Babe E. Benson
Mar. 9, 1933 – Apr. 26, 2021
Babe E. Benson, 88 of
Wolford, ND passed away
on Monday April 26, 2021
at the Towner County Liv-
ing Center, Cando ND.
Services will be held at a
later date.
Cards can be sent to
The Benson family, 5010
78TH St NE, Wolford, ND
58385
In lieu of flowers,
memorials can be sent to
the Hawk Museum. 4839
78th St. NE., Wolford, ND
58385, Mylo Cemetery.
8203 49th Ave., Mylo, ND
58353 or Country Lanes,
P.O. Box 104, Cando, ND
58324.
Babe Eleonore Jolliffe
was born March 9, 1933 to
Lee and Edna (Baarstad)
in Rolla, North Dakota.
She graduated from Bis-
bee High School with the
class of 1951. On June 3,
1951 she was united in
marriage to Dick Benson
in the Mylo Lutheran
Church. They made their
home in the rural Wolford
area on a farm and to this
union four children were
born; Carla, Rick, Randy,
and Dean.
Babe was board secre-
tary and business
manager for Wolford
School district for 27
years as she helped on the
farm and raised their fam-
ily. She enjoyed spending
summers at her lake cabin
on Belcourt Lake where
her family would visit and
enjoy pontoon rides, wa-
ter skiing and fishing. She
was an active member of
the Mylo Lutheran
Church and spent many
hours quilting with the la-
dies’ group which contin-
ued on for many years
after the church closed.
She then became a
member of the Wolford
Lutheran Church. For
over fifteen years Babe
chaired the Ice Cream Par-
lor during the Annual An-
tique Show at the Dale &
Martha Hawk Museum.
Bowling was her passion;
she bowled regularly in
Rolla and later Cando.
She, at times, bowled
three times a week in
mixed, coffee cup, and
women’s leagues. In 2013
she participated in the
North Dakota State
Woman’s Senior Bowling
Tournament which
awarded her a trip in 2014
to the National Woman’s
Senior Bowling Tourna-
ment in Reno, Nevada.
For this special event she
was presented a vest to
wear with “North Dakota
Babe” embroidered,
which earned her a new
nickname among her fel-
low bowlers. Babe had
many blue heeler dogs
over the years and leaves
behind her red heeler,
Rusty. She has been a
resident of the Towner
County Living Center
since April of 2019.
Babe is survived by
Dick, her husband of
nearly 70 years, sons Rick
of Wolford, Randy
(Kathryn) of Bisbee, Dean
(Klang) of Wolford;
son-in-law Don Lee of
Minot ND; grandchildren
Rebecca (Tracy Tarr) Lee
and Emily Lee of Min-
neapolis, MN; Jarrin Ben-
son with
great-granddaughter Len-
non of Portland OR; and
Sara (Kyle) McClammer
with great-grand sons
Maxwell and George of In-
dianapolis, IN; sisters Peg-
gy (Dell) Melton/Jaha and
Bonnie Bertsch both of
Boise ID and many nieces
and nephews.
She was preceded in
death by her daughter
Carla Lee, daughter-in-law
Lavonna; brothers Neil
and Jim Jolliffe; sister Ter-
ry Stegrey and grandson
Jay Essen.
Babe will be remem-
bered for her laugh and
generosity and will
missed by everyone who
knew her.
Online guestbook is
available at
www.dunnigandix.com.
Dunnigan-Dix Funeral
Home of Cando, ND is in
charge of arrangements.