Ernest A. (Ernie) Benesh, age 93, formerly a long-time resident of Owatonna, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at home in Bloomington with his daughter Sarah by his side. Ernie was born on May 20, 1926 to James and Zdenka (Kalivoda) Benesh on their farm in Oakland Township, Freeborn County, MN. The youngest of four boys, he attended District #75 country school and graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1943. Upon graduation, just after his 17th birthday, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during WWII. He participated in the battles of Guam and Iwo Jima. He was discharged Feb 7, 1946 and returned home. On Feb 10, 1948, he was united in marriage to Elaine Haroldson. After farming for a few years, they moved to Ames, IA, where Ernie attended Iowa State College. He graduated in 1956 with a BS in Industrial Administration. After college, Ernie and Elaine moved to the Chicago area where Ernie worked for Link Belt. They later moved to Wheaton, MN where he worked for Allis-Chalmers. In 1962 they moved to Owatonna, MN, where Ernie was Works Manager for Owatonna Manufacturing Company. In 1966 Ernie started working for Pioneer Engineering Company in Minneapolis, MN as Factory Manager, building rock crushers and asphalt plants. In 1982 he went to work for Bituma Construction Equipment Company as Operations Manager in Marquette, IA. He then worked for Slidell in Owatonna until his retirement in 1991. After "retiring," Ernie worked for SGS Company for 8 years, inspecting shipments that were being sent overseas by companies in southern MN and northern IA. Ernie served on the Twin Cities Labor Management Council for 13 years, the Steele County Children and Community Service Advisory Committee for 2 years and was president of the Owatonna Public Utilities Commission from 1985 to 1989. In addition, Ernie was selected to attend many engineering and management seminars and schools such as A.O. Smith Welding Institute in Milwaukee, WI, and an IBM computer course in Endicott, N.Y. Throughout his career he engineered several farm machines. He also designed a vertical auger automatic bagger for titanium dioxide, originally for the Dupont Company, that is still being sold today. Ernie and his cousins, Emil Prantner and Milo Belshan, were also instrumental in designing and fundraising to have a Veterans Memorial built in 2013 at the Bohemian National Cemetery in Hayward Township. The support and finished memorial far exceeded their dreams. Ernie enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, reading history, genealogy and horseback riding with his daughter when she was young. Ernie was preceded in death by his parents, wife Elaine in 2004 after 56 years of marriage, brothers and sisters-in-law Joseph Benesh, James (Irene) Benesh and Richard (Marcy) Benesh. He is survived by his daughter Sarah (Paul) Lindemann of Bloomington, MN, grandson Pvt. Zachary Lindemann, Colorado Springs, CO, granddaughter Valentina Lindemann, Bloomington, many nieces and nephews, family and friends. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 30, 2019 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 609 Lincoln Ave., Owatonna, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Ernie generously donated his body to the Mayo Clinic Bequest Program for the purpose of medical education, research and surgical training. Therefore, burial will be at a later date at the Bohemian National Cemetery, Hayward Township. Ernie was loved by so many and will be missed by all. Memorials preferred to Mayo Clinic or Trinity Lutheran Church, Owatonna.