Benito "Ben" John Gonzales' Obituary
Benito “Ben” John Gonzales, 89, of Clinton, Iowa, died Monday, September 30, 2019 at West Wing, DeWitt, IA. Visitation will be held from 4PM to 7PM Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at the Catholic Church of the Visitation, Camanche, where a rosary will be recited at 6:45PM. Services will be held at 10:30AM Thursday at the Catholic Church of the Visitation. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Nick Dose, Ben Dose, Blake Bark, Sean Smith, Triston Houzenga and Robert Fermon. Burial will be at 3PM Thursday at the Galva Cemetery, Galva Illinois, where military honors will be conducted. Snell-Zornig Funeral Home & Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made by visiting snellzornig.com.
Ben was born May 6, 1930 in Galesburg, Illinois, the son of Guadalupe and Maria (Ortega) Gonzalez. He was a 1948 graduate of the Galva High School. Ben married Nancy Florine in Galva, Illinois August 6, 1955; she died March 22, 1974. He later married Marjorie Byrnes in Omaha, Nebraska January 26, 1990.
He had been employed with the Burlington Northern Railroad for more than 34 years, starting as a telegraph operator and retiring as the Station Supervisor in Clinton.
Ben was a United States Air force Korean War veteran. He was a member of the Catholic Church of the Visitation and was an active 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a lifelong Cubs fan and was very active in athletics; he was an official for basketball, football, baseball, softball and track. Ben loved spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and especially attending their sporting events. Ben also played fast pitch softball and baseball as a young man. He and Marjorie traveled extensively after retiring.
Survivors include his wife, Marjorie Gonzales of Clinton; children, Benita (Tom Anderson) Gonzales of Eldridge, Iowa; Karla (Bill) Seitz of North Ft. Myers, Florida; Tonia (Steve) Bark of Camanche, Iowa; Andrea (Tom) Johnson of Palacios, TX; Melissa (Dewey Houzenga) Gonzales of Morrison, Illinois; Alysia (Michael) Hill of Victoria, TX; step-daughters, Jennifer (Daniel) Fermon and Jacqueline Smith both of Loveland, Ohio; 18 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; half-brother, Santos “Chubby” (Theresa) Calderon of East Moline, Illinois and half-sister, Helen (Al) Coleman of East Lansing, Michigan.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, three brothers and five sisters.
Memorials may be made to the family for a charity of their choice, the Church of the Visitation, the Knights of Columbus or masses.
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