LaVerne “Vern” Benoy, age 88, of Birchwood passed away on Sunday, June 16, 2019 at Marshfield Medical Center in Rice Lake.

Vern was born in Hudson on May 19, 1931.  When Vern was 8 years old, the family moved to Birchwood (Angus), Wisconsin on Lakedale Resort.  They farmed and rented cabins.  Vern said he wished they would have stayed, but his father decided they should move to a farm in Barron County, just outside of Poskin.

He attended a small one room school in Barron County and graduated from Barron High School.  He later worked at a farm south of Barron for Harlond Millermon.  At that time, he met and fell in love with the farmer’s niece, Donna Millermon.  They married and moved to Waterloo, IA, where Vern worked for John Deere.  They lived in Waterloo where their first son, Guy, was born.  After a short time, they moved back to Barron.  Vern then worked on the Bergeson Farm with his father-in-law, McKinley Millermon.  Vern’s dream was to own his own farm.  Their second child, Connie, was born.  Vern worked at Art Voight Welding Shop in Barron & drove for Glen Thompson Trucking in Cameron.  He later worked for Jerome’s and Barron Farmers Union Feed Mill.  Their third child, Dean, was born.  They moved from the farm to Burlington, WI where Vern was employed at Case Tractor in Racine.  We moved to Roberts, WI when we purchased Robert’s Blacksmith Shop and worked it up to a fabricating shop where he stayed for 28 years before retiring.  He then moved to Birchwood for the next 25 years. 

Vern will be missed by his wife, Donna Benoy of Birchwood; sons, Guy (Joyce) Benoy of Toledo, OR and Dean (Leslie) Benoy of River Falls; daughter, Connie (Ed) Aide of River Falls; grandchildren, Tracy, Sara, Jason, Mac, John, Mike, Jessica and Lori; 11 great-grandchildren; sister Marilyn (Jim) Strandquist of Hudson; nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and 2 sisters.

Funeral services for LaVerne Benoy will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 1:00 P.M. at First United Methodist Church in Barron with Pastor Mark Bartlett officiating.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday afternoon.  Burial will be at Wayside Cemetery in Barron.

Arrangements are being handled by Rausch and Steel Funeral Home in Barron. 

Last Update: Jun 19, 2019 2:15 pm CDT