Ben Anthony Decker

Benner "Ben" Anthony Decker Memorial services will be held at 1:30 PM Thursday, August 21, 2008 at the Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer, IA for Benner Anthony Decker, age 85, of Spencer, Iowa who died Thursday, August 14, 2008 at the Spencer Municipal Hospital after a long battle with cancer. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Warner Funeral Home of Spencer. Burial with military honors will be in the Okoboji Cemetery; Arnolds Park, Iowa at 5:30 PM Thursday, August 21, 2008. Ben was born December 5, 1922 at his home in McLouth, Kansas, the son of Charles Russell and Ruth Alexander Decker. He was raised in eastern and Central Kansas the oldest of 5 siblings. As a young man, Ben took part in baseball and basketball and was a member of 4-H and the Boy Scouts. In his spare time he liked hunting and fishing. He also excelled in track and won many awards and even had an offer to go to the major leagues for baseball. He graduated from Olsburg High School in Olsburg, Kansas in 1942 as class valedictorian. Following high school, he moved to Washington State and worked for the Fry Roofing Company and then in 1942 he went to Jerseyville, Illinois and worked for Baughfman Manufacturing Company. During the summer of 1942 he worked in Arnolds Park, Iowa and then joined the US Navy on October 29th of 1943 at Camp Dodge, Iowa and then went to boot camp at Farrigutt, Idaho. He attended electrical school at the North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton, North Dakota, earning an Electricians Mate 1st Class rating. He served on the USS Ward and the Destroyer USS Jobe. He was honorably discharged from the US Navy on January 19, 1946. On Saturday, January 8, 1944 he married Querida Belle Rickman at the Gatchel Methodist Church in Des Moines, Iowa. Ben attended the University of Chicago where he specialized in making neon signs. He then worked in Estherville, Iowa where he was designing neon signs. In his later years, his primary occupation was as a police officer and he was employed for the towns of Arnold's Park, Iowa as police chief from 1951 through 1957. He then became a patrolman for the Spencer, Iowa Police Department and within 9 months was promoted to Night Captin and then Assistant Chief. In 1965, he was promoted to Chief of Police and served in that capacity until retiring from the police force in 1970. He then went to work for the Union Casualty Insurance Company of Omaha, Nebraska until retiring recently. Ben's hobbies were fishing, hunting, camping, playing golf and bowling in his younger years. He enjoyed fishing trips to the Northwest and camping in Wyoming and Montana. He was an avid big game hunter and active in the National Rifle Association. He was also an active member of the Day-Breakers Kiwanis, Evening Shade Masonic Lodge and Veteran's of Foreign Wars (VFW). He was a member of the Methodist Church until moving to Arnolds Park, IA where he joined the Friends Church and served as Deacon, Music Director and Finance Officer for the church. Ben is survived by his wife, Querida Decker of the home; 3 sons: Paul (wife, Sharon) Decker of Rossie, IA; David (wife, Joy) Decker of Spencer, IA and William (wife, Jackie) Decker of Peterson, IA, 2 daughters: Janet (Mrs. Robert) Wright of Omaha, NE and Ruth (Mrs. John) Jensen of Choteau, MT; grandchildren: Reagan E. (Mrs. Guy) Rosenberg of Des Moines, IA, Andrea Wright of Omaha, NE, Chad (wife Becky ) Decker of George, IA ; Traci (Mrs. Rob) Verdoorn of Dickens, IA; Mindee (Mrs. Tracy) Wilcox of Rossie, IA; Nicole (Mrs. Byron) Bergeson of Spencer, Iowa; Nicole (Mrs. Dave) Coleman of Casper, WY; Jessica Jensen of Casper, WY; Anthony "Tony) (wife Erin) Decker of Spencer, IA; Tabatha Rae Johnson-Strejl of Spencer, IA; Joseph "Joe" Johnson of Peterson, IA; Chariti (Mrs. Kenneth) Hollesen of Spencer, IA; Samuel (wife, Rachel) Johnson and George (wife, Mindy) Johnson, of Calumet, IA; grandchildren: Payden and Leighum Coleman, both of Casper, WY; Jason Verdoorn, Katherine and Trinity Michels, of Dickens, IA; Zane Rosenberg of Des Moines, IA; Taylor-Anne Decker, Faydra-Storm Decker, and Alexander-Davis Decker of Casper, WY; Kane Decker of George, IA ; Chase Wells and Dylon Hollesen of Spencer, IA,; Jiri Junior Strejl of Spencer, IA; Mary Joyce Peterson of Spencer, IA; Kendrix Johnson and Nadine Johnson of Spencer, IA; Payton Johnson and Lennie Johnson of Calumet, IA. He is also survived by two brothers, Charles (wife, Noni) Decker of Kissee Mills, MO, and Harold Decker of Ft. Dodge, IA and a sister, Esther(Mrs. Alvis) Shaw of Collins, IA. Ben was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Giles Decker and a grandson, Jason Jensen. Memorials are suggested to the Hospice of Northwest Iowa; c/o Spencer Municipal Hospital; Spencer, Iowa 51301. Photos and a video tribute may be viewed and condolences left online at Benner's website: www.mem.com

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