Blanche Lavelle Benson

Blanche LaVelle Johnson Benson, 96, of Hartley, Iowa, passed away on January 29, 2017. Blanche was born on November 20, 1920, in Lake Park, Iowa to Lola (Marco) and Raleigh Graham. She had one brother, Ronald, who was her playmate and confidant. Blanche attended country school and graduated from Excelsior High School, Lake Park, Iowa, in 1938. On April 16, 1939, Blanche married Wayne Marvin Johnson, and together they raised two children, Blayne Graham and Ronna Renee. Throughout their early marriage, the couple lived on several different farms before settling outside Ocheydan, Iowa and taking over the Johnson family farm. In 1946, the family moved to town after purchasing Home Oil Company. Blanche worked alongside her husband to build the business, and later joined their son, Blayne and his wife, Jean, to continue running the business after Wayne became disabled. She was hard working and fun loving, and adored her grandchildren. Blanche was known for frog hunting on lazy Sunday afternoons and beating her great-grandsons in leg-wrestling challenges at age 94. After Wayne and Blanche retired, they moved to Lake Park, Iowa, and wintered in Mesa, Arizona where they spent time with their daughter Ronna, her husband Dave Ransberger, and their children. Many happy years were spent together prior to Wayne's death on May 24, 1991. On October 25, 1998, Blanche married Arlo Benson. They lived in Okoboji, IA, and eventually settled in Spencer, Iowa. Blanche and Arlo enjoyed traveling together and wintering in Arizona prior to Arlo's death in April of 2015. Blanche moved to an assisted living facility in Hartley, Iowa, where she was able to enjoy daily visits and support from her daughter-in-law, Jean Johnson. Grateful for sharing her life are her daughter Ronna (David) Ransberger of Chandler, Arizona; her daughter-in-law Jean Johnson of Hartley, Iowa; her stepchildren Chuck (Mary) Benson of Brainerd, Minnesota, and Mark Benson of Palm Springs, California; her sister-in-law Phyllis Graham of Omaha, Nebraska; her grandchildren Wayne (Sandy) Johnson, Jeff (Nancy) Johnson, Chellee (David) Robinson, Jill Tucker, Melinda (John) Stanfield, Jenna (Tom) Lassen, and many great grandchildren, as well as great-great grandchildren. Blanche was preceded in death by her parents, Lola and Raleigh Graham, her brother Ronald, her son Blayne, and her husbands, Wayne Johnson and Arlo Benson. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Village Northwest Unlimited in Sheldon, Iowa

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