Carole A. Benson

Funeral services for Carole A. Benson, age 63, Sioux Falls will be held on Wednesday, January 12th, 2005 at 1PM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. The Reverend Roger Semmler will officiate and Brenda LaBrie will be the soloist. Casketbearers will be nephews, Scott, Jeff, Mike, Matt, Casey and Jason Benson. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and 2 hours preceding services at the Church Wednesday. Carole A. Benson, age 63, Sioux Falls, died in a Sioux Falls hospital on Sunday morning, January 9, 2005 after a brief illness due to cancer. She was born on May 14, 1941 in Marshall, Minnesota, the daughter of Max and Genevieve (Geise) Benson. In 1942 the family moved to Clark where she attended Clark Elementary School and graduated from Clark High School in 1959. After her high school education she attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion graduating with a Bachelors Degree in 1963. In mid 1960's she was united in marriage to Ronald Zylstra. The couple lived in Burnsville, Minnesota for many years. She was employed by United Foods and Commercial Worker's International Labor Union in Minneapolis and then was transferred to the corporate headquarters in Washington, DC. During the course of her employment she was an executive assistant. In 2000 she retired and moved to Sioux Falls, SD. Carole was a loving daughter, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She will always be remembered for her kindness to others, her sense of humor and, being the eldest child, the ability to keep her siblings in line as much as she could. Some of her hobbies included needlepoint, antiquing and reading. She was baptized in the Methodist Church in Marshall and confirmed member of St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. Grateful for having shared in her life are children, a daughter, Erica Owens and husband Marty and (Caroles pride and joy) grandson, Jack Brady Owens all of Houston, TX and a son, Corey Zylstra of Minneapolis, MN; parents Max and Gen Benson of Clark; a sister, Jean Ford and husband Fred of Brooksville, Maine and 3 brothers, Gail Benson and wife Connie of Sioux Falls, Jim Benson and wife Kathy of Rapid City and Bob Benson and wife Marlys of Clark and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorials be directed to the Avera McKennan Hospice in Sioux Falls