Elaine L. Benson

Elaine L. Benson, 96, Bismarck, formerly of Crosby, passed away peacefully on October 12, 2018 at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center, Bismarck. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am on Wednesday October 17, at Faith Lutheran Church, 1402 E Ave C, Bismarck. Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 pm on Tuesday October 16, at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 East Divide Avenue, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. Burial will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, at 1:00 pm. Elaine was born in 1922 to Melvin and Lisa Forthun. She was raised and educated in Columbus. Elaine married Orval Benson on February 14, 1943. They were married 71 years and never missed a Saturday night of dancing. Early on, Elaine worked at the ASCS office for Burke County. Her most memorable job was working at Mare Island Navy Shipyard doing sheet metal work on new ships. In February 1969 she became deputy auditor for Divide County and held that position until she retired. Elaine was a long time member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Elaine is survived by her daughters, Donna Seibel, Dickinson, and Wendy Johnson, Bismarck; two sons, David (Darcy), Fargo, and Wade (Cindy), Horace; 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; her brothers, Lydell Forthun, Bismarck, and Vernell Forthun, Vermont. She was preceded in death by her husband, Orval Benson; parents; her sisters, Helen Dewing and Lyla (Sortland) Rollefson , her brother, Marlin Forthun; and her son-in-law, Clarence Johnson.