Obituary of Arthur Wilhelm Benson

BENSON – Mr. Arthur 1927 – 2019 Arthur Wilhelm Benson was born March 8, 1927, at Calder, SK, near Yorkton. He was the 7th child of Herman and Annie Benson. There were 2 more children after him which made 9. The Benson family moved from Calder to Parkside and then to Leask and finally to Boro Green District southwest of Canwood in 1936 where they bought land and farmed. Arthur went to school at Boro Green until the eighth grade. He helped on the farm after school and then in 1940 he and his brother Adolph and a few friends traveled by train to Northern Ontario where they worked for a logging company. In 1951, Arthur married Bodil Clausen from Canwood. They bought a farm in 1955 west of Canwood where they lived and farmed for many years. They had three children, Ken, Barb, and Stuart. In the early years of their marriage, Arthur worked in the winter months in the LaRonge area skidding logs for Carlson’s Sawmill. In the winter of ’57, the entire family went to Montreal Lake area to live and work, Art logging and Bodil cooking in the camp and bookkeeping. The northern trips came to an end when the kids reached school age. Arthur was a self-taught machinist and inventor; various creations were made in the Benson workshop right up till he retired to the nursing home. Some of his creations were snowplows, bale wagons, bulldozer blades, well drilling equipment, a band sawmill, self-propelled auger, and even a zero turning lawnmower. One of Arthur’s favorite past times would be browsing around at Peavy Mart and Princess Auto where he would never pass up a good deal. Another place you would find Arthur was at the Saskatoon Auction Mart, where his family fondly recalls a time, he decided to buy a couple of 3-day old Holstein calves that he had to manage to fit in the back seat of the car to bring home! Arthur and Bodil loved camping when time would allow. They enjoyed traveling to Arizona in the winter and camp in a trailer park there while enjoying the warm weather and flea markets. Arthur’s family and friends will miss his many stories but will cherish them for years to come. Arthur is lovingly survived by his children: Kenneth Benson (Sandra Thall); Barb Person; Stuart Benson (Lisa Quessy) His grandchildren: Melanie (Gerald) Duret, Tabetha (Mike Bodnarchuk), Afton (Kyle) Danberg, Jordan (Kendall) Person, Brent (Brandy) Benson, Melissa Benson, Bradley (Lorna) Benson, and Nicholas Quessy; his great-grandchildren: Amanda, Keegan & Morgan Duret; Ethan, Zander, Londyn, and Lachlan Bodnarchuk, Tucker & Dawson Danberg; Sawyer Person; Blake, Brianne and Blare Benson; Trae, Darion and Syrhea Daniels; Kaden, Brayzn, Kloe, and Bria Benson; his great-great-grandchildren: Briella and Sadie Johns; his siblings: Esther Peterson, and Adolph (Esther) Benson; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives. Arthur is predeceased by his wife, Bodil Benson in 2015; his parents, Annie & Herman Benson; his parents-in-law, Ejner & Andrea Clausen; his granddaughter, Lindi Benson; his siblings & in-laws, Ralph (Alice) Benson, Ed (Doris) Benson, Dora (Arnie) Peterson, Mary (Joe) Kochie, Ellen (Norman) Skaley, and Mabel Smith; his brother in law, Bergie Peterson; and his son-in-law, Murray Person. The Funeral Service for Arthur was held on Wednesday, September 11, 2019, at 10:30 am from the Zion Lutheran Church in Canwood, SK, with Rev. Emmanuel Aristide officiating. Arthur was laid to rest in Prince Albert Memorial Gardens. In lieu of tributes, memorial donations may be made in memory of Arthur to either the Zion Lutheran Church or Canwood Skating Rink. Family and friends wishing to send online condolences are welcome to visit www.beaulacfuneralhome.com Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Beau “Lac” Funeral Home, Tammy Smart – Director, Canwood, SK, 306-468-2244.