WWII cadet nurse Benson celebrates 100th in BP

It’s hard to tell what Connie Benson is most proud of: her age or her military service.

Actually, it’s probably both.

That’s why she was at the Blooming Prairie Servicemen’s Club last week, having lunch on her 100^th birthday, before being recognized at the Veterans’ Memorial for her work as a nurse.

“I was a cadet nurse during the war,” Benson said, repeating her story as more people arrived.

Though she originally trained as a teacher – “I taught country school, all eight grades” – Benson felt called to nursing.

It was 1942, and a shortage of nurses for both military and civilian hospitals prompted the U.S. Public Health Service to organize the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps.

Benson was a student at the Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester and became a cadet nurse a year later. It provided her with free tuition, a small monthly salary, and several training sessions at larger hospitals in the Twin Cities.

She registered for her service out of Blooming Prairie.

But by July 1945, when she graduated as a registered nurse – with Dr. Charlie Mayo’s signature on her original nursing certificate – the war was winding down, and the nurse shortage faded.

Benson became a surgical nurse at Worrall Hospital, and, she said, “I’ve been a nurse all my life.”

She and her husband, Clifford, married in 1945; the couple raised six sons on a farm outside of Corning, in Mower County.

Her oldest son, Mike, and his wife Charlane organized the small gathering to mark her life and her life’s work.

Bob Ingvalson, the Commander of the BP American Legion, was happy to be on the official end of things.

“It ended up, I have a connection to Connie,” he said. “Her oldest sister, Muriel, was my aunt. It just makes it more special.”

One of eight children, including seven girls, Benson’s two surviving siblings also came to celebrate. Jean Vanberg came from Gig Harbor, Wash., and Bette Ladd flew in from Phoenix.

A larger gathering was planned for Saturday in Albert Lea. Benson’s five surviving sons will all be there, as well as many cousins and other friends and family. Her three oldest sons graduated from Blooming Prairie High School.

Her longevity doesn’t surprise her boys.

“When she turned 90, I figured she’d live to be 100,” said Craig Benson, who made the trip from Montrose, Colo. “She said, ‘no,’ and I said, ‘yeah, I think you’re going to live to be 100.’ We’re going to take a trip to the park, and get chicken nuggets, because she likes chicken nuggets.”

The family joke, Mike laughed, “was that we always said there was no woman that could survive sane in our family – she was our proof of that.”

Benson’s only brother, Carmen, lived to be 93, as did their father and grandfather, Vanberg said.

“I’m the first” to turn 100, Benson said. She credits good genes, adding that her health is “still pretty good, as far as I know,” but admits having six boys “toughened me up, that’s right.”

Benson was widowed in 1978, when Clifford died in a small plane crash.

She recently made the move from assisted living into skilled care; at least five family members FaceTime her each week.

Charlane Benson has kept a photo album of some of the highlights of her mother-in-law’s life, including baby photos, wedding photos and her 2009 Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

“We have pictures from her birthdays, starting back at about 90,” Benson said, pointing to one of the photos. “We expect all of these cousins to come Saturday; we do like a party.”

Benson watched as the photo album circulated.

“I was very lucky,” she said, “very lucky, because I’m 100 years old now, and a lot of things, I’ve forgotten, but it comes back.”

The group made its way out to the Veterans Memorial, where a north wind whipped the flags that surround it.

Mike Benson pointed out the wall paver with his mother’s name, branch of service, and dates of service – in her case, 1943-1945.

“We want to recognize you today for your service,” Ingvalson said. “We thank you so much, and I’d also like to recognize you for your 100^th birthday.”

“Well, I’ve had an interesting life,” Benson replied, “and I never thought I’d live this long.”