Lyle Anton Benson, son of Obie Benard Benson and Lavina Mary (Larson) Benson, was born March 10, 1916 in Prosper, ND. He moved to a farm north of Mt. Vernon, SD with his parents in 1917. Lyle attended grade school in Sanborn County. Lyle was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church by Reverend Ernest Burtness in 1932.

He loved playing in the oat bin and it was thought that he had gotten kernels of oats in his ear and got infection that is what caused him limited hearing when he was in the sixth grade. Lyle loved animals especially horses. Lyle and Bruce each had a white horse that they rode to school. One day when it was raining they were riding home from school and the Hiram Runestad family came along with their Model T touring car with the top up and Lyle and Bruce decided to race them around the county line curve, when both of their horses slipped and fell and they both received a black eye from the fall. Lyle said A horse had saved his life during a blizzard. Lyle took many chances with horses. He would hitch up tame horse with unbroken horse to wagon and up and down the road into the ditches they went. When he was about 13 years old he went out to the pasture to get a horse to ride. He hit the horse on the back with the bridle and it kicked him in the head and his father took him to the doctor to have it sown up.

He worked for many of the local farmers shocking grain, threshing, and shelling corn. In the mid 30s when South Dakota didnt have any crops, Lyle and Bruce would go to North Dakota in the summer and fall to their grandfathers farm and cut grain, haul bundles for threshing, pick corn and other farm chores. Sometimes their parents would go along and his mother would cook for a group as their grandmother was sickly and usually had a hired girl.

The family moved to a farm in Elliot township where Lyle did most of the farm work. They then moved into Mt. Vernon, SD. After his parents were deceased Lyle lived alone in Mt. Vernon and had coffee with his friends. He moved to Meadowlawn Plaza about eight years ago where he had many friends. Lyle was a kind and friendly person who enjoyed life. He had a good memory and loved to play his concertina. Lyle loved to entertain and you seldom left there without having coffee, ice cream and cookies.

He is survived by his brother, Bruce and two nephews, Calvin (Molly) Benson, Duluth, MN and Bryon Benson, Hutchinson, KS; grand nephews, Jess, Andy and Ben Benson and grand nieces Angela Prewett and Anneka Benson; great nephews, Tyler Jackman and Kaleb Prewett and great niece Ashley Jackman and great great niece Ava Jackman.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a grand nephew, Peter Benson.