Bruce Benson age 93, of Mitchell died Friday, September 16, 2011 at the Benedictine Health Care Center in Duluth, MN. Funeral services will be 3:00 PM Tuesday at the Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Letcher. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 PM Monday at the Will Funeral Chapel with a prayer service beginning at 7:00 PM. Burial will be in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. Bruce Leroy Benson, son of Obie Bernard Benson and Lavina Mary (Larson) Benson, was born June 4th 1918. He was a second generation American farm boy raised in a rural ethnic community with three country Lutheran churches. One of these, Trinity Lutheran is the church of his family, his parents and grandparents. Bruce was born in the house his parents built about eight miles north of Mt. Vernon. Bruce attended grade school in Sanborn County where he lived on various farms. Bruce and his brother were confirmed at the Trinity Lutheran Church. Bruce stayed in a Catholic boarding house in Woonsocket, while attended high school. He also drove a school bus during high school. He met a new coed who moved to the Letcher area from Chicago, Francis Hunt. They married 1-7-1940. Bruce had $75 he earned picking corn by hand and Francis had her teaching job. Bruce farmed and did soil conservation ditching with his father and brother as well as substitute mail carrier work during and after World War II and later began dairy farming as he and Francis raised their two sons, Byron and Calvin through the more affluent 50's. He began working construction while running feed cattle during Byron and Cal's college years. He made a good living building a couple homes a year, including the one he and Francis occupied in Mitchell, beginning in 1965. He worked at the Adjustment Training Center in Mitchell teaching building and supervising the trainees on projects. He did this until retirement. Bruce started buying and fixing up rental properties in Mitchell and Mt. Vernon. This kept him busy past retirement. Bruce was better known in the community for his music where he sang for many years for nursing homes and other events both public and private. Bruce is survived by two sons, Calvin (Molly) of Duluth MN and Byron Benson of Hutchinson Kansas; grandsons, Adam Alvarez, Jess, Andy and Ben Benson and granddaughters Angela Prewett and Anneka Benson; great grandsons Tyler Jackman and Kaleb Prewett, great granddaughter Ashley Jackman, great great granddaughter Ava Jackman and several first cousins. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Violet May Francis Hunt Benson, his parents, his brother, a grandson Peter Benson