Benjamin Lars NETLAND

NETLAND, RAPP, OLTHOFF, WESTER, ABELE, NOBLE, ROBERTS, RASMUSON, WHITNEY, SELLARS, LAY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/23/2009 at 10:02:48

KLEMME, IA - Benjamin L. "Benjie" Netland, 54, a lifelong resident of Klemme, died Sunday (June 21, 2009) at the Belmond Medical Center, Belmond, surrounded by his family following a long and courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2009, at the Immanuel Reformed United Church of Christ, Klemme. The Rev. Donna Buckman will be officiating. Burial will be in the Ell Township Cemetery, Klemme. Visitation will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, at the Andrews Funeral Home, 528 E. Main St., Klemme, and continue one hour prior to the service Wednesday at church. Those wishing to express their sympathies through a memorial in Benjie's name may direct them to the family or to their own choice.

Benjamin Lars Netland was born June 21, 1955, at Klemme, the son of George and Shirley (Rapp) Netland. As a young child he was active with his family in the Klemme United Methodist Church in which he was baptized. He attended Klemme Schools and participated in basketball and was an excellent football player receiving recognition for his various accomplishments in that sport. He had also participated in recreational boxing. For many years Benjie was a member of and enjoyed countless hours spent on the Slippery Elm Golf Course in Klemme. Benjamin was united in marriage to Eileen Olthoff on Oct. 28, 1978, at the Immanuel Reformed United Church of Christ, Klemme. The couple's union was blessed with two daughters, Teresa and Kimberly. For most of his career Benjie was employed as a professional in the manufacturing and restoration of clutches and other mechanisms needed in machinery related to the agricultural field. Shortly after high school he commenced his employment in this field with Butler Manufacturing (BMD) in Klemme, where he was employed for more than 35 years. He then became a partner and president of Theobald Manufacturing Inc. in Stacyville. A few years later the partnership sold the business. Benjie was a man who enjoyed a life filled with family, friends and fellowship. He and Eileen looked forward to taking their girls and later grandchildren and other family on many camping excursions to McIntosh Woods State Park in Clear Lake and in later years the favorite area camping outings were to Lake Cornelia.

His wife and daughters and their families will cherish special memories of trips to the Kansas City Zoo, Oceans of Fun and Worlds of Fun. Benjie being a big kid at heart could often be found right along side the kids on the various rides. He received great satisfaction supporting his daughters and grandkids in whatever they might have been participating in and at one time or another shared his athletic talents with his daughter, Teresa, when he would help her train for the cross country team, often leaving her in the dust. Benjie was a man who looked forward to almost any opportunity to be in the outdoors, whether, it was deer hunting, working on his small conservation area and pond near his home, putting up a duck box or working on the upkeep of his lawn. He was always tinkering in his garage and shop on a vintage tractor or on his lawn tractors, and of course the air was filled with echoes of his favorite classic rock tunes. No matter what the size or shape of his machinery for the task or for a ride, it most certainly would have to be adorned in the colors of John Deere green and yellow. Over his lifetime, Benjie truly learned to appreciate the simple things in life, such as hours spent with his family and friends around the grill at the campgrounds, in the back yard watching the firepit or relaxing around a blazing bonfire under a star-filled sky.

Both Grandpa Benjie and his grandkids looked forward to rides tooling around the yard on his lawn tractors, spending time next to Gramps doing yard work or in more recent times as Benjie's health deteriorated spending many hours of movie watching in the presence of one another. Benjie was a fan of the Minnesota Vikings and the Boston Celtics. He loved vintage tractors and was a master at the intracacies of tearing them down and the rebuilding them from the ground up. Others who shared this love and had the privilege of sharing his passion will miss the many times they have spent with Benjie in the creation of many, many flawless restorations. His knowledge of these machines was vast and his skills were meticulous. In recent years Benjie had become a member of the North Iowa Antique Tractor Club and looked forward to the area antique power shows. Benjie will be remembered by his family and those who had the chance to cross his life journey as a man who had a zest for life and lending his knowledge and labor to help others. In the last few years he will also be remembered for his positive outlook on life even in his difficult battle with cancer and health decline. He took the diagnosis head-on and strived to live each and every precious moment to its fullest.

Benjie's life and memory will be carried forward in the hearts and minds of his wife, Eileen Netland, Klemme; daughter, Teresa Wester, Klemme, and daughter, Kimberly (Jeremy) Abele, Klemme; his mother, Shirley Netland, Garner; his brother, Willard (Diane) Netland, Mesa, Ariz.; sister, Mary (Cecil) Noble, Garner; brother, Merlin Netland, Garner; sister, Marilyn (Duane) Roberts, Garner; and a sister, Carolyn Rasmuson, Apache Junction, Ariz.; his grandchildren, Amanda Whitney, Michael Abele, Kaitlyn Abele, Samantha Wester, Desarae Abele, Benjamin Wester and Dominic Abele; a brother-in-law, Verlyn (Kathy) Olthoff, Klemme; sister-in-law, Kathryn Sellars, Klemme; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his father, George Netland; sisters, Karen Lay and Wanda Netland; brother George Netland Jr.; and brothers-in-law, Gayle Lay and Donnie Sellars. Andrews Funeral Home.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
June 23, 2009