Benke, John A.

John A. Benke, 96, of Dyersville died Monday, July 5, 2010, at his residence. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Francis Xavier Basilica, Dyersville, with burial in the church cemetery. Officiating will be the Rev. Robert Gross and military rites will be accorded by American Legion Post 137. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Kramer Funeral Home, Dyersville, where a parish Scripture service will be held at 5 p.m. and an American Legion service will held at 7 p.m.

John Ambrose Benke was born Nov. 22, 1913, in Petersburg, Iowa, the son of Albert and Caroline (Nefzger) Benke. He graduated from St. Francis Xavier High School with the class of 1930. On Nov. 30, 1939, he was united in marriage to Helen D. Roling at St. Boniface Catholic Church in New Vienna, Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the South Pacific Theater and was wounded when fighting in the Philippines. John, his brother, Clarence and their brother-in-law, Lawrence Wessels, owned and operated B&W Appliance Company, from January 1949 until retiring in 1977. He was a member of American Legion Post 137.

Surviving are a daughter, Joanne (Ron Helm) Benke-Helm of San Diego, Calif.; a son, Robert (Susan) Benke of Greeley, Colo.; grandchildren, Lisa and Jonathan Helm and Jordan Benke; a sister-in-law, Carol Roling Ehlers of Dubuque; and a brother-in-law, Frank Johnson of Galena, Ill.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Helen, three sisters and their husbands, Rose M. (Lawrence) Wessels, Leona (Clarence) Kennedy and Lorine (John) Wilhelm; a brother and his wife, Clarence (Nellie) Benke; four sisters-in-law, Alvina Johnson, Leona (Mike) Herting, Marcella (Joe) Oberbroeckling and Dorothy (Ray) Jasper; and brothers-in-law, Alphonse (Alberta) Roling, Alfred (Madonna) Roling and Edwin Roling.

Information available and condolences accepted at