Vivian Lowry Benson, 98, of Grinnell died on Wednesday, June 7, 2006, at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell. Funeral services for Mrs. Benson will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 10, at the First Friends Church in Grinnell with the Rev. Todd Follette officiating. Organist will be Kathleen McCune. Vocalist will be Brockie Follette. Pallbearers will be Ronald, Dennis and David Lowry, Craig and Mark Paulson, and Blake and Brent Cooper. Burial will be in West Liberty Cemetery near Montezuma. Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell is handling arrangements. Memorial contributions may be directed to the First Friends Church in Grinnell. Vivian was born near Searsboro, May 11, 1908, the daughter of William A. Miller and Martha E. Stansberry Miller Johnson. Her father died when she was three. Her mother married William (Bill) Johnson when she was six and she was raised by her mother and step-father in Searsboro. She graduated from Searsboro High and attended Cedar Falls College the summer of 1927. Vivian was united in marriage with Howard F. Lowry on April 4, 1928, in Newton. To this union four children were born. They farmed near Searsboro till 1943 when they moved to the Gilman area for two years. They returned to the Searsboro area to the Lowry home farm and farmed until widowed in 1955. She moved to Grinnell, where she worked at the Grinnell Glove Factory, Young's Paint Store, and Carousal Fabrics until she married Orville O. Benson April 7, 1969, at the Searsboro Friends Church. The couple lived in Newton for a short time while they were building their new home in Grinnell. She was a member of the Grinnell First Friends Church, USFW Missionary Society, and a local Bible study group. She was devoted to church, her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed gardening and her flowers. She excelled in sewing, crocheting, ceramics, oil painting and any number of numerous crafts. She always enjoyed being busy with her hands. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, step-father, both husbands; one year old son, Loring Cedric Lowry; two brothers, W. Paul Miller and Raymond Miller; and one sister, Irene Fudge. She is survived by one son, Richard (Doris) Lowry of Montezuma; two daughters, Shirley (Keith) Paulson and Loretta (Donald) Cooper of Grinnell; 10 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren; and 12 great great grandchildren.