William Benner

William E. “Bill” Benner of New Hampton, formerly of Fredericksburg, died Thursday May 6, 2010 at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo. Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 11, 2010, at the Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home in Fredericksburg with Pastor Rusty Phillips officiating. Musical selections will be sung by Sara Ulmer. Internment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery, Fredericksburg, with Randy Boedecker, Dennis Harkrader, Gordy Smock, Jeff Means, Terry Elliott, and Gary Schultz serving as pallbearers. Full military honors will be conducted graveside by the Fredericksburg AMVETS. Friends may call 4:00-7:00 p.m. Monday May 10, 2010 at the Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home in Fredericksburg. Visitation will continue an hour prior to the service Tuesday at the funeral home. William Elam Benner was born January 18, 1929, in Fredericksburg, Iowa the son of Elam and Lucille (Hartford) Benner. He received his education in the Fredericksburg Public School system. On January 3, 1951, Bill entered into the United States Army serving during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged on October 3, 1952, after being awarded the Purple Heart. On July 14, 1957, William was united in marriage to Mary Smock at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. To this union, two children were born. The couple later divorced. William worked at the Rath Packing Company in Waterloo where he later retired from. He farmed north of Fredericksburg with his best friend Edward Hartson for many years. The two attended many farm sales together along with their good friend Louie Sostak. These three were known as the ‘three musketeers.’ After retirement, William moved to Appleton, Wisconsin where he made his home for 12 years. He later moved back to Iowa, living in New Hampton until his recent sickness forced him to move to Cedar Falls. William loved spending time with family, especially his three granddaughters. He was a collector of toy tractors, and made clocks out of planter plates, that he would paint to match the toy tractor found on it. He also enjoyed collecting lighthouses. He will be remembered by his family for his creativity, loving spirit, and the time he spent with his family that he cherished so much. He is survived by one son, Scott (Pam) Benner of Fredericksburg; one daughter, Lisa (Dan) Jacobsen of Grundy Center; three granddaughters, Tara Jacobsen of Cedar Rapids, Catelyn Benner of Ankeny, and Chelsey Jacobsen of Grundy Center; two sisters, Virginia (Russell) Schneider of Iowa Falls, Faythe Means of Chandler, AZ; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, and former wife Mary Smock-Benner.