Nels (Arthur) Benson, age 89, of Hills, MN, died on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills. Funeral services were held on Friday, January 31, 2020, at Palisade Lutheran Church, rural Garretson, Rock County, MN
Nels was born on December 19, 1930 to Arthur and Effie (Fuqua) Benson in Sioux Falls. He attended Dist 52 Country School in Rock County for eight years and was the only one in his class. He then attended Garretson High School and graduated in 1948. Nels served in the United States Army from May 1952 to May 1954. He served in the 101st Airborne and was stationed in Kansas, Georgia, Virginia, and Oklahoma. In Oklahoma he spent most of his spare time working on a farm.
On November 20, 1955, he married Gladys Fylling at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls and then made their home on a farm in rural Garretson. To this union, two sons were born, Tim and Dan. As their boys grew up, Nels and Gladys enjoyed going to their wrestling matches and football games.
Nels farmed together with his brother Norm for a few years. He spent most of his life farming and raising cattle in Springwater and Beaver Creek Townships. After his retirement from farming, he enjoyed buying and dealing equipment. He moved to the Tuff Village in Hills in 2006 and in 2016 to the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.
He was a lifetime member of Palisade Lutheran Church and served on the church council. He served on the Rock County Rural Water Board and was a member of the Cattleman’s Association and the Henry G. Fix Post No. 23 of the American Legion in Garretson. He enjoyed having morning coffee with friends at Orv’s, the elevator, or Cody’s.
Survivors include his sons: Tim (JoEllen) Benson, Beaver Creek, and Dan (Joni) Benson, Worthington; grandchildren: Kelly (Erin) Tisdell, Katie (Andy) Stoakes, Eric (Adria) Benson, Tyler Benson, Tyler Harberts (Carrie), Tara Harberts and Tiffany Harberts; great grandchildren: Dalton Tisdell, Gus Benson, Milena Harberts, Nyah Harberts, Aidan Harberts; and a sister: Joyce Risty, Garretson. He was preceded in death by his parents: Arthur and Effie Benson; wife, Gladys on December 21, 2009, and a brother, Norman Benson.
