both he and his wife have now passed away.

John Benson is indebted to the district school system of Iowa for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. His father was not strong and practically incapacitated for farm labor, so that as soon as John Benson reached early manhood he with his three brothers took over the operation of the home farm and also rented other lands adjoining the old home place. They continued to carry on their farming interests together up to the time of the marriage of John Benson, which was celebrated on the 22d of February, 1903, at which time he wedded Miss Mary Haugen, a daughter of Tolive A. Haugen, of whom mention will be found elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of his son, Lars T. Haugen.

Following his marriage Mr. Benson took up his abode on a farm of eighty acre in Fertile township which he had purchased the previous year. He then bent his energies on the further development of and cultivation of his land and year by year he gathered golden harvests as a reward for the care and effort he had bestowed upon the fields. He practised the rotation of crops and all modern methods of farming and his labor brought very substantial results. As the years passed, therefore, he added continually to this savings and in 1916 he rented farm and removed to Forest City, where he made his home for thirteen months. He then returned to Worth county and took up his abode in Fertile, where has since resided. He sold his farm in April, 1918, and in now enjoying a well earned rest, his saving and investment supplying him with a liberal annual income that provided him with all the comforts and some of the luxuries of life. In his political views Mr. Benson has always been a republican since attaining his majority and gives stalwart allegiance to the party yet has never sought or desired office as a reward for party fealty. He and his wife have membership in the Norwegian Lutheran church. They are people of the highest respectability, enjoying the warm regards and goodwill of those who know them. Both Mr. and Mrs. Benson have may warm friends in the community and the life record of Mr. Benson indicates what can be accomplish by unfaltering perseverance and untiring industry in the was of attaining substantial success.

Source: History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1918, Vol. II, Page 391.