Lila Behnken

Funeral Services: Will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, rural Wiota, Iowa with burial in the First Lutheran Cemetery. A luncheon will be held following services at the cemetery. Pastor Ted Weishaupt will officiate the service.  

Open Visitation: Will be held on Monday, April 18th, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena. 

Family Visitation: The family will greet friends on Monday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena. 

Memorials: To the Lila Behnken memorial fund to be established by the family at a later date. 

Lila Marie Behnken was born May 10, 1943, the daughter of Leo Francis and Jennie Francis (Ford) Lydon in Adair County, Iowa. She passed away on Thursday, April 14, 2016, at Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield, Iowa, at the age of 72. 

Lila was born and raised in Adair County and graduated from Greenfield High School in 1961. On October 13, 1962, she was united in marriage to Bill Behnken at First Lutheran Church, in rural Wiota, Iowa. To this union five children were born: Brian, Teresa, Cindy, Blaine and Nicole. After their marriage they farmed in rural Massena. 

Lila served on the board for the Massena Library, was a member of the Massena Rose Garden Cub and First Lutheran Church, where she served on the Ladies Aide. She loved her children, grandchildren, enjoyed embroidery, and traveling which including trips to Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexico. She loved eating out, shopping for the grandkids, WWF wrestling, Adams County Speedway (McKee & Spieker Racing). 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Jennie Lydon and sister, Wilma Jensen. She is survived by her husband, Bill Behnken of Massena; five children, Brian Behnken (Rhonda) of Massena, Teresa Meek (James) of Bondurant, Cindy Armstrong (Russ) of Greenfield, Blaine Behnken (Kim) of Massena, and Nicole Behnken (Chad) of Pleasant Hill; two sisters, Mary Lea Rice of Prairie City and Kathryn Endres (Terry) of Des Moines; nine grandchildren, Brent Behnken (Joslyn), Joshua Behnken, Kaleb Meek (Tara), Andrew Meek, Jordan Armstrong, Tanner Armstrong, Payton Armstrong, Mallory Behnken and Natalie Behnken; one great grandson, Emmitt Meek; and other relatives. 

Lila’s family wishes to express their gratitude for all acts of kindness shown to them in their time of sorrow and invites you to join them for a luncheon at the church following the committal services at the cemetery.