Roy Henry Berens was born April 5, 1923 in Harrold, South Dakota, the son of Edward J. and Henrietta (Yanisch) Berens. He lived in Harrold until 1933, when the family moved to the Willmar area. They then moved to Lake Lillian before settling in Starbuck. He graduated from Starbuck High School. On October 24, 1944, Roy was united in marriage to Olive Halvorson at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Benson, by Fr. Shea. They were blessed with five children and 65 years of marriage. Together, Roy and Olive raised their family, farmed and operated a livestock trucking company. Roy also sold real estate in the Benson area. In 1984, they moved to the Twin Cities and worked for Gittleman Property Management until they returned to Benson in 1994. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Among the things Roy enjoyed were baseball, fishing and hunting. Sports were a passion for Roy. He enjoyed the camaraderie and the thrill of competition. Roy played amateur baseball for the Benson Chiefs and the Benson-DeGraff Irish Chiefs for 14 years. He enjoyed watching baseball, especially the Minnesota Twins, and was a member of the Benson Golf Club for many years. He was always on the watch for the "Big One", whether it was in the deer stand or the spearing house. He also had a tender spot in his heart for the local sports teams and loved to offer words of encouragement to the young athletes. Roy was called from this life on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at the Swift County Benson Hospital. He attained the age of 86 years, 10 months and 11 days. Roy is survived by his wife Olive of Benson; children: Joan (Joe) Cronin of Edina, Allen (fiancé Deb) Berens of Pequot Lakes, Timothy Berens of St. Cloud, FL, Patty (Mike) Ruhland of St. Cloud, and David (Nettie) Berens of Benson; twelve grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren; a sister, Nellie Branch of Starbuck; and other relatives and friends. Preceding him in death were his parents, Edward and Henrietta; three brothers Joseph, Edwin and Walter; and one sister, Marie.
