Mary Louise Benson
April 12, 1934 — January 5, 2025
Mary Louise Benson, 90, of Marion, Iowa, formerly of St. Paul, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha, Iowa. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 995 5th Avenue in Marion. Burial will follow at Oak Shade Cemetery in Marion. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Marion is assisting the family.
Mary was born on April 12, 1934, in St Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of John Daniel and Violet Cora (Abott) O'Connell. She was a 1952 graduate of South St. Paul High School. Mary was united in marriage to Clarence Arthur Benson on February 16, 1957 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in St. Paul. In 1959 they moved to Cedar Rapids to work at Collins Radio Company. Mary stayed home after having three children but went back to work and retired from Rockwell-Collins after 27 years. Boating in Guttenberg, Iowa was the family focus and began in 1967 and went through the 1970's. Every weekend during the summer was spent on the sandbars of the Mississippi. During the winter it was snowmobiling in Wisconsin and Michigan. And while Mary was more of a homemaker she was a good sport and enjoyed both boating and snowmobiling, snowmobiling probably not as much! After retirement, Clarence and Mary traveled on the RV from Washington state to Florida. Mom was a hard worker. She took care of the house while working full time. She sewed our clothes and always had meals on the table. Most importantly, she got us kids to mass. Family came first. She loved being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will be dearly missed, but we know she is with our loving Father.
Mary is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband of 67 years, Clarence of Marion; three children, Jim (Tara) Benson, Michele (Neal) Mains, and Sheila (Richard) Davis; six grandchildren, Stephanie, Jordan, Ryan, Jason, Meagan, and Kayleigh; and great-grandchildren, Madison, William, Victoria, James, Nora, Noah, Wesley, Carter, Crew, and Millie.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and siblings, Lorraine Salava, Violet Van Horne, Janet Moseng, and John O’Connell.
Mary was born on April 12, 1934, in St Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of John Daniel and Violet Cora (Abott) O'Connell. She was a 1952 graduate of South St. Paul High School. Mary was united in marriage to Clarence Arthur Benson on February 16, 1957 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in St. Paul. In 1959 they moved to Cedar Rapids to work at Collins Radio Company. Mary stayed home after having three children but went back to work and retired from Rockwell-Collins after 27 years. Boating in Guttenberg, Iowa was the family focus and began in 1967 and went through the 1970's. Every weekend during the summer was spent on the sandbars of the Mississippi. During the winter it was snowmobiling in Wisconsin and Michigan. And while Mary was more of a homemaker she was a good sport and enjoyed both boating and snowmobiling, snowmobiling probably not as much! After retirement, Clarence and Mary traveled on the RV from Washington state to Florida. Mom was a hard worker. She took care of the house while working full time. She sewed our clothes and always had meals on the table. Most importantly, she got us kids to mass. Family came first. She loved being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will be dearly missed, but we know she is with our loving Father.
Mary is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband of 67 years, Clarence of Marion; three children, Jim (Tara) Benson, Michele (Neal) Mains, and Sheila (Richard) Davis; six grandchildren, Stephanie, Jordan, Ryan, Jason, Meagan, and Kayleigh; and great-grandchildren, Madison, William, Victoria, James, Nora, Noah, Wesley, Carter, Crew, and Millie.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and siblings, Lorraine Salava, Violet Van Horne, Janet Moseng, and John O’Connell.
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