Obituary of Benedict Andrew Arens

Benedict "Ben" Andrew Arens, age 93, of Yankton, SD passed away Thursday, November 05, 2015 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM, Monday, November 9, 2015 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Yankton, with Rev. Robert Wullweber officiating. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Cemetery. Visitations will begin at 4:00 PM, Sunday, November 8, 2015 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, with a rosary at 6:30 PM followed by at Scripture service at 7:00 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Pallbearers will be his sons. Ben was born October 24, 1922 to Louis and Rosa (Sudbeck) Arens at home in rural Bow Valley, NE. He graduated from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Bow Valley. He married Theresa Brand on July 8, 1946 in St. Helena, NE. In 1948, Ben and Theresa moved to Orient, SD, where he actively farmed for 50 years and raised small grain and livestock. Ben was especially proud to be one of the first to raise corn in the Orient area. He enjoyed participating in corn picking contests with his Allis-Chalmers tractor and corn picker. In 1994, Ben and Theresa retired and moved to Yankton, SD. Ben and Theresa were blessed with thirteen (13) children. Ben enjoyed baseball, softball, country music, line dancing, traveling and playing cards, especially sheepshead. He was a strong pro-life supporter and his priorities were his faith and family. He actively followed his grandchildren's sporting and musical events. Ben and Theresa were members at The Center and participated in many activities. Ben loved visiting with people and he never met a stranger, but always a new friend. He had a great sense of humor, laughed often and lived a happy life. Ben is survived by his wife of 69 years, Theresa; eight sons: Vern (Sandy), Bill (Carol), Len, Mike (Tara), Jim (Donna), Tom (Terri), all of Yankton, Paul and Louie (Michelle) of Orient, SD and four daughters: Delores (Paul) Ballert of Lead, SD, Mary (Jim) Suing of St. Helena, NE, Rita (Mark) Nelson of Mission Hill, SD and Kathy (Paul) Hejna of Yankton, SD; 29 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild; as well as one brother, Louis Arens, of Coleridge, NE. Ben is preceded in death by one son, Joe on January 25, 1992; his parents; 5 brothers: Vic, Ed, Rudy, Ralph and Hugo; two sisters, Mary Ann Lenzen and Angeline Guenther and four siblings (Anthony, Rosina, Rita and Ruth) in infancy.