Alphabetical Alumni
Bennion, Adam Samuel

Bennion, Adam Samuel
Salt Lake City, Utah US

Adam S. & Minerva Bennion

Board of Trustees, 1939 to 1958. Adam S. Bennion (December 2, 1886 - February 11, 1958), was a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 9, 1953 to replace the vacancy caused by Elder John A. Widtsoe's death. Elder Bennion died in 1958 at Salt Lake City, Utah. He served less than five years in the quorum, but he was esteemed highly by his brethren. Upon his passing, Hugh B. Brown was called to the quorum. ~ ~ ~ ~ Born in Taylorsville, Utah, Adam S. Bennion was the son of Joseph B. Bennion and Mary Ann Sharp Bennion. Adam's father died May 25, 1888, leaving Mary Ann to raise and provide for the family of seven children, three of whom died in early childhood, leaving Adam and his three surviving sisters. Adam attended grade school in Taylorsville and enrolled at the University of Utah where he completed his high school years and graduated from the University in 1908 with honors. He became an English teacher at LDS High School in Salt Lake City. After teaching for three years, he was determined to further his education. He married a former student, Minerva Richards Young, in the fall of 1911. Minerva's father, Brigadier General Richard W. Young, was a grandson of Brigham Young. Adam and his new bride spent one year at Columbia University in New York where he obtained his master's degree. They returned to Salt Lake City in 1912, where he became an English teacher at Granite High School. In 1912, the LDS Church started a religion class at Granite High School, called "Seminary." Dr. Bennion was deeply involved in the first seminary of the Church, and the resulting growth of this program. In 1913, he became the principal of Granite High School. He attended the University of Chicago during the summer of 1914, studying school administration. In 1915, he became a member of the General Board of the Deseret Sunday School, set apart by David O. McKay. He then accepted a position as an assistant professor of English at the University of Utah. After two years at the University, he was called by Church President Heber J. Grant to be the superintendent of LDS Church Schools in 1919. This did not include Brigham Young University, but did include all other church schools, which were many in number. During 1921-1923, he received a two-year leave of absence and obtained his doctorate degree at the University of California. In 1927, he left the Church education program and became associated with the Utah Power & Light Company as Director of Personnel. In 1934, Dr. Bennion was promoted to assistant to the president of UP&L. In 1944, Dr. Bennion was encouraged by many Republican and civic leaders to run for the US Senate. He finally and somewhat reluctantly did so. He resigned from the power company and campaigned vigorously, but with World War II winding down, and faced by the very powerful national Democrat leadership, Bennion was defeated by the Democrat incumbent, Senator Elbert D. Thomas. Other opportunities were offered to him, but he returned the UP&L Company as an executive vice president. In 1947, he became a director of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, a position he held until his death in 1958. In April of 1953, Adam Samuel Bennion was called by Church President David O. McKay to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Bennion wrote several books focused on teaching religion. Unfortunately, this mission as an Apostle last only about five years. He died because of a cerebral hemorrhage on February 11, 1958.

Bennion, Elizabeth
10519 Raritan
Houston, Texas 77043-2817

Elizabeth & Michael Olsen
  • Work: (713) 827-7942

Class of 1968. Elizabeth Bennion. She married Michael D. Olsen.

Bennion, Enos

Bennion, Enos

Enos Bennion

BY Academy High School Class of 1886. Enos Bennion. Awarded Special Certificate in Bookkeeping. Source: The (Provo) Daily Enquirer, May 25, 1886.

Bennion, Janice

Bennion, Janice
Ferron, Utah US

Janice and Val Bess

Class of 1957 ~ Honorary. Janice Bennion. ~ ~ ~ ~ Her parents: David Goff Bennion and Vera Rose Herron Bennion. Their children included five daughters: Sharlene Bennion; Carla Bennion (Ken) Peterson; Janice Bennion [BYH Class of 1957 ~ Honorary] (Val) Bess; Marsha Bennion (Bob) White; and Sharon Bennion [BYH Class of 1960 ~ Honorary] (Gerald - Jerry) Dillenbeck. ~ ~ ~ ~ I'm alive and enjoying life at the young age of 70! @2009 ~ ~ ~ ~ HER OBITUARY: Janice "Jan" Bennion Bess. Ferron, UT - "I am not a body. I am free. I am as God created me." -A Course in Miracles. Janice "Jan" Bess, age 74, passed away peacefully Thursday, February 6, 2014. Jan was born June 28, 1939 in Salt Lake City to David Goff Bennion and Vera Rose Herron. She attended Brigham Young High in Provo and Stevens Heneger College. She married Roland B. Wilkins. They later divorced. She spent 50 wonderful years with the love of her life, Val W. Bess. They married January 23, 1964 in Elko Nevada. After growing up in Sugarhouse, she spent the majority of her life in South Salt Lake as a dedicated wife and mother raising four children. In 1997 she moved with her husband, Val, to Ferron Utah, fulfilling their dream of retiring in the country. She loved the outdoors, fishing and hunting. She was active skier, boater and golfer, but most of all she loved camping. As a very proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous for over 23 years her love and care helped many in recovery. She was a member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers and the Emery Historical Society. She believed in the lessons written in "A Course in Miracles". Jan is survived by her husband, Val; sister, Marsha; daughter, Tammy Bess; son, Mike Wilkins; and grandsons, Colton and Jared. She will also be greatly missed by her special adopted family, JoAnn, Jennifer, Tyler, Adam, Lula and Johnathan. She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Carla and Sharon; and two daughters, Danna and Sandy. A casual gathering for remembrance will be held Saturday, February 15th, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon at Fausett Mortuary 680 East 100 South, Price. Services are in the care of Fausett Mortuary. Family and friends may sign the guest book and share memories of Jan at www.fausettmortuary.com [Salt Lake Tribune - Feb. 12 to Feb. 13, 2014] Source

Bennion, Joseph W.
PO Box 186
Spring City, Utah 84662 US

Joe & Lee Bennion
  • Work: 435-462-2708
  • Cell: 435-262-0582

Class of 1970. Joe Bennion. BYU BFA Ceramics 1982. BYU MFA Ceramics 1986. Joe married Lee Udall -- she is also an artist. ~ ~ ~ ~ "I have lived in Spring City since 1977 and am still the husband of Lee Udall. I am a potter and she is a painter. I also work seasonally as a river guide in Grand Canyon." Second email. @Nov 2008

Bennion, Katherine
5017 Candice Wood Circle
West Valley City, Utah 84120-2876

Katherine & Dennis Pincock
  • Work: (801) 965-9780

Class of 1968. Katherine Bennion. She married Dennis Pincock. She attended BYU Idaho (Ricks College) in 1969. @2001

Bennion, Lois

Bennion, Lois

Lois Bennion

Class of 1917. Lois Bennion. She received a BYH Normal Certificate in 1917. Source: Annual Record, B.Y. University, Book 10, page 58.

Bennion, Lowell
Provo, Utah

Lowell Bennion

Faculty & Staff, BYH 1950s or 1960s. Subject taught? _____ This is not Lowell McRae Bennion, BYH Class of 1967. [Is this the famous Lowell Lindsay Bennion, born 1908, now deceased? (Probably not.) or Lowell Andrew Bennion, born 1925, now deceased (married Shirley Deane Armitage)? or another Lowell Bennion?] At least three possibilities: 1. There is a Lowell C. "Ben" (wife, Sherilyn) resided in Bayside, California (son of Lowell L. Bennion); and 2. In March of 2003, Lowell Bennion, Humboldt State University, Emeritus, participated in a Mormon conference at Yale Divinity School; and 3. There is a Lowell Bennion living at 2836 Brookburn Rd, Salt Lake City, Utah 84109-3531 - (801) 274-9215 @2006

Bennion, Lowell McRae [1967]

Bennion, Lowell McRae [1967]
Provo, Utah US

Lowell Bennion

Class of 1967. Lowell McRae Bennion. BYU BA 1973. Born April 27, 1949 in Provo, Utah. He died May 19, 1976. His parents: George Cannon Bennion and Joye McRae Bennion. Interment, Vernon Cemetery, Tooele County, 325 South Main Street, Vernon, Utah 84080. ~ ~ ~ ~ HIS OBITUARY: Lowell McRae Bennion, age 27, of Orem, Utah, was killed Wednesday, May 19, 1976 in an auto accident near Junction, Kimble County, Texas. He was born on April 27, 1949 in Provo, Utah, the son of George C. Bennion and Joye McRae Bennion. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission to Sweden. He was a wrestler at Brigham Young High School, where he graduated in the Class of 1967. He received his master's degree from BYU and he was working on his PhD at the University of Texas in Austin. He is survived by his parents, five brothers and four sisters. Funeral, Orem 22nd Ward Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, May 22, 1976. ~ ~ ~ ~ News article about Lowell's mother in 2001: Association aids Chinese village school. OREM -- Joye Bennion, who accompanied her husband on a teaching assignment to China several years ago, has turned the trip into a long-term humanitarian effort to help educate underprivileged children. Every year about 60 teachers from BYU make the trek to China to teach English in various universities. Joye made her first trip with her husband, George, a BYU English professor. While there, she visited a primitive village school and decided she needed to help. For the past five years, the Bennions have returned to the little village school in Lan Gao County, Shaanzi Province. Returned teachers automatically become members of the China Teacher's Alumni Association, an organization Joye Bennion began, which has since become a part of the BYU Kennedy Center's exchange teaching program. Through the association, Joye Bennion has initiated several efforts to help the village school. During that first visit, she found a school building that was more of a shanty; textbooks few, old and outdated; and a little pink-cheeked teacher who had not been paid for four months. Yet villagers continued to make every effort possible to see their children be educated. The villagers live in remote huts on a mountainside. Bennion, a BYU sociology graduate, said the tiniest children walk from 1-3 miles to school each day. About 40 children stay at the school Monday-Friday rather than face the daily trek. Bennion said she was touched by the sincere devotion and determination in the faces of the youngsters who were so eager to learn to read and write. After that first visit, Bennion soon decided to return -- riding 15 hours on a train and two hours by car -- to the village with some school supplies. But Bennion said she felt her contribution was "hopelessly inadequate." So, when the alumni association was formed, she suggested making the village a project. Since then, the 4-year-old association has made numerous contributions to the Shan Yi primary school of Lan Gao County. Because families live on about $200 per year, many cannot afford to pay the $50 tuition. The association has paid tuition for 197 students, funded a modern addition to the school and has started a library that will make books available to every student. In addition, the association has established a $1,000 scholarship at Xi'an Foreign Language University, which is designated for poor students who qualify to enter. Bennion, who has made several trips back to the village, will return again April 16 [2001]. "We go over to monitor the various expenditures, to see how things are going, and what kind of advances have been made," said Bennion. After hearing about the alumni group's efforts, several retired Chinese businessmen from the nearby city of Ankang have taken the little school under their wing and established a charitable organization with three goals:
* To re-establish a family in the event they have lost their dwelling to a natural disaster.
* To provide tuition for qualified students to go on to higher education.
* To establish a workshop to train handicapped children to be self-sufficient. For more information or to make a contribution, contact the China Teacher's Alumni Association Inc. at the Kennedy Center, BYU, 237 HRCB, P.O. Box 24537, Provo, Utah 84602-4537 or by phone at 378-3377. [Provo Daily Herald, March 17, 2001. By Char'Ree B. Reynolds, Spanish Fork Correspondent.]

Bennion, Lynette [June Lynette]

Bennion, Lynette [June Lynette]
Mackay, Idaho US

Lynette and Reed Asay

Class of 1946. Lynette Bennion [June Lynette Bennion]. She graduated from BYH on May 23, 1946. Source: 1946 BYH Graduation Exercises Program. ~ ~ ~ ~ BYU BA Music 1950. Married Reed Z. Asay, of Leslie, Idaho. Her parents are Parley June Bennion and Helen Burton Bennion. Alternate address: Reed Z. Asay, 4430 North 3830 West, Mackay, Idaho 83251 - (208) 588-3363. ~ ~ ~ ~ HER OBITUARY: June Lynette Bennion Asay, 84, of Mackay, Idaho, died of natural causes early Friday, August 17, 2012, in Provo, Utah, at Beehive Homes of Provo. She was born August 16, 1928, in Salt Lake City to Parley Junius and Helen Burton Bennion. She grew up in Afton, Wyoming, in the heart of beautiful Star Valley. She graduated from Brigham Young University High School in Provo in May of 1946. Lynette earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from BYU in 1950. Lynette taught over 700 high school and elementary school students in Salt Lake City and Mackay in a career that spanned over 30 years. She was also active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of the many church positions she held, Lynette's favorite calling was music chairperson, which allowed her to lead the choir, play the organ and train other organists and conductors. She loved to teach young people so that they could fulfill music callings all of their lives. Lynette loved to take care of others and continued to do so as long as she was able. She had a unique ability to make others feel that they were special. She was a talented pianist and passed on her love of music to children and grandchildren. Lynette always saw beauty in the world around her and captured it in photos and shared it through painting. She made the landscape of her home colorful by planting vibrant flowers in her garden. Lynette always had a hug and a smile for each grandchild and kept up with their interests and activities. They have warm memories of hot cocoa before breakfast, ice cream with fresh berries, homemade quilts and many games of pinochle and cribbage, as well as daring rescues from rattlesnakes, which she killed with a shovel. Lynette was a strong woman who did what needed to be done. Lynette is survived by her husband, Reed Z. Asay; children, Tan (Paul) Summers of Bountiful, Utah, Don (Loretta) Asay of Las Vegas, Nevada, Christie (Daniel) Berndt of Woodbury, Minnesota, Robin (Robin) Pearson of Moore, Idaho, and Ruth Ann (David) Wagstaff of Provo, Utah; 22 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren. Lynette was preceded in death by her parents, Parley Junius and Helen Bennion; her brothers, Grant and Parley Bennion; and one grandson, Robert Asay. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, August 25, 2012, at the Leslie, Idaho, LDS Ward building, 3801 N. Highway 93. There will be a viewing from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 24, at Anderson Family Funeral Home, 2555 N. Highway 93 in Arco. The family also welcomes visitors from noon to 12:45 p.m. Saturday at the church prior to services. Graveside services will follow at Mount McCaleb Cemetery on Main Street in Mackay. [Post Register, Idaho Falls, Idaho, August 22, 2012]

Bennion, Marian
2320 Gene Littler Drive
El Paso, Texas 79936-2708 US

Marian and Wayne Stevens
  • Work: (915) 593-3226

Faculty & Staff, 1950s. Married Wayne E. Stevens. Attended BYU 1952, BS Utah State University, MA Columbia University, New York. @2006

Bennion, Mark

Mark Bennion

Class of 1975. Mark Bennion. [Need middle initial, current location.] [TM]

Bennion, Owen Cannon

Bennion, Owen Cannon
Stark City, Missouri US

Owen and Lenore Bennion

Faculty & Staff. Owen Cannon Bennion. Married Lenore. 1960-1968 - Science: Chemistry & Physics Teacher. BYU BS Education 1952, University of Utah MS 1960. Lived in retirement in Stark City, Missouri. Owen's son: Samuel Owen Bennion, also Stark City, Missouri. ~ ~ ~ ~ [Note: DO NOT confuse with another Owen C. Bennion: Owen Clark Bennion, 86, of Farmington, Utah passed away peacefully of natural causes in Provo, March 11, 2006.] ~ ~ ~ ~ HIS OBITUARY: Owen Cannon Bennion 4/10/22-1/24/08. Owen C. Bennion, 85, Stark City, Missouri, died at 10:05 p.m., Friday, January 25, 2008 at his home, following a short illness. He was born April 10, 1922, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Glynn Sharp Bennion and Lucile Morris (Cannon) Bennion. Owen Bennion spent his early years homesteading and cattle ranching with his father in western Utah. He served as a missionary in the Central States Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1941 to 1943. He also served stateside in the US Army during World War II from 1943 to 1947 at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Owen graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1955 with a BS degree in Education. He also took graduate classes at University of Mississippi in Oxford Mississippi, and received a Master of Science Education at the University of Utah in 1960. He taught in the science department of Lincoln High School in Orem, Utah from 1955 to 1960. He taught Physics and Earth Science in Brigham Young High school from 1960 to 1968. Next he taught Chemistry, Physics and Geology in the Indian Education Department at Brigham Young University from 1968 through 1984. During this time he took frequent trips with his students to teach Geology and outdoor survival skills in Utah’s west desert. He also taught Old Testament and Book of Mormon; went to Israel to work on biblical archaeological site at Tel Macal; and taught geology at Crowder College from 1984 to 1986. Mr. Bennion was a lifetime member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a Sunday School teacher, Bishop, Branch President, High Councilor and Home Teacher. He was an avid gardener and loved fishing and backpacking in the High Uintah Mountains in Utah, where as a Scoutmaster he frequently took his Boy Scout troop. Mr. Bennion was preceded in death by a brother, Glynn Colin Bennion, and a son, Matthew Wood Bennion. Owen married Lenore Wood, August 30, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Lenore survives along with 12 children: sons, Joseph and Lee Bennion, Spring City, Utah; Glynn and Jodi Bennion, Scott City, Kansas; Howard and Holly Bennion, Fairfield, California; Samuel and Miyuki Bennion, Stark City, Missouri; Jonathan and Clara Bennion, Camdenton, Missouri; daughters, Katherine and Dennis Pincock, West Valley City, Utah; Anne and Darrell Hansen, Granby, Missouri; Jeanne and Brad Mitchell, Perry, Oklahoma; Mary Lois and Jonathan Snow, Burlington, Iowa; Eileen and John Bingner, Hillsborough, Oregon; Lillian and Doug Nehring, Billings, Montana; Lucy and Bryan Byrd, Stark City, Missouri; two brothers and a sister, George and Joye Bennion, Utah; Robert and Francine Bennion, Utah; Eileen McKean, Salt Lake City, Utah; Sergene Bennion (sister-in-law), Provo, Utah; 67 grandchildren and 25 great- grandchildren. Funeral services were held Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Meeting House in Granby, Missouri. Interment, Macedonia Cemetery, Stella, Missouri. [Posted on-line by Bro. Bennion's son, Joe, Saturday, January 26th, 2008.] ~ ~ ~ ~ In Memoriam

Bennion, Rebecca
371 South Palisades Drive
Orem, Utah 84097-5739 US

Rebecca and F. P. Armstrong
  • Work: (801) 225-3589

Class of 1971. Rebecca Bennion. BYU 1975. Married F. P. Armstrong.

Bennion, Richard D.

Richard Bennion

Class of 1933. Richard D. Bennion, Vice President, Senior Class. Born 1915. [Is this Richard Desla Bennion, born March 12, 1915, in Seattle, King County, Washington? If yes, he died April 12, 1982. Richard Desla Bennion's parents: Desla Slade Bennion Bennion (1889-1965) and Edna Louise Hull Bennion.]

Bennion, Scott

Scott Bennion

Class of 1972. Scott Bennion. [Need more information.] [TM]

Bennion, Sharon
359 Vidas Ave
Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 US

Sharon and Jerry Dillenbeck
  • Work: (801) 466-9635

Class of 1960 ~ Honorary. Attended in 1957, participated in BYJrH Music. ~ ~ ~ ~ Her parents: David Goff Bennion and Vera Rose Herron Bennion. Their children included five daughters: Sharlene Bennion; Carla Bennion (Ken) Peterson; Janice Bennion [BYH Class of 1957 ~ Honorary] (Val) Bess; Marsha Bennion (Bob) White; and Sharon Bennion [BYH Class of 1960 ~ Honorary] (Gerald - Jerry) Dillenbeck. @2007

Benson, Colleen

Benson, Colleen
Bringham City, Utah US

Colleen & R. Dee Law

Class of 1947. Colleen Benson. Married Ronald Dee Law, also a member of the BYH Class of 1947. ~ ~ ~ ~ HER OBITUARY: Brigham City - Colleen Benson Law passed away peacefully at home from natural causes on Friday, October 27, 2006. Colleen was born March 12, 1929 in Provo, Utah to Joseph Dunkley Benson and Iva Laura Jones Benson. She grew up in Provo, where she attended BYU Elementary Training School, BY Jr. High and Brigham Young High School in the Class of 1947, where she was the Class Valedictorian. She interrupted her studies at BYU to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Northern California, serving in Pacific Grove, Los Gatos, Modesto and Fresno. On December 27, 1951, she was sealed to her best friend, Ronald Dee Law [also BYH Class of 1947], in the St. George Temple. Colleen and R. Dee (as he is called in the family) had known each other since the second grade. She graduated with honors from Brigham Young University in the spring of 1952 with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in music. In 1954 the family moved to Southern California, where Colleen taught kindergarten while her husband pursued further education, after which they lived in North Hollywood, Venice and La Mirada, California. In 1958, they moved back to Utah, living in Logan, Providence and Brigham City. Colleen was preceded in death by her parents, stepfather, J. Roland Sandstrom, and a brother, Joe Dell Benson. Surviving by her husband, Ronald, Brigham City; three daughters, Lauralee (Don) Lester, Texas; Linda (Ron) Sharp, Oklahoma; Sharon Willie, Brigham City; ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren; one brother, David Keith (Madelin) Benson, St. George; one sister-in-law, Aldine Benson, Orem; one step sister, Barbara (Dick) Summerhays, California. Colleen Benson Law was a noble woman of great faith. She always spoke the truth and always kept her promises. Her entire life was focused on her family and on the gospel of Jesus Christ. She worked faithfully and repeatedly in the Primary, YWMIA, Sunday school, and Relief Society of the LDS Church. She was a visiting teacher all of her adult life. Her special love was teaching young children. For over 20 years, she served in the Brigham City Regional Name Extraction Center, where she worked on Dutch and French records. Colleen loved books and reading. She loved to travel, especially with her husband. Later in life, Colleen and R. Dee had the pleasure of serving two missions together in the France Paris Mission, serving in the cities of Poitiers, Tours and Le Mans. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, October 31, 2006, in the Brigham City Utah North Stake Center. Interment, Brigham City Cemetery. [Provo Daily Herald, October 29, 2006.]

Benson, Cynthia
8848 Ridge Hill Court
Orangevale, California 95662-4062 US

Cynthia and Byron Lovell
  • Home: 916-987-7714

Class of 1965. Cynthia Benson. Her parents: J. Lynn Benson [legendary speech and drama teacher at Brigham Young High School] and Fern Benson of Rigby, Idaho. Cynthia married Byron Lovell of Springville, Utah. ~ ~ ~ ~ Household: Cynthia K. Lovell, Byron L. Lovell, Chad Lovell, Jennifer L. Lovell, Jeffrey L. Lovell, Linsay K. Lovell. Alternate address: Big T/Value King Supermarkets, Byron Lovell, PO Box 15127, Sacramento, CA 95851-1127. ~ ~ ~ ~ At the suggestion of Ann Hickenlooper, Cynthia Benson Lovell is one of 8 people changed from Honorary class member status in the Class of 1965 "because they attend our reunions and we are their only high school." @2010

Benson, Ezra Taft

Benson, Ezra Taft
Salt Lake City, Utah US

Ezra Taft & Flora Benson

Board of Trustees, 1950 to 1994. Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994), Thirteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is noted for his extensive Church service and his distinguished career in government. He served forty-two years as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and was U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for eight years in the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. As President of the Church, he repeatedly bore witness that the Book of Mormon is the major instrument to bring the members of the Church and the world to Christ, and he admonished the Saints to strengthen their families and to preserve their God-given freedoms. President Benson was born August 4, 1899, in the small rural community of Whitney, Idaho, the oldest of eleven children born to George Taft Benson, Jr., and Sarah Dunkley. He was named after his great-grandfather, Ezra T. (Taft) Benson, an apostle, who entered the Salt Lake Valley with the first Mormon pioneer company in July 1847. The pioneer Ezra T. was the son of John Benson, Jr., and Chloe Taft of Mendon, Massachusetts. John Benson, Sr., was an officer during the American Revolution. Ezra Taft Benson was reared on the family farm in Whitney, driving a team of horses at the age of five, milking cows, and thinning sugar beets. He entered grade school at the age of eight. "Be as careful of the books you read as of the company you keep" was the counsel that governed his reading habits. Increased responsibility was thrust on him as a youth when his father was called as a missionary to the Northern States Mission, leaving behind his wife and seven children; the eighth was born while he was in the mission field. A spirit of missionary work enveloped the home, and all eleven children eventually served at least one full-time mission. In 1914, Ezra entered the Church-sponsored Oneida Academy in Preston, Idaho, graduating in 1918. That year as Scoutmaster, he led his Scouts into choral competition and won the Cache Valley chorus championship. Also during that year he enlisted in the military service just before the close of World War I. As a young man, he developed a love for the land and for the Lord, two fundamental influences in his ensuing life. He felt that the basic ingredient for successful farming was intelligent, hard work. To increase his agricultural skills, he took correspondence courses and began attending the Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University). He accepted a mission call to England in 1921, where he served as Newcastle Conference clerk, Sunderland Branch president, and president of the Newcastle Conference, which included all of northern England. Upon his return, he soon enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he was president of the Agriculture Club and Men's Glee Club and was named the most popular man on campus. He graduated with honors, majoring in animal husbandry with a minor in agronomy. He married Flora Smith Amussen in the Salt Lake Temple on September 10, 1926. She was the youngest child of Carl Christian Amussen, a Danish convert who crossed the plains and became a prominent Utah jeweler, and Barbara McIsaac Smith. Flora attended Utah State Agricultural College, where she served as vice-president of the student body, took the lead in a Shakespearean play, and won the women's singles tennis championship. She served a mission in the Hawaiian Islands. They became the parents of six children—Reed, Mark, Barbara, Beverly, Bonnie, and Beth. Benson received a research scholarship to Iowa State College, where he obtained his master's degree in agricultural economics on June 13, 1927. He returned to the family farm, which he and his brother Orval had purchased from their father, and on March 4, 1929, was appointed Franklin County agricultural agent. He helped farmers solve their problems by setting up demonstration farms, inviting in specialists, teaching crop rotation, and introducing improved varieties of grains. In 1930, he was promoted to agricultural economist and marketing specialist for the University of Idaho, with offices in the state capitol in Boise. Traveling throughout Idaho, he encouraged farmers to work cooperatively in producing and marketing their goods. For five years, he served as the executive secretary of the Idaho Cooperative Council. He took a leave in 1936 for additional graduate study, attending the University of California in Berkeley on a fellowship awarded by the Giannini Foundation for Agricultural Economics. Soon after his return to Boise, he was called by the Church in November 1938 to serve as stake president. In April 1939, he became executive secretary of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The council represented some 4,000 cooperative purchasing and marketing organizations involving almost 1.6 million farmers. Ezra Benson represented cooperatives before committees of Congress and served on a four-man national agriculture advisory committee to President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II. On June 30, 1940, the Church called him as the first president of the Washington, D.C., stake, and on July 26, 1943, he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was sustained in that position at the October general conference and was ordained an apostle by President Heber J. Grant on October 7, 1943. In December 1945, following the devastation of World War II, President George Albert Smith called Elder Benson to be the European mission president. His faith in the Lord, administrative skills, and experience in dealing with government helped him accomplish the four-point charge given to him by the First Presidency: "First, to attend to the spiritual affairs of the Church in Europe; second, to work to make available food, clothing, and bedding to our suffering Saints in all parts of Europe; third, to direct the reorganization of the missions of Europe; and, fourth, to prepare for the return of missionaries to those countries". He was among the first American civilians to administer relief in many of the devastated areas. During his first five months in Europe, he visited over one hundred cities in thirteen countries. Within ten months, he completed his mission, having distributed ninety-two boxcar loads of food, clothing, bedding, and medical supplies; reopened missions with new mission presidents and full-time missionaries; and given the Latter-day Saints in Europe a renewed spirit of hope. In 1952, following the counsel of President David O. McKay, Ezra Taft Benson accepted the Cabinet position of Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower administration. His selection was greeted with widespread approval. In his "General Statement on Agricultural Policy," he said, "The supreme test of any government policy, agricultural or other, should be 'How will it affect the character, morale, and well-being of our people?' …A completely planned and subsidized economy weakens initiative, discourages industry, destroys character, and demoralizes the people" (Benson, 1962, p. 602). He assumed office when farm income was declining and wartime legislation was piling up surpluses in government warehouses, inviting increased government controls of agriculture. He worked to reverse that course, winning significant legislative victories in spite of intense political opposition. He became known for his integrity, and friend and foe alike acknowledged that he was a man of religious principles who stood by his convictions despite political pressures. He traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, carrying his farm message throughout the nation and the world, and aggressively encouraged consumption of U.S. farm products. He authored three books, Farmers at the Crossroads (1956), Freedom to Farm (1960), and Crossfire: The Eight Years with Eisenhower (1962). He served eight years in the Cabinet, meeting with heads of state and agriculture leaders and farmers in over forty nations. He had discussions with such leaders as Chiang Kai-shek, Nehru, Khrushchev, King Hussein, and David Ben-Gurion. During this time, his example and activities brought positive and widespread attention to the Church. President David O. McKay said that Secretary Benson's work in the Cabinet would "stand for all time as a credit to the Church and the nation". With the encouragement of President David O. McKay, a major thrust of Elder Benson's many Church and civic addresses pertained to freedom and the threats to it. The substance of those messages is found in his books The Red Carpet (1962), Title of Liberty (1964), and An Enemy Hath Done This (1969). In Church general conference in April 1965, he warned, "To have been on the wrong side of the freedom issue during the war in heaven meant eternal damnation. How then can Latter-day Saints expect to be on the wrong side in this life and escape the eternal consequences?" President Benson's international stature helped to facilitate the acceptance and growth of the Church throughout the world. He dedicated several nations to the preaching of the gospel, established the first stakes in many countries, and supervised various areas of the world. He served as chairman of Quorum of the Twelve committees and sat on numerous boards. In December 1973, Ezra Taft Benson became president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. His executive abilities were again demonstrated in this calling. A great spirit of unity was manifest, and he measured proposed policies or procedures by the yardstick "What is best for the kingdom?" (Petersen, p. 3). Brigham Young University honored him by establishing the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute in 1975 to help relieve world food problems and raise the quality of global life through improved nutrition and enlightened agriculture practices. Many national and international citations and awards, including a number of honorary doctorate degrees, were bestowed on him. From the Boy Scouts of America he received the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, and Silver Buffalo; he served on their National Executive Board. On April 1, 1989, he was presented world Scouting's highest award, the Bronze Wolf. During his ninetieth birthday celebration, the President of the United States conferred upon him the Presidential Citizens Medal, naming him "one of the most distinguished Americans of his time". Upon the death of President Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson became President of the Church on November 10, 1985, at the age of eighty-six. At that time he delivered a statement reiterating the mission of the Church—to preach the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead—and reaffirming that the Church is led by the Lord Jesus Christ. He selected as his counselors in the First Presidency Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson. The new First Presidency soon issued a special invitation to those members who had ceased activity or become critical of the Church to "come back" (Church News, Dec. 22, 1985, p. 3), and they opened the temples to worthy members married to unendowed spouses. He was President during the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution and, as one of its greatest defenders, he delivered messages honoring this divine document and its inspired framers (The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner, Salt Lake City, 1986). During his presidency, new temples were announced and several were dedicated, and missionary work expanded around the world with special opportunities being afforded, particularly in Eastern Europe, in countries previously closed. For nearly fifty years his thousands of speeches stressed mankind's three great loyalties—loyalty to God, loyalty to family, and loyalty to country.

Benson, J. Lynn

Benson, J. Lynn
Rigby, Idaho US

Lynn and Fern Benson

Faculty & Staff 1960s through 1964 - Speech Teacher. J. Lynn Benson. Ricks College, 1944, BYU BS Education 1951, MFA, University of Utah, 1960. 1975 Season, Playmill Theater, West Yellowstone, Montana. LYNN BENSON - Producer Director. One of the founding fathers of the Playmill Theatre, Mr. Benson has been producer/director at the Playmill for all twelve seasons. He has been a teacher most of his adult life and has taught on both high school and college levels and has been a professor of drama at Ricks College for the past eleven years. Mr. Benson is a graduate of Brigham Young University and received his Master's Degree from the University of Utah. He has received numerous awards in acting and directing, and has played such roles as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, the King in The King and I, and Koko in The Mikado. Through the years at the Playmill he has been ably assisted by his wife, Fern, who has become mother of the Playmill family. The Benson's have seven children, all of whom have been part of the Playmill. FACULTY EMERITUS, BYU Idaho, J. Lynn Benson, Theatre and Dance (1964-1985). His parents: Alva Henry Benson and Lorena England Benson, who had seven children. They included: J. Lynn Benson (wife Fern) of Rigby, Idaho; Cynthia Laura Benson (husband Mars Fairen Olsen) Sandy, Utah; Rex Benson (wife Lorna) of Ogden, Utah; Emma Benson; Fern Benson, Eunice Benson, and Alva Benson [female]. ~ ~ ~ ~ HIS OBITUARY: J. Lynn Benson, 83, of Rigby, died of cancer at his home, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007. He was born to Alva Henry and Emma Lorena England Benson, September 4, 1924, in Moreland. Lynn was raised and attended schools in Moreland, graduating from Moreland High School. He continued his education at Ricks College, received his bachelor's degree at Brigham Young University, and his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Utah. During World War II, he spent three years in the U.S. Navy, stationed in the Pacific Theater. On June 20, 1946 he married Josie Fern Scoresby in the Idaho Falls LDS temple. He taught school at Iona, Idaho Falls, Snake River and Brigham Young High School in Provo, Utah, and was principal at Moreland Elementary for one year. He was also a professor at Westminster College in Salt Lake City. He taught speech and drama at Ricks College for 25 years. He co-founded the Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone, Montana, and operated it for 25 years. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings including counselor in the Idaho Falls Temple presidency. With his wife, he served missions to Nauvoo, Illinois; Independence, Missouri; and the Rigby Idaho East Stake Family History Center. Lynn Benson was a hero to many. He is survived by his wife, Fern, of Rigby; four daughters Cynthia (Byron) Lovell of Orangevale, Calf., Lynda (Don) Sparrow of Bullhead City, Ariz., Paula (Ferron) Sonderegger, of Rexburg, Jolene (Kay) Jenkins of Chubbuck; three sons Lloyd (Suzanne) Benson of Milo, Bruce (Renee) Benson of Sugar City, Gary (Chimene) Benson of Rexburg; a brother, Rex (Lois) Benson of Ogden, Utah, 35 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and five sisters. Funeral services were held Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007, at the Rigby East Stake Center. Interment, Moreland Cemetery. [Rexburg Standard Journal, 14 November 2007.]

Benson, Joe Dell [Jo Dell]

Benson, Joe Dell [Jo Dell]
Orem, Utah US

Joe & Aldine Benson

Class of 1949. Joe Dell Benson [Jo Dell]. Football, Lettermen, Thespians, Chorus, Opera. He graduated from BYH on May 26, 1949. Source: 1949 BYH Graduation Exercises Program. ~ ~ ~ ~ Joe married Aldine Case, daughter of Joseph Case and Mary Melba Paul Case. Joe's parents: Joseph Dunkley Benson and Iva Laura Jones Benson of Provo, Utah -- their children included: Colleen Benson [BYH Class of 1947] (R. Dee) Law; Joe Dell Benson [BYH Class of 1949] (Aldine); and David Keith (Madelin) Benson, of St. George. ~ ~ ~ ~ Joe Dell Benson was born on January 18, 1931 in Provo, Utah. He died on September 13, 1978 in Orem, Utah. His interment, Orem City Cemetery, Utah.

Bentler, Robey

Bentler, Robey

Robey Bentler

Class of 1921. Robey Bentler. Received a BYH Normal Certificate in 1921. Source: Annual Record, B.Y. University, Book 10, page 362.

Bentley, Anthony
2966 Brookburn Road
Salt Lake City, Utah 84109 US

Toney and Wendy Bentley
  • Work: 801-274-0928

Class of 1955. Anthony Bentley. Senior Class Vice President. Boys State County Assessor, Football, Baseball, Track, Wrestling, Lettermen, Chorus, Debate, Legislative Forum State Champs, Radio Readings, Childrens Theater, Honor Roll. His parents: Anthony Ivins (Toney) Bentley and Ella Farnsworth Bentley, married in Mesa, Arizona in 1931. They had seven children: Marilyn Bentley Nielsen (Ernest), Colonia Juarez, Mexico; Toney Bentley [BYH Class of 1955] (Wendy), MTC president, Mexico City; Ken Bentley [BYH Class of 1957] (Sharlene), N. Salt Lake; Eleanor Bentley Foulger (Jim), Potomac, Maryland; Margie Bentley Horne (Doug), Provo; Judy Bentley Youngquist (Ken), Salt Lake City; and Ron Bentley (Beverly), Naperville, Illinois [@2003]. Toney and his wife, Wendy, have lived in the East Millcreek area of Salt Lake County for more than 30 years. They have eight children, all married in the temple. All five sons and one daughter have served full-time missions. Toney graduated from BYU with a BA and MS in Sociology before earning a law degreen from the University of Utah. Shortly after beginning law practice he had the unique opportunity of going to Montevideo, Uruguay for three years as LDS Church Legal Counsel for South America at a high growth time. Since his return he has practed international law in Salt Lake City with the law firm of Kirton & McConkie, except for two periods when he and his wife were serving on missions. Between 1992 and 1995 he served as President of the Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission and from 2003 to 2005 he was President of the Missionary Training Center in Mexico City, Mexico. Currently practicing law in Salt Lake City. Also assists the Church with its Hispanic Initiative program, designed to reach out to LDS and non-LDS Hispanics along the Wasatch Front and other areas with large LDS populations by making legal information and other professional assistance available to them. Hobbies: BYU football, basketball, etc., gardening, hiking, studying Church doctrine, writing, attending theatrical and other cultural productions. @2005

Bentley, Frances Janet

Bentley, Frances Janet
Provo, Utah

Frances & Roy A. Hammond
  • Work: (801) 225-7474

Class of 1959. Frances J. Bentley. Varsity Cheerleader. Quill & Scroll President, Pep Club, Junior Prom Committee, Model U.N., Hi-Steppers, Concert Chorus, Graduation Committee, Homecoming Queen, Senior Hop Committee, Traveling Assembly, Vocal Music Service Award. BYU BS Elementary Education 1963. She married Roy A. Hammond. ~ ~ ~ ~ HER OBITUARY: Frances Janet Bentley Hammond. With hearts overflowing with love for our beloved sweetheart, mother, grandma, sister, and friend, we remember the life, and resolve to carry on the legacy, of Frances Janet Bentley Hammond. Frances was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 26, 1941 to Joseph T. and Kathleen Bench Bentley. She was consumed with a love for her family and a desire to serve those around her that defined her existence. Frances met her sweetheart, Dr. Roy A. Hammond, when they were both 14-years old. Both attended B. Y. High School, but Roy graduated from Provo High. It was the beginning of a never-ending romance and selfless union. They were married on December 18, 1961, in the LDS temple in Salt Lake City. In life they were inseparable, forming a partnership that inspired all whose lives they touched. Frances graduated from B.Y. High School in 1959, then attended Brigham Young University where she received a degree in Elementary Education. She had a passion for learning. She taught those around her all her life through her special handwritten notes, her ability to identify the good in every person, her gift for inspiring those she encountered and her keen spiritual insight. Frances and Roy were a team united in the common purpose of service to their fellow brothers and sisters. Hand in hand, they performed humanitarian service in Mexico; Vietnam; Nepal; Africa; South, Central & North America; and, the Dominican Republic. They fulfilled a lifelong dream when they served an LDS mission together on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i. Frances and Roy developed a deep love for the Hawaiian people and a strong appreciation of their culture. Frances loved to spend time with her sweetheart and family. To her, life always seemed best while riding with her sweetheart on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle. She rode hundreds of thousands of miles in some of the most beautiful places in the world. No matter the destination, she always savored the journey. Her life truly was an amazing ride. Our family wishes to extend our heartfelt appreciation for the compassion shown to Frances and all of us by the UVRMC ICU nursing team, respiratory and physical therapists, critical care physicians and general surgeons. We will be forever grateful for their dedication to Frances, their professionalism, and the genuine care shown to her and our entire family. Frances' loving family consists of her sweetheart Roy A. Hammond; her two sons Dr. Roy C. (Jennifer) Hammond and Dr. Christopher A. (Alison) Hammond; her two daughters Angel Hammond (Mark) Webb and Amy Hammond (Cannon) Gerstner; and her 13 grandchildren. Frances, we love you and will continue to make memories with our family. "Thou lift me and I'll lift thee and we'll ascend together." To celebrate the life and memory of Frances, funeral services were held on Friday, June 12, 2009 at the Edgemont Stake Center, 303 W. 3700 N. in Provo. Interment, Provo City Cemetery. Frances requested donations to the "Smiles for Hope Foundation" at 3575 North 100 East, Suite 200, Provo, Utah 84604. [Provo Daily Herald, Tuesday June 9, 2009.] Frances is the sister of Marion Taylor Bentley, BYH Class of 1961.

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