Benjamin Sanders

Benjamin J. Sanders, Jr., 59, of Des Moines, Iowa, and formerly of Atlantic, passed away Saturday, September 22, 2007, at the Mercy Medical Center in Des, Moines, Iowa.

He was born December 31, 1947, in Atlantic, Iowa, the son of Ben and Evelyn (Hunt) Sanders.

Ben attended High School in Anita, Iowa, and was a 1967 graduate. He then attended college at Northwest Missouri State College in Maryville, Missouri. He later moved back to the family farm near Wiota, Iowa.

He was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and served just under one year before being discharged as a sole surviving son.

On May 5, 1974, Benjamin married Kathleen Sue Green. They resided in Atlantic, Iowa, until 1998, at which time the family moved to Des Moines, Iowa.

While in Atlantic, Benjamin worked for the Cass County Memorial Hospital for 20 years and Titan Tire in Des Moines for 9 years.

His hobbies included woodworking, horticulture, science, and bird watching. He had a great mind for inventions.

Benjamin is survived by his wife, Kathy of West Des Moines, Iowa; his daughter, Keisha Tompkin and her husband, Aaron "Tom" of Riverside, Iowa; his son, Ben Sanders III and his wife, Stephanie of Kellogg, Iowa; and son, Micah Loukaitis of Chicago, Illinois; three grandchildren, Kyra and Kaelyn Sanders, both of Kellogg, Iowa, and Alex Tompkin of Riverside, Iowa; his father and mother-in-law, Bobbie and Geraldine Green of Atlantic, Iowa; a brother-in-law, Steve Green and his wife, Donna of Atlantic, Iowa; a sister-in-law Dianna Kuhns and her husband, Randy of Atlantic, Iowa.

Also surviving are his nephews, Seth and Ryan Kuhns, both of Atlantic, Iowa, Jeff Green of Peru, Nebraska; his niece, Mary Green of Ames, Iowa, and his
great-niece, Nevaeh Kuhns of Atlantic, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin and Evelyn Sanders of Wiota, Iowa, and his maternal uncle, Nathan F. Hunt of Lewis, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 25, 2007, in the chapel at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic with the Pastor Chuck Smith of the First Baptist Church in Atlantic officiating.

Visitation is scheduled for Monday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Hockenberry's.

Burial will be in the Oakwood Cemetery, Lewis, Iowa, with military graveside rites conducted by the Atlantic Color Guard, followed by fellowship and lunch in the community room at Hockenberrys.

The family is requesting that memorials go to UNICEF of Iowa.

Hockenberry Family Care is in charge of the arrangements.