Earl Benge

Earl W. Benge, 87, of Mt. Pleasant passed away Thursday, March 06, 2014, at Pleasant Manor Care Center. Visitation will be held from 2-7 p.m. on Monday, March 10, 2014, at the Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel where the family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. that evening. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11th at the Calvary Baptist Church with Pastor Earl Swigart officiating. Interment will be at Burge Cemetery with full military rites. Memorials may be directed to American Cancer Society for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Mt. Pleasant Little League. Born April 4, 1926 in West Grove, IA, Earl Wayne was the son of Earl M. and Frances M. (Campbell) Benge. He attended rural schools near Bloomfield, IA. He served his country in the United States Army during WWII and was stationed in the Philippines. On April 17, 1949 he married Deloris M. McGuire at the Christian Church in New London, IA. Earl began his employment at the Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant as a production worker. He later worked as a custodian at Saunders and Harlan Schools and the Calvary Baptist Church. An avid outdoorsman, Earl enjoyed hunting and camping. He was a talented handyman and could fix anything. He enjoyed listening to Blue Grass music. Earl and his wife were charter members of Calvary Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Deloris, of Mt. Pleasant, IA; a son, Ronald (Sandi) Benge of Mt. Pleasant, IA; four grandchildren, Tracey (Darren) Shull of Pella, IA, Eric Benge of Mt. Pleasant, IA, and Jeremey Newquist and Jullee Newquist; five great-grandchildren, Braden, Ryan, Payton and Kellan Shull of Pella, IA, and Abby Benge of Mt. Pleasant, IA; three brothers, Laverne Benge of Glendale, AZ, Wade (Dee) Benge of Mt. Pleasant, IA, and Zane (Paula) Benge of Ft. Madison, IA; and three sisters, Velda (Paul) Conner of Mt. Pleasant, IA , Ilynne Nickols of Bushnell, IL and Sherill (Bob) Detrick of Mt. Pleasant, IA. Preceding Earl in death are his parents; two daughters, Leanna and Rhonda Benge; a brother, Dillion Benge; a brother-in-law, Robert Nichols; and a sister-in-law, Lovie Benge.