VINTON    Shirley Ann Benfer, 73, died Monday, June 29, 2009 at her home in Donna, Texas following an extended illness.
Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM, Monday, July 6, 2009 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vinton with Rev. Clarke E. Frederick officiating.  Interment will be held at Evergreen Cemetery at a later date.   Friends may call from 2 to 6 PM on Sunday, July 5, 2009 at Phillips Funeral Home Chapel (212 East 6th Street) and one hour prior to service time at the church on Monday.  A Memorial Fund has been established.
        Shirley was born April 2, 1936 in Van Horne to Herman and Josephine (Tuttle) Kiesel and graduated Garrison High School in 1954.  She married Brad Benfer on October 17, 1954 in Cedar Rapids.
Shirley and her husband farmed side-by-side in the Vinton area for over 50 years.  She was an active member of the Beef Producers and loved her work there, for many years she organized the Beef Producers Food Booth at the Benton County Fair.  Shirley was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church where she participated in the Mary Martha and Altar Guilds.  She was also an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Shirley dearly loved her church family and her presence will be missed.  She always had a special place in her heart for her family and Shirley always seemed to make her family a priority.  She and Brad enjoyed many winters in Texas together and loved to travel to visit their family.  Shirley was a wonderful person who was loved by all those who knew her and she will be greatly missed.
She is survived by her husband Brad of Donna, Texas formerly of Vinton; her daughter Debra Lynn Benfer of Iowa City; her son, Kevin Lee Benfer and wife Jing of Eagen, Minnesota; her grandchildren, Erik and wife Angie Hilton of Japan, Grant Hilton and wife Nicki and Ross Hilton all of Des Moines, Justin Benfer of Marion, Mitchell Benfer of Austin, Texas, Sean Benfer of Marion and Danielle Zhang of Eagen, Minnesota; her great grandchildren, Andru, Alex and Anthony Hilton, McKenna Hilton and one more on the way; her brother, Larry Kiesel of Burlington; her sisters, Sherry Raitt and husband Terry of Evansdale, Pam Petersen and husband Craig of Vinton, Mary Swanger and husband DeWayne of Toledo.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her great granddaughter, Grace Benfer and her sister-in-law, Marilyn Kiesel.