Ellen Benson 1935 – 2025
Ellen I. Benson, 90, recently of Bemidji, Minn., and formerly of Fergus Falls, Minn, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025 at Neilson Place in Bemidji.
Ellen was born on a Finnish family farm by Menahga, Minn. being the oldest of 16 kids, on Jan. 13, 1935. She married the love of her life on June 16, 1956 in Sebeka, Minn. Gerald and Ellen were married for 67 years until his passing in April 2024. During her lifetime, she enjoyed spending time outdoors gardening, fishing, snowmobiling and camping. Ellen enjoyed various travels her favorites being Australia and New Zealand. Ellen and her husband owned West Central Campers and ran it out of their home in Fergus Falls for more than twenty-five years. After retirement, Gerald and Ellen wintered in Yuma, Ariz., and enjoyed their time living on Heilberger Lake near Fergus Falls, Minn. for twenty years.
Ellen was asked what is the best job she had ever had? “Being a mother was the very best job, I liked doing accounting and did well but it didn’t rate over being a mom.” Ellen did well indeed and worked in various accounting jobs, her first job starting at age 18, as recommended by her high school accounting teacher. All of this accomplished considering when she started school, she only spoke Finnish. Ellen formed a 4-H club for the Woodland Heights neighborhood and was the leader for five years. Ellen was also an active member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls where she taught Sunday and Wednesday school. Ellen was also a co-editor of Sehranlahti, a publication for the Minnesota Finnish American Historical Society. Ellen loved using recipes from Taste of Home Magazine, which she would often times try on her family. She was known for her amazing grandma’s buns and buckaroon cookies.
Ellen was an amazing wife, mother, grandma, great-grandma, mother-in-law, sister and friend who embodied the Finnish word “SISU” meaning inner strength and determination to overcome challenges with steadfast perseverance, accompanied by a spirit of resilience and courage throughout her life. During the last years of her life, she wrote a book on her and her husband’s life stories, which was a huge accomplishment. Ellen was asked in the book if her life turned out differently than she would have imagined it would? Ellen answered “my life is so very much better than what I expected it to be; I could have never imagined all the comforts we have, our great family and our many travel experiences.”
Ellen was preceded in death by her husband, parents Ida and Elmer Makela; brothers Donald, Clyde, Verner, Russell and Ervin. Ellen is survived by her daughters: Cheryl (Brad) Buck of Tenstrike, and Susan Benson- Schultz of Bemidji; son Steven (Tracy) Benson of Brainerd; five grandchildren: Heidi (Nick) Toso of Fergus Falls, Anna (Alex) Whitlow of Bemidji, Katie (Joe) Wagner of Maple Grove, Nicole Benson of Brainerd, and Stephen Schultz of Woodbury; two great-grandchildren: Sutton and Parker Toso of Fergus Falls. Ellen is also survived by sisters: Irene, Norma Jean, Marge, Sheila, Vivian, Trudy and brothers: Jim, Clarence, Wesley and Harvey.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2025 at New Salem Lutheran Church in Turtle River, Minn. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at 3 p.m., at the Riverside Cemetery in Osage, Minn. under the direction of the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji. Online condolences may be left at ceasefuneralhome.com 10-1c