John Paul Benson

Rev. John Paul Benson, 96, of Shepherd of the Valley-Howland, died of heart failure Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. Born October 28, 1922 in Warren, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Rev. Louis Harry Benson and Annette Ellen Nelson. John graduated from Dempseytown Schools, 1938; Oil City High School, 1939; Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1943; seminary at Oberlin College, 1946; and received a Masters of Divinity Degree from Vanderbilt University, 1973.

John served in the armed services in World War II as a cadet pilot in the Army Air Force and later in the 52nd Armored Infantry Battalion. He was wounded in action in 1945 outside of Berlin.

John married Thelma Elizabeth Miller-Jones on September 8, 1946, and they had 6 children. As a minister, Rev. Benson served the following churches in Ohio: Gnadenhutten Methodist Church; Woodsfield Methodist Church; Shaffer Memorial Methodist Church, Cleveland; Christ United Methodist Church, Newcomerstown; Church of the Good Shepherd, Akron; and was Chaplain at the Elyria United Methodist Home. He retired from the East Ohio United Methodist Conference in1986.

John enjoyed music, the outdoors and his family.

Surviving are 5 daughters: Jae Ellen (Nathan) Van Wey of Canton, OH, Christina (Charles) Cook of Warren, OH, Dana (David) Dockery of Palm Harbor, FL, Jean Greathouse of Akron, OH, and Leslee (Ben) Owens of Grand Valley, PA; a son, John Mark (Linda) Benson of Clinton, OH; 14 grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife, Thelma; two grandchildren, Curt Cook and Alexander Owens, a sister Gertrude Flickner and brother Richard Benson.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Huff-Guthrie Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc., 312 W. Park St., Franklin where friends and family are welcome from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM on Saturday, November 24, 2018.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Gary Atkinson of Grace United Methodist Church, officiating.

Interment will follow at Franklin Cemetery where full military honors will be rendered by the VETS Honor Guard.

The family requests that donations be made to a charity or church of one's choice.

Online condolences and flowers may be sent to the family by visiting www.HuffFuneral.com.