Bennett A. Pence

Funeral service for Bennett A. Pence, 84, of Barnard, will be 2:00pm Monday, April 4, 2011 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Aberdeen. Pastor Jais H. Tinglund will be officiating.  Burial will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Westport.  Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, Aberdeen is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is 5-7pm Sunday, April 3, 2011 at the mortuary and one hour prior to the service Monday at the church.  Friends may sign his online guest book at the bottom of the page.

Bennett passed away Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at his home.

Bennett Allen Pence was born August 20th 1926 to Harry and Madeline (Stadlmann) Pence near Frederick, SD.  He was the oldest of nine children.

In 1929, prior to the great depression his family moved to Flint, MI.  In 1932, they moved to the Ashland, WI area where he attended school and received a certificate for completion of elementary courses from Bayfield County Public Schools.  He valued education and was a life long learner.  In 1942, he returned to South Dakota and worked in the Frederick and Westport area.

Bennett married Viola G. Huettl October 25, 1949 at Westport. Together they had seven children and farmed in the Westport area for many years.

Bennett enjoyed auto mechanics and auto restoration.  He completed restoration on a 1935 three window Ford Coupe in 1983.  He belonged to the Early Ford V8 Club of America and  attended many national car shows including ones in Dearborn, MI, the Ozarks and Vancouver, BC.  He received the Dearborn award for his work in 1984.

Bennett married Dorothy Ellenbecker June 4, 1994 at Gettysburg, SD.  They made their home near Barnard.

Bennett enjoyed gardening, bird watching, attending tractor pulling contests and especially spending time with his family.  He was active in the James Valley Thrashing Association for many years.  He also enjoyed music and playing the harmonica.

Surviving Bennett are his wife, Dorothy of Barnard, three sons, Bernard (Janet Lee) Pence, Bryan Pence both of Aberdeen and Mike (Mary) Pence of Westport; two daughters, Rita (Sheldon) Lenling and Monica (Mike) Karpinske; step children, Rick (Carol) Ellenbecker of Las Vegas, NV and Larry (Trudy) Ellenbecker of Pierre, SD; four brothers, Raymond Pence of Newport, ID, John (Theresa) Pence of Spokane, WA, Joe (Delores) Pence of Spokane, WA and Patrick Pence of Sacramento, CA; three sisters, Agnes (Dick) Graff of Hollywood, CA, Alice Cullen of Sioux Falls, SD and Winnifred (Tom) Thelen of Park Rapids, MN; thirteen grandchildren, twelve step grandchildren, several great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Bennett was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Mary Hamak, one daughter, Barbara, one son, Roland and one step son, Butch Ellenbecker.

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