Austin B. Benson

Austin B. ""Cap"" Benson 91, of Amarillo died Tuesday December 23, 2008 in Amarillo. Memorial Services will be at 11:00 AM Saturday at Rector Funeral Home Osage Chapel with Jim Fox chaplain of Vista Care Hospice officiating. Burial was at Gruver Cemetery, December 27, 2008. Arrangements are by Rector Funeral Home Osage Chapel 2800 S. Osage St. Amarillo, Texas. Cap was born in Hill County. He graduated from Phillips High School. After high school he worked as a welder in the shipyards of New Orleans, LA during WWII. After the war, Cap moved to back to Phillips where he started a long career at Phillips Petroleum. During his career at Phillips, he worked in several towns in the Texas Panhandle. He retired after more than 40 years of dedicated service. Cap moved to Amarillo in 1998 from Gruver. He was a member of the Gruver Masonic Lodge and the First Christian Church of Gruver. He loved music and playing the guitar. Cap also loved attending dances at the Amarillo Senior Citizens. Cap coached baseball teams for many years, where he touched the lives of many young men. Cap married Bonnie Cook in 1940 at Borger. She passed away in 2001. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Kathy Stedje in 1997, a son in law, Dennis Stedje in 2001 and 2 great-grandchildren, Hayden Steinberger in 2002 and Gunner Stedje in 2008. The family would like to extend a special thanks to Mary Carasco and the staff of MC's Private care as well as Steve Kirkpatrick and the staff of Interim Healthcare and the Vista Care Hospice Doctors and staff. Survivors include 1 daughter, Cindy Holton and her husband Jerry of Spearman; 1 son, Bob Benson and his wife Gabriele of Lyons, CO; 6 grandchildren, Brett Benson, Shana Benson, Shelley Singleton, Shannon Steinberger, Jason Holton and Scott Stedje and 9 great-grandchildren. The family will be at 7814 Lindsey and request memorial donations to MC's Private Care 4807 S. Rusk Amarillo, Texas 79110