Benedict "Benny" J. Samek

Benedict John Samek was born February 20, 1938, on the family farmstead in Ash Coulee, South Heart, ND. He was the 11^th out of 15 children born to James and Mary (Zastoupil) Samek. In 1943, the family moved to a farm 10 miles north of Wimbledon where he attended country school for first and second grade, and then he went to a boarding school for Catholics in New Rockford, ND, 60 miles away from home with 4 of his sisters and 1 brother. He returned home to help on the farm and attended the 7^th and 8^th and later returned to St. James Academy for the 9^th grade. 

Benny was drafted into the army in 1961 and spent 18 months in West Germany. After being discharged in 1963, he returned to work on the farm with his brother Frank. Benny had a connection to the church and wondered where Father Healy relocated. The father transferred to a small town quite a few miles away, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, in Fingal, ND. This is where he would meet his future wife, Rosalia (Rosie) Huber at the fall supper, which the priest and the two families arranged. Benny and Rosie were married on October 20, 1965, and they made their home near Wimbledon where they began to raise a family. Clayton, Cindy, and Chris were born here. 

In 1971, he moved his family to Breckenridge, MN where they welcomed baby number 4 Calvin. Benny went to NDSSS from 1971 to 1974 to get a degree in heating and air conditioning along with environmental systems, in designing equipment. He worked for a company out of Fergus Falls, MN. In the Fall of 1974, the Minn-Dak Sugar Beet Plant was built, and he was offered a job there. After 29 years of being their top mechanic, Benny retired in 2003. He was a Jack of all trades. Later he moved his family one last time in 1975, to their present home outside of Wahpeton, in the Dwight area, where they had a hobby farm of 13 acres. This is where babies number 5 and 6 were born, Carmen and Clinton. He was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church and a lifelong member of The Knights of Columbus. 

Benny loved taking rides to town and always had a list he had to do and made sure he did them. He was a perfectionist and believed if he did it his way it was the best! Benny talked highly of his wife, Rosie, children, grandchildren, his home, his pets, and his job at Minn-Dak. He was very dedicated to whatever he started and always had many projects going on. He loved his casino trips, visiting with family and friends, and was a storyteller. His garden was one of his lifelong loves and he shared it with all. Rosie would pack up the car and sell his produce at the farmer's market or on the radio swap shop. He loved family trips and vacations. His family was never left out and were included in all of his interests. He had his children into things they loved, such as motorcycles and snowmobiles. He had strong religious beliefs. Some more of his loves were, bowling, bingo, horseshoes, The Fry’n Pan, the Stop-n-Go Breck, sweet baked goods, Minn-Dak, tractors, card parties, mowing, snow blowing, plowing his fields, McDonald's, his garage and his TV, his family holidays and get togethers, trampoline for kids, wildlife, honor flight, button down flannel shirts and penny loafers, football, ice cream and music. He was very fond of country living, his neighbors and his DIY projects, the rocking chair and his golf cart, and also celebrating 2 Birthdays which he found out later in life. 

Benny always had a project going around his farm, he was a mechanic and working on a vehicle, tractor, lawnmower, or anything that needed to be fixed. His pride and joy was his wife, children, grandchildren, and his pets. He enjoyed feeding the birds and farm cats. He was very creative in everything he put his heart and soul into. Those hard-working hands can never be replaced. 

Benny is survived by his six children: Clayton Samek, Jamestown, ND, Cynthia Samek, rural Wahpeton, Christopher (Angela) Samek, Springfield, MO, Calvin Samek (special friend, Karen), Fargo, ND, Carmen (Jeremy) Miller, Breckenridge, MN, Clinton Samek, Rural Wahpeton; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; sibling’s brothers, Frank (Deb) Samek, Fargo, ND, Steve (Karen) Samek, Alexandria, MN, Vitres (Sara) Samek, Blue Earth, MN, sisters, Patricia (Laudie) Cherney, Jamestown, ND, Bertha (Lloyd) Lorenz, Fon Du Loc, WI. 

Benny is preceded in death by his wife, Rosalia (Rosie) (Huber) Samek, his parents, James and Mary (Zastoupil) Samek; brothers, George (Aggie) Samek, Laudie (Agnes) Samek, Wenzel (Mary) Samek, Bernard (Barbara) Samek, Valentine Samek; sisters, Mary (Irvin) Albrecht, Mildred (Joe) Clarys, Margaret (Gene) Haugen, GoergieAnn (Taft) Cherney. 

“ The family would like to thank everyone for attending, and to remember that if you were friends of one of the Sameks, you were lifetime friends of the entire family.”