Bennie Gerald Burseth

September 3, 1920 – August 9, 2012

Bennie Burseth, born in Fergus Fall, MN, lived an adventurous and blessed life living in good health & independently with his loving wife of 65 years, Elaine.

Raised in the farmlands of Minnesota, Bennie embarked on a life that spanned 4 generations.

A few of the most memorable moments of his life were living & sharing moments with his dear friends, some whom would be become relatives, in the Fergus Falls area. Jerry & Bud Thompson, Elaines brothers were two of those individuals. He hunted, fished, and wished he would have never given up his 1941 Plymouth. It was enjoyable to listen to a few of his favorite tales.

Following middle school in Fergus Falls, he attained his GED and then attended the L.L. Addox trade school from 1938-1939 completing course work at this Diesel, Auto, & Electrical trade school in Portland, OR. Bennie then returned to Fergus Falls and began working for John Dieseth Road Construction Co. operating a D8 Diesel Tractor. In the winter times he would help is mother & older brother Philip on the family farm.

In 1942 he was drafted in the U.S. Army Signal Corp, training in Camp Crowder, MO & Memphis, TN initially attending the Hemphill Diesel School to learn how to operate small diesel engines. While at Hemphill he passed the Air Force Cadet examination, becoming an Air Force Cadet and transferred to Santa Ana, CA. He then elected to accept an opportunity to become a gunner in the Air Force and attended an Engineering, Gunnery, & Amory school in Denver, CO at the Lowery Base & Buckley air field.

After further training he was assigned to a flight group as a waist gunner aboard a B-17 bomber operating out of Kimbolten Field, England. He flew 22 missions, including 2 on D-Day, until his plane, the Flying Katrina, developed engine troubles and went down near Mezquiritz, Spain. Bennie and the crew had to bail out & all were rescued by local town folks. A harrowing experience that earned Bennie a Purple Heart, and a tale he loved to tell.

He was honorably discharged in October 1945 as Sargent Bennie G. Burseth.

He moved back to Fergus Falls and began working again with John Dieseth Co. running heavy equipment. He then did the same work for Schulz & Lindsey Co. out of Fargo, ND assisting in the initial construction of the Garrison dam north of Bismarck, ND.

Then on December 15, 1946 he married the woman who would become his loving wife for the next 65 plus years, Elaine Thompson, at the Swan Lake Lutheran Church outside of Fergus Falls, MN. Bennie & Elaine then embarked on a many adventures initially moving to Litchfield, MN where Bennie worked at the Arid Air Grain Driers Manufacturing Co as a sheet metal supervisor.

Wishing to change his direction, Bennie than enrolled at the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis in 1953 and attained a degree in 1955. Following his graduation he spent a bit of time as a traveling salesman for a furnace company before being lured to the sunshine of California. They moved to Inglewood, CA in 1956 with Bennie accepting a position as an Operations Officer at First Western Bank.

Having a deep desire to have a family of their own Bennie & Elaine moved to Colorado in 1960 through a transfer to America National Bank. Then with the assistance of the Lutheran Brotherhood they adopted their first two children, a fortunate and blessed moment for them to have Pam & Gary enter their lives.

In the fall of 1961 he was hired by Coors Porcelain Co. (now Coors Ceramic) as an Estimator and then transferring into the Research & Development department. After being hired on at Coors, Bennie & Elaine made the decision to make the Front Range region of Colorado their home & embark on the ever challenging adventure of parenthood.

Bennie & Elaine created a loving environment for their three children, Pamela, Gary, & Dan, to be raised and grow up within. In fact, they bought one of the first homes to be built in the Green Mountain area of Lakewood, CO. A home to which they have never left.

Bennie worked for Coors for some 29 years retiring in the spring of 1989 as a Technical Operations Analyst in which he was in charge of overseeing & developing budgets & contracts. He then worked part time for Coors for another 3 ½ years.

Bennie loved to travel and he & Elaine took many trips both throughout the U.S. & abroad. He especially loved to travel to see family & friends. Some of his most memorable trips were to Norway as well as other parts of Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, with a very fun filled family trip to the land of Disney in Florida.

Bennie was also had an extreme love of tinkering around, you can take the farm boy away from the farm, but the farm boy never left the farm.

Bennie was also very involved in & dedicated to a life serving God. His faith unwavering, he was actively involved in many church functions. He was very involved with Prime Timers and the church choir to name a few. Bennie was an integral part of the Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Bennie is survived again by his loving wife Elaine, his sister Connie, his children Pamela, Gary, & Dan, Dan’s wife Christine, along with granddaughters Devin, Kirby, Hannah, & Danae. Bennie loved nothing more than the times spent with his family.

Bennie touched many lives throughout his blessed life leaving a lasting impression on many.

In loving memory of a loving husband, awesome father, caring grandfather, and exceptional & loyal friend. A very special & unique individual! We thank you for all that you have given us! Your memory will live on bringing us much joy, smiles, & laughter of times spent together!

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Holy Shepard Lutheran Church.