Bennie Schon

Bennie Schon, 94, Bismarck, North Dakota, formerly of Turtle Lake, died Jan. 2, 2010, at the Baptist Home, Bismarck, North Dakota. Burial in Turtle Lake Cemetery, Turtle Lake, North Dakota.

Bennie was born March 10, 1915, near Mercer, North Dakota, the first of 12 children born to William and Katie (Fiesel) Schon.

He attended the rural Holmes Consolidated School until the eighth grade. As a young man, Bennie was employed by area farmers and worked as a farmhand in Washington state for a short time.

He married Ruth Blumhagen on Sept. 28, 1940, at Peace Lutheran Church in Turtle Lake. They moved to the Fiesel homestead farm, northeast of Turtle Lake, where they operated a dairy and farmed grain for 28 years. Bennie and Ruth raised three sons. In 1968, they moved to a farm north of Mercer where they lived and farmed until moving into Turtle Lake in 1985. Bennie continued to make many trips to the farm in his little blue truck for several years. He was well-known throughout the area for his ability to fix clocks, radios, and various appliances.

He enjoyed woodworking, fishing, and bowling. Bennie and Ruth enjoyed traveling together and visiting with family and friends. In July 2006, he and Ruth moved to the Souris Valley Care Center in Velva, North Dakota. In January 2008, he became a resident of the Baptist Home. Bennie was a long-time member of Turtle Lake Lions Club, Trinity Lutheran Church Council, the church choir and Medicine Hill Township Board.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ruth Schon, Bismarck, North Dakota; one son and daughter-in-law, Eugene and Ella Schon, Turtle Lake, North Dakota; his daughters-in-law, Marilyn Schon-Rath, Wishek, North Dakota; and Margaret Bentz, Lincoln, North Dakota.

And eight grandchildren, Kenny Simmons, St. Cloud, Minnesota; James Schon, Lisbon, Troy (Debbie) Schon, Lincoln, North Dakota; Steve (Shelly) Schon, Bismarck, North Dakota; Chad Schon, Bismarck, North Dakota; Eric Schon, Mercer, North Dakota; Angela Schon, Bismarck, North Dakota; and Sarah (Jarvis) Keney, Wilton, North Dakota; nine great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by two brothers, Joe (Lorraine) Schon, Mercer, North Dakota; and Albert Schon, Hayward, California; four sisters, Frieda Spelevoy, Fayetteville, Tennessee; Elsie (Ernie) Pieroni, Mount Shasta, California; Ann Fetzer and Ardella Schon, Bismarck, North Dakota; and her two sisters-in-law, Helen Schon, Minot, North Dakota; and Ella Schon, Bismarck, North Dakota.

Bennie was preceded in death by his parents, two sons, LeVerne and Lyle; his great-granddaughter, Kaylee Schon; four brothers, Harry, Walter, John and William; one sister, Ida Lick.