Ben Place

Benjamin Lee Place was born March 27, 1977 in the Charleston Naval Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. Ben spent his young years going to Hunley Park Elementary School. In College Park Middle school he learned to play the snare drum. And the beat goes on and on and on! He participated in band in both Stratford High School and Spencer High School where he graduated in 1997. Ben also participated in T-ball, Cub Scouts, swimming lessons, baseball, taekwondo, played video games and loved movies. He also enjoyed darts, D & D, Magic The Gathering, music and spending time with family and friends. In 1993 he moved from Summerville, South Carolina to Spencer, Iowa. In the spring of 2000, Ben moved to Sioux Falls where he met Bandy Lund and her daughter, Moon. They moved on and had a son, Ezekiel, in December of 2000. In 2002, Ben met the love of his life at Eagles doing karaoke, Kristy Ann Grobe. They were united in marriage on May 28, 2006 and have resided in Spencer ever since. After two years of college at Iowa Lakes Community College, Ben decided it was time to get to work. He worked at several food places in Spencer before coming to Hardees where he loved to work. Ben's love of fast food was deep rooted in the south in the 80's, when the family started "Fast Food Friday". Ben passed away September 20, 2011 at the Spencer Municipal Hospital in Spencer, Iowa at thirty four years of age. Ben is survived by his wife Kristy of Spencer; one son, Ezekiel Place, of East Chain, Minnesota and one daughter, Moon Lund, of East Chain, Minnesota; mother, Vangie (Don) Cowen, of Marcus, Iowa; father, Alan L. Place, of Homestead, Florida; father-in-law, Fred Grobe, of Rossie, Iowa; one sister and three step-sisters, Amy Law and her finance ,Mark Kubat, of Laurens, Tara Konrady and her finance, Larry Heimeman, of Spencer, Amanda Cowen and her finance, Nathan Haack, of Graettinger and Cora Cowen of Marcus; two grandmothers, Rose Alger of Spencer and Viola Place of Milford; Uncle Tracy and Jacque Alger of Lisbon, Iowa, Aunt Edie Orris of Moville, Iowa, Aunt Ruthie of San Antonia, Texas and Aunt Robbin and Mike Mahorney of Laurens, Iowa; brothers-in-law, Ron Hansen and his wife, Dora, of Royal, Iowa and Fred C. Grobe and his wife Gina, of Ft. Dodge; many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Ben was preceded in death by his mother in law, Sandy Grobe; grandfathers, Lester Place and Robert Alger; grand-father-in-law, Gib Feldhacker; and one uncle, Mike Orris.