---

Elaine A. Benson died the way she liked to live -- doing something interesting and helpful. The morning of her death, March 18, 2008, she agreed to participate in an FDA sponsored hospital trial that followed the progress of patients who underwent a heart valvuloplasty procedure. Unfortunately for her family and for the research project, her heart stopped during the procedure and she died just a month short of her 90th birthday.

She was born on a farm in rural St. Peter, MN April 23, 1918, the youngest child of John and Agnes (Quist) Allerson.

She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1940 with a major in biology; taught school in Stephen, MN, and Winthrop, MN, married Burdette Benson in 1944, and studied Chinese language in Berkeley, CA until she and Burdette left for the China mission field in 1946. In the last months of 1948, along with other missionary families, she and her two young children (Bruce and Carolyn) fled the armies of Mao Tze Tung on a railroad flatcar, from inland China to Shanghai and a waiting ship.

Back in the United States she and her family lived in Cumberland, WI where her husband was the pastor of three area churches. Two more children (Gracia and Theodore) were born there. Then the family moved to Center City, MN and Chisago Lake Ev. Lutheran Church. A fifth child (Rebecca) was born during the 14 years spent in that community. The next move was to rural Hector, MN (Svedlanda Lutheran Church) which was home for 17 years, until retirement.

Rural LeSeuer was the first retirement home, then in 1995 she and Burdette moved to Northfield, MN. During all those years she negotiated life with grace, humor, an open heart and an open mind. She was a resident of Parkview West at the time of her death.

She is preceded in death by her husband, all four of her siblings, one granddaughter, several nieces and a nephew.

She is survived by all five of her children: Bruce (Carol) of Northfield, Carolyn (Dan) Dauner of Evanston, IL; Theodore (Janet Pope) of St. Paul, MN; Gracia (Joe) Lambert of Webster City, IA; and Rebecca (Robin) Ness of Stanton, MN; as well as by 14 grandchildren: Johann, Kaia, and Maren Benson; Chandrika and Ankita Pope Benson: Joseph Greenfield, Abraham, Samuel, and Benjamin Lambert; Alyssa, Bethany, and Lareyna Ness; and two great-grandchildren, Nikita Benson and Ophelia Greenfield.

She managed to keep her wits and her wit about her every day of her life, including the last one.

Funeral Service was Saturday, March 22, at St. John's Lutheran Church, in Northfield. Revs. Diane Goulson and Mark Johnson officiated. A luncheon followed. Final disposition of ashes in the cemetery of her childhood church, Scandian Grove Lutheran, rural St. Peter, MN.

Memorials to Lutheran World Relief or donor's choice.

Arrangements with the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home.

---