June Benson

June Benson, 87, of Minneapolis, formerly of Willmar, died Friday, May 10, at the Jones-Harrison Residence in Minneapolis.

Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, May 16, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Willmar. Burial will be private. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service and time of sharing at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar and one hour prior to the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Redeemer Lutheran Church Preschool, Willmar Food Shelf or N. C. Little Hospice (Edina, MN).

June Darlene (Evers) Benson was born at home on the Evers farm near Corona, South Dakota, the daughter of Herbert and Mollie Evers. She was baptized and confirmed at the Trinity Lutheran Church near Milbank, South Dakota. She attended country school, graduated from Ortonville High School and Mounds Midway School of Nursing, Ridgewater College and Metropolitan State University. She was employed in health care for 40 years. During that time she received a number of awards: Woman of the Year (Business and Professional Women), Humanitarian Award (Willmar Eagles) and Ageless Hero Award (Blue Cross Blue Shield). She served on a number of community, health and church boards. She also traveled extensively as a Global Volunteer. She touched the lives of people at home and everywhere she traveled. She will be remembered for her open heart and loving kindness by everyone who was fortunate enough to know her.

She is survived and deeply missed by her children, Betty Benson (and Kathleen Dion), Barbara (and Thomas) Vize, Richard (and Leslie) Benson, and Robert (and Nina) Benson; sisters, May Aschwege and Ardith Sahl; sisters-in-law, Mildred Evers and Marjorie Kreuscher; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and many other family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Mollie Evers; brother Carlyle; sisters, Florence Phillips, Viola Luth, and Frances Van Cleve; and former husband, John.