Neva J. Benton

Neva Jean Benton, 87, of Sioux City died on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, at a Sioux City hospital.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home, 1801 Morningside Ave., in Sioux City, with the Rev. Tom LoVan of Morningside Lutheran Church officiating. Private family interment will be prior to the service Thursday in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.christysmith.com .
Neva was born on Saturday Sept. 1, 1928, in Coleridge, Neb., to Bernhard "Ben" and Theresa "Trae" (Janssen) Bohlken. She grew up and attended country school near Coleridge, graduating from Coleridge High School in 1945. In 1947, Neva earned a teaching certificate from Wayne State Teachers College in Wayne, Neb.
On Aug 11, 1947, she married C. Wayne Benton in Coleridge. The couple lived in Osmond and Plainview Neb., where Neva was employed as a teacher. They later moved to Hornick, Iowa, and to Sioux City in 1963, where Neva was a popular substitute teacher in the Sioux City School District for many years. After Wayne's retirement the couple enjoyed 10 years of traveling in their mini home attending events at Cuttys as well as state and national Coachmen Camping rallies. Wayne died on Nov. 25, 1998 in Sioux City.
Neva later married Edwin Karssen on April 21, 2001 in Sioux City. They made their home in Alton, Iowa, until Edwin died on Aug. 28, 2011, in Sioux City.
She was a member of Morningside Lutheran Church, Red Hat Society and the TTT bridge group. Neva enjoyed playing cards and board games, visiting and spending time with her family and friends.
Surviving are daughter, Mary Jo Ruppert of Cherokee, Iowa; two sons, Robert and Carla Benton of Christiana, Tenn., and Gary and Lori Benton of Stilwell, Kan.; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, Brian, Madeline and Sophia Benton, Nathan, Jennifer, Isabelle and Aurora Lamb, Kristin, Eric, Layla and Piper McKinney, Sara and Steve Sutter, Kelli, Matt, Ben, Cooper and Marley Bartlett and Bryce, Charlotte and expected baby, Benton; a sister, Fern and Dale Knudsen of Albuquerque, N.M.; five sisters-in-law, Donna Stratton, Dorothy Benton, Clara Bolte, Beverly Benton and Vera Collins; and numerous nieces and nephews,
Preceding her in death were her son-in-law, Rodney Ruppert; nephew, Paul Knudsen; sister-in-law, Maurine Becker; and six brothers-in-law, Kenneth Stratton, Clem Becker, Keith Benton, Harlan Bolte, Oren Benton and Pete Collins.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to a charity of choice.