DEATH NOTICES

Lois Gertrude Louise Hamann, age 89, of Benson, died Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at Golden Living Center – Meadow Lane.  Funeral services will be 1:30 PM, Saturday, January 24, 2015, at Trinity Lutheran Church - Fairfield.  Visitation will be held Friday, January 23, 2015 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at Zniewski Funeral Home in Benson and for one hour prior to the service.  Interment will be in the Trinity Lutheran Church - Fairfield Cemetery. Arrangements are with Zniewski Funeral Home.

Arthur “Art” Lyle Lee, age 81, of Sartell, formerly of Benson, died Saturday, January 17, 2015.  Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, January 22, 2015, at St. Malachy Catholic Church in Clontarf with Father Jeremy Kucera officiating.  Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in the St. Malachy Catholic Cemetery.  Memorials are preferred. Arrangements are with Zniewski Funeral Home.

Michael Hess, age 56, of Benson, died Wednesday, January 14, 2015, at home.  Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 17, 2015, at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Benson.  Visitation will be held Friday, January 16, 2015 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Zniewski Funeral Home in Benson and for one hour prior to the service.  Interment will be in the Benson City Cemetery. Arrangements are with Zniewski Funeral Home.

Steven Lynn Lysen, age 65, of Benson, died Wednesday, January 14, 2015, at the Swift County Benson Hospital.  Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, January 19, 2015, at the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Benson with Rev. William Warnock officiating.  Visitation will be held Sunday, January 18, 2015 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ and for one hour prior to the service.  Interment will be in the Benson City Cemetery. Arrangements are with Zniewski Funeral Home.

Betty Jean (Sievert) Thompson, 80, of Woonsocket, SD passed away December 24, 2014 at the Prairie View Care Center in Woonsocket, SD.
A Christian Burial was held Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. John Hansen officiating.
Pallbearers were Wayne Kluth, Marlo, Todd and Bradley Sievert, Kevin and Brian Mentele.
Interment was in Eventide Cemetery in Woonsocket.
Betty was born to John and Evelyn (Fouberg) Sievert March 16, 1934. She attended Woonsocket Country School.
She worked as a housekeeper until she married Ronald Thompson, Nov. 18, 1955 in Woonsocket. They farmed various places in the Woonsocket area for 40 years. They retired and moved to Benson, Minnesota.
Betty moved back to Mitchell, SD in 2011. She entered Prairie View Care Center in Woonsocket in 2012 due to health issues.

Alice M. Larson, 98, of Benson, passed away Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014 at the Swift County-Benson Hospital.
Funeral services were 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3 at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Benson. Interment was in the Benson City Cemetery.
Alice Mary Larson was born October 18, 1916, in Oak Grove Township, Anoka County, Minnesota the daughter of George and Mary (Wetherby) Hicks.  She was baptized in the First Congregational Church in Anoka  July 10, 1932, by Rev. Edward Wribitzky.  She grew up in Anoka County and attended grade school in District 27, Cedar, Minnesota, then Washington and Lincoln Elementary schools in Anoka, and graduated from Anoka High School in 1933.  Following her schooling, Alice worked in Anoka for Colonial Upholstering, Gillespie’s Shoes and Thurston & Sons.  

Arnold Atchison, 89, of Benson, died  Friday, Jan. 9, 2015  at Golden Living Meadow Lane in Benson.  
His funeral service was held  Tuesday, Jan. 13 at  2 p.m., at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Benson with Pastor William Warnock officiating. There was a visitation one hour prior to the service at the church.
Burial was in the Benson City Cemetery.
Arnold Samuel Paul Atchison was born September 10, 1925 at Hancock in Stevens County, the seventh child of Samuel and Mary (Wayne) Atchison.  He was baptized December 7, 1930 by Pastor K. Palmer and was confirmed October 24, 1943 by Pastor Palmer at West Zion Evangelical Church.  He attended school in Pope County through the eighth grade.
Arnold served in the Air Force from March 1943 to May 1946.  He trained at Sheppard Field, Texas and after that served in India for 25 months.  He served in the Pacific Theater Operations with the 3333rd Airborne Squadron as a sergeant.

Robert Pierce, 79, of Benson, died Monday, January 5th at his home.  Arrangements are with Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar.  www.hafh.org
Robert was born on May 16, 1935, in Burbank, California, the son of Robert and Bertha (Ritzschke) Pierce.  Because his father was a merchant marine, their family moved a lot, living in California, Oregon and Arizona before settling in Benson when he was 13 years old, graduating from Benson High School in 1953.
 On November 10, 1962, he was united in marriage to Geraldine Roth in Benson.  He worked for the Swift County Highway Department and US Fish and Wildlife, retiring in the mid 1990’s after 38 years.
 Surviving are his daughters, Kim Pierce and Kristi Wetzel, both of Benson; grandsons, Nicklas and Mitchel Wetzel and sister-in-law, Jenni Pierce of Tempe, AZ.
 He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Geraldine on February 29, 2008 and brother, Joe Pierce.

Donna Yvonne Bjorngjeld of Sugarland, Texas died December 31, 2014, peacefully at home. She was born November 13, 1934 in Pope County, MN and was the daughter of the late Ole and Alice (Jackson) Nelson.

Donna graduated from Benson High School in 1952 and received a B.S. Degree in Education at St. Cloud State University.  She taught elementary school.  She married Paul Bjorngjeld August 20, 1958 and spent 20 years in the U.S. military as an Army officer’s wife.

She loved being a homemaker and cherished time with her family hosting regular get together’s for the children and grandchildren.  She was an excellent seamstress and loved to sew.  Donna is survived by her husband and three children, John and Matthew Bjorngjeld of Sugar Land and Ann Simmons of Aledo, Texas.  She had 9 grandchildren.

Alice M. Larson, 98, of Benson, passed away Saturday, December 27, at the Swift County-Benson Hospital.  
Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 3, at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Benson. Visitation will begin at noon at the church.  Interment will be in the Benson City Cemetery following services.

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Betty Jean (Sievert) Thompson, 80, of Woonsocket, SD passed away December 24, 2014 at the Prairie View Care Center.
Funeral services were held December 27 at the Basham Funeral Home with Rev. John Hansen officiating.