- Date Of Birth: October 28, 1930
- Date Of Death: June 25, 2020
- State: Georgia
Merrill Bennett Stenberg
M. B. Stenberg, (Bennett) 89, of Greensboro, Georgia passed away on Thursday, June 25, 2020 after a long fight with throat cancer.
Bennett was born October 28, 1930, the fourth son of Ove and Alma Stenberg, of Colman, South Dakota. Loving cattle he worked hard on the farm but particularly liked playing his trombone, playing basketball and just having a lot of good old Danish fashion post-depression fun. He was a graduate of Egan High School in 1948 and then joined the Navy Reserve serving on the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence waterways.
Bennett and Darlene Lee Jacobsen were married on December 10, 1950 and went onto raise four children. God works in mysterious ways and after a divorce he married Doris Erickson Jessen. In dads later years he said “I’ve had two great wives.”
Bennett and Darlene moved off the farm in 1960 and he began his career and passion trading cattle, managing and owning stockyards.
After retiring from cattle trading, he enjoyed his horse farm near Salvisa, Kentucky, breeding mares, foaling, saving his favorite to run on the track. He bought the old Salvisa Hardware store from old man Dickerson and later moved it out on the big highway, (127) where for nearly thirty years he was in business with his son Paul. An occasional round of golf, a weekend on the house boat at Lake Cumberland, a UK basketball & football game, he loved the Cincinnati Reds or a day at Keeneland with friends like Dan Brooks, Bennett always had a way to make things fun. That’s not to say he was not tough; he could be Danish firm and darn right bull headed at times. He always taught his children not to play games with God and “never ever knock the rain.”
Bennett is preceded in death by his parents Ove and Alma, brothers DeVere, Virgil, Bob, and sister Elizabeth, and his second wife Doris.
He is survived by his daughters Cynthia Tingle (Warren), DeAnn Clark (Jim), sons Larry (Melissa), Paul (Debbie) his brother David, sister Arlene Lellelid; five grandchildren, seven great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews. Stepchildren Linda Sexton, Chuck Jessen, Scott Jessen, 2 granddaughters, and 3 great-grandchildren.
