Raymond "Ray" Bense

Raymond Christ Bense, age 91, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday, September 29th, 2024, after a long battle with a type of blood cancer at his home in Burtrum, Minnesota.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 5 at Moses Dane Cemetery in Burtrum with military honors by the Little Sauk American Legion. Following the graveside service, a Celebration of Life will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Little Sauk American Legion in Little Sauk.

Raymond was born May 29th, 1933 to Herman and Elsie (Schwanke) Bense in Grey Eagle. He lived his young years on the family farm, attending Oak Haven Country and Grey Eagle school. Ray served from April 1953 and was honorably discharged on March 24th 1955 in the U.S. Army Scarwaf (engineer aviation group) during the Korean Conflict. He was an active member of the Little Sauk American Legion, Post 417. He served on the Grey Eagle Township Board for over 35 years.

Ray worked in the cities as a carpenter, worked at Polar Manufacturing, and Long Prairie Packing. He also farmed for a number of years on his farm near Goose Lake. Raymond donated a portion of his land to the State of Minnesota that is now the Goose Lake Public Access.

Ray was also the owner of the Golden Eagle Supper Club for several years. Long distance trucking was Ray’s joy, traveling all over the states. He took pride in driving through Alaska three times. On October 14th, 1978, he married Ruth Ann Marty at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran church in Grey Eagle, then making their home in Burtrum. Raymond built the home that they have lived in for the last 33 years.

Ray had a number of hobbies that he enjoyed. He really loved fishing, especially ice fishing particularly spearing and hunting for deer. He was also fond of feeding and watching the deer and birds in his yard and driving around checking roads and stopping in to visit friends. Ray was a man of many talents with wood working; he took pleasure building different types of bird houses, horse drawn hay sleighs and log wagons, and restoring old sleighs. He especially enjoyed when people would come over to his North Office for a cocktail so he could show them his many treasures, reminisce and talk smart.

Ray also loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and giving them all different nicknames, likely because he couldn’t remember their names all the time. Raymond will be deeply missed by many and left a legacy to remember. 

Ray is survived by his loving wife of almost 47 years, Ruth Ann Bense; children, Christopher (Teri) Bense of Burtrum, Tommy Bense of Grey Eagle, Richard (Patricia) Bense of Abilene, Texas, Teriana (Brandon) Voller of Burtrum, Amber (Brandon) Toenyan of Grey Eagle, Kimberly (Thomas) Abraham of Pierz, 14 grandchildren with one due in December; and six great-children.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Elsie and Herman; brothers, Robert and William; sister, Una Lane; sister-in-law, Darlene; and mother and father-in-law, Walt and Genevieve Marty.