Small Town News

Duane Beno Benoit, 78

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Duane "Beno" Benoit of Das-sel died Friday, June 4, 2010, at his home in-Dassel. He was 78.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 11, at the St. John's Catholic Church in Darwin with Fr. John Pearson officiating. Visitation will be Thursday evening from 5-8 p.m. at the Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel, with parish prayers at 7 p.m., and a Rosary at 7:30 p.m. There will be a one-hour visitation prior to the service Friday. A private family interment will be held at a later date.

Duane "Beno" John Benoit was born Jan. 12, 1932, in St. Cloud to George F. and Frances B. (Toenjes) Benoit. He grew up in the rural St. Augusta area where he attended Meyer's School and graduated from Kimball High School in 1949.

Duane was baptized and received the Sacraments at the St. Mary's Help of Christians Catholic Church in St. Augusta. He was presently an active member of the St. John's Catholic Church in Darwin, serving recently on the church maintenance committee. He helped with the Eucharistic Adoration, and was a volunteer for beautifying church properties. He was a Fourth-Degree and Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

Duane worked as a deputy sheriff in Stearns County. He continued in law enforcement and retired in 1994, after serving 14 years as the Chief of Police for the City of Dassel.

Oct. 19,1961, Duane was united in marriage to Charlene Brengman at the Holy Angels Catholic Church in St. Cloud. Together they*made their home in rural St. Augusta until 1982, when they moved to Dassel, where they have resided since. In 1971, Duane started auctioneering. He had been the past president of the Minnesota State Auctioneers Association in 1979, and was inducted into the Minnesota Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame in 2002. After retiring, he was employed by the Gold Cross Medical transport to drive people to their doctor appointments, and was awarded the Employee of the Year.

He enjoyed restoring tractors, building miniature toys, loved to watch and play basketball, and listen to bluegrass music. Duane was a member of the Toastmasters International, Rotary, Kiwanis, and was the president of the Dassel Senior Citizens.

Duane was preceded in death by an infant son James Scott, parents, sister Lorraine Paone, and brother Harold.

He is survived by his wife Charlene Benoit of Dassel; son Timothy (and Sandra) Benoit of Dassel; daughters Mary (and Steven) Levinski of Darwin, Susan (and Timothy) Steuck of Dassel, and Shelly (and Carlos) Mendiola of Dassel, 12 grandchildren, one brother Louis Benoit of St. Cloud, sister-in-law Erma Benoit of St. Augusta, and many nieces and nephews.



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© 2011 Tri-County News Kimball, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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