Dean Clifton Benson (1918 - 2010)

Born 25 Oct 1918 in Hazelton, North Dakota

Ancestors

Died 18 Mar 2010 at age 91 in Kennewick, Washington

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Biography

Dean was born in 1918 in Hazelton, North Dakota during the flu epidemic. His family except for his grandfather were all sick with the flu at the time. The doctor who delivered him thought he wouldn't make it. The family did not stay in North Dakota for long after that, moving back to Minnesota and South Dakota. His first grade teacher thought he was too dumb to learn to read. She would put a book in front of him and expect him to read it. The following year he had a teacher who taught phonics and he caught on right away and was a good student after that. At a young age his mother taught him photography and she insisted that one should develop one's own pictures. The photography habit stuck with him all his life and he always had a darkroom to develop his own pictures. He specialized in black and white photography and won some awards for his pictures. For many years he created his own custom Christmas cards in his darkroom from the 1940's until his last in 2009. In school he was active in basketball, track, football and singing. He graduated from Sioux Falls College with a degree in mathematics. During the war he enlisted in the army. He married Ruth Powell in Monroe, Louisiana in 1943 while he was temporarily stationed there. After awhile the government assigned him to work for NACA, later called NASA. In 1950 he and his family moved from Sioux Falls to Ames, Iowa where he got his PHD in mathematics. Afterwards the family moved to Rapid City, South Dakota where he taught mathematics at the School of Mines. He received an offer from the college in Chico, California in 1956 to go and set up the math department there. The family stayed there until 1960 and made many friends during that time. He got another offer from the School of Mines and returned there in 1960. After a few years there he became head of the Math Department and retired in 1981. At first in retirement he and Ruth moved to northern Idaho to enjoy the scenery and fishing there. Later they also got a winter home in Yuma, Arizona. They enjoyed the border town Los Algodones and went there often making many friends with the sellers there. In 2004 he traveled with his daughter to Norway with a tour organized by the Valdres Samband. They met up with distant relatives, Annlaug Islandsmoen and Ola Grondalen, who showed them the ancestral farms. Dean and Ruth moved to Kennewick, Washington some time after that trip. He passed away in 2010. Ruth passed away in 2017.

Sources

• Ancestry.com 1920 Census - Minnesota, Murray, Mason, District 0152 - #79 Oscar A Benson, Head, 27, born South Dakota, parents born Wisconsin, farmer; Nellie M, wife, 26, born South Dakota, parents born Wisconsin; Lyle D, son, 3, born North Dakota; Dean C., son 1, born North Dakota; Ben, father, 51, born Wisconsin, parents born Norway, farmer; Alina, mother, 47, born Wisconsin, parents born Norway; Lester T brother, 15, born South Dakota, parents born Wisconsin; Chester L. brother 18, born South Dakota, parents born Wisconsin
• Ancestry.com 1930 Census - South Dakota, Turner, Chancellor, district 0004 - #20 Oscar Benson, Head, 37, married at 22, born South Dakota, parents born Wisconsin, laborer, section railroad; Nellie M, wife, 36, married at 21, born South Dakota, father born Minnesota, mother born Wisconsin; Lyle, son, 14, born North Dakota; Dean, son, 11, born North Dakota; Rosemary, daughter, 4 7/12, born South Dakota; Oscar Jr. son, 2, born South Dakota
• 1940 Census, Iowa, Sioux, Rock Valley - Oscar Benson family, born South Dakota, except as indicated - #357 Oscar Benson, head, 47, completed grade 8, 1935 residence Lincoln, South Dakota for the family, section foreman, railroad; Nellie Benson, wife, 46, completed 8th grade, Lyle Benson, son, 24, college 2 years, born North Dakota, section laborer, railroad; Dean Benson, son, 21, college 2 years, born North Dakota; Rosemary Benson, daughter, 14, completed 8th grade, born South Dakota; Junior Benson, son, 12, born South Dakota; Olive Benson, daughter-in-law, 23, college 1st year, born Virginia, nurse, private duty
• newspapers.com - Sioux Falls - Daily Argus Leader - 16 July 1943 page 4 - Mr and Mrs. WW Powell of South Norton Ave announced the marriage of their daughter Ruth to Dean C Benson son of Mr and Mrs Oscar Benson of Rock Valley, Iowa. The marriage took place at the First Baptist Church of Monroe, Louisiana, July 6th. As soon as the bridegroom is stationed at an army air corps photography school, his bride will join him. Twenty-four guests attended the party, playing bunco and later joining in a miscellaneous shower for the bride. Mrs. Oscar Benson and daughter Rosemary came for the party.
• Death record Dean Benson