Eugene L. Bening

Obituary

Eugene Louis Bening was born on June 3, 1937, in Arlington Township, Minnesota. He was the son of Louis and Lena (Uecker) Bening. Eugene was baptized as an infant on June 10, 1937, in Arlington Township, by Rev. H. Winter, and was later confirmed in his faith as a youth on March 25, 1951, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gaylord, Minnesota, by Rev. Ernst Stahlke. He resided for a short time in rural Arlington and Winthrop, Minnesota before moving to Gaylord in 1941. Eugene received his education through the eighth grade at Immanuel Lutheran School in Gaylord, before transferring to Gaylord Public School. Eugene was a graduate of the Gaylord Public High School class of 1955.

Eugene entered military service in the United States Army Reserves in 1954, and actively served his country in Japan from 1956 to 1958. He received an Honorable Discharge in 1959.

On August 2, 1959, Eugene was united in marriage to Jeanette Battcher at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Gaylord, Minnesota, by Rev. John Vagts. This marriage was blessed with three sons, Brian, Mark, and John. They lived in Gaylord until 1983, when they moved to Hutchinson, Minnesota. They shared 64 years of marriage.

Eugene was employed at Ralph Soeffker Construction, Sibley County Highway Department, and 3M. He retired in 2001. Eugene was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hutchinson. Before that he was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gaylord.

Eugene enjoyed helping many relatives and friends with carpentry projects, prairie dog shooting in South Dakota, collecting woodworking planes, traveling out West, and working on his computer. He studied cameras and photography. He was a trouble-shooter, always wanting to know how things worked in order to figure out what went wrong and then fixing it. He kept a tape measure with himself all the time. Eugene especially enjoyed spending time with his family, grandchildren and friends.

Eugene passed away on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at Harmony River Living Center in Hutchinson, at the age of 86 years.

Blessed be his memory.

Eugene is survived by his:
Wife, Jeanette Bening of Hutchinson, MN;
Sons, Mark Bening and his wife, Londa of Hutchinson, MN,
John Bening and his wife, Rachel of Waconia, MN;
Grandchildren, Bradley Bening and his wife, Jessica of Dassel, MN,
Maria Bening of Pittsburgh, PA,
Sarah Bening of Cambridge, MA;
Great-granddaughters, Ryeleigh Bening, Ellie Bening, Emma Bening;
Brothers-in-law, Daniel Battcher and his wife, Sue of Eden Prairie, MN,
Wayne Rousseau of New Braunfels, TX,
Sisters-in-law, Cheryl Moore of Normal, IL,
Birdine Battcher of Arlington, MN;
Many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Eugene is preceded in death by his Parents, Louis and Lena Bening; In-laws, Elmer and Elvira Battcher; Son, Brian Bening; Sisters, Mavis Bening, Evelyn (Ernie) Michaelis; Brothers-in-law, LeRoy (Joyce) Battcher, David Battcher; Sister-in-law, Virginia Rousseau.