Charles LeRoy "Buck" BENTLEY

BENTLEY, ROSS, HANSON, HARRISON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/15/2008 at 10:01:57

Gazette, The (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA)
June 10, 2008

Charles LeRoy "Buck" Bentley, 83, of Fort Madison, formerly of Stanwood, died of cancer Saturday, June 7, 2008, at Great River Hospice House, West Burlington. His body was cremated. Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Barr Memorial Chapel in Fort Madison, where the family will greet friends from 6:30 to 8 tonight, with a Masonic service at 7 p.m. Burial: Oakland Cemetery, Fort Madison, with military rites. Pastor Bill Willis will officiate.

Survivors include his wife, Doris; four sons, Todd of Lexington, S.C., Judd of Keller, Texas, Matt of Fort Madison and Ross of St. Genevieve, Mo.; a daughter, Jill Ross of Granite City, Ill.; and two brothers, Irv of Texas and James of Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister.

Born Oct. 1, 1924, in Goldfield, Iowa, the son of Charles Andrew and Ruth Hannah (Hanson) Bentley, he married Doris Harrison on Nov. 30, 1947, in Waterloo. They were married for 60 years. Charles graduated from the Waterloo schools. He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving during World War II and was a recipient of the Purple Heart. He graduated from Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls. He first taught school in Le Claire and later in Stanwood, where he became principal. During the summer months while working on his master's degree at the University of Iowa, he built and established Bentley's Drive In on Highway 30, which is where "Buck's Belly Buster" originated. A restaurant called Ditto's still operates there today. In 1961, Buck and his family moved to Fort Madison, where he first worked for the Iowa State Penitentiary and started several trade school classes for inmates. In 1964, he became principal at Fort Madison Junior High School, where he stayed until his retirement in 1987. During his tenure he received the specialist in education degree from Western Illinois University, Macomb, Ill.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established for the Fort Madison Public Library; contributions may be made at Barr Memorial Chapel, 1919 Ave. F, Fort Madison, IA 52627.