Kathryn “Kathy” Benson (1942 – Present)
Kathryn “Kathy” Benson spent fifty years of her life employed at Concordia College. Through her work at the Kjos Health Center and beyond, she touched the lives of many and supported both students and staff in their physical and mental wellness. Benson was a deeply valued and beloved figure during her time at the college.
In 1941, Cecil Johnson, a high school teacher, married Eleanor Granstrom. Shortly after the couple moved to Los Angeles, California to work at Lockheed Aircraft Company, now known as Lockheed Corporation. During their two years in California, they had a child, Kathryn Eleanor Johnson, born October 6th, 1942. Johnson considered her father to be a major influence in her life. He taught her that she was on equal terms with others, regardless of her gender. Johnson also gave credit to him for being civically minded. Her father would engage her in deep conversation on topics centering around theology and social justice as she grew up and was known to advocate for issues such as women’s right to preach. In 1943, Johnson’s father entered the military. She and her mother followed him wherever he was stationed; her mother persistent in ensuring they would be together so long as he was in the US. In 1946, her father exited the military and went to seminary school, graduating as Reverend Cecil Johnson. He found a preaching position in Starkweather, North Dakota in 1949. Johnson’s family stayed in Starkweather until 1956 when they moved to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. Here, Johnson attended Pelican Rapids High School through to her graduation. [1]
After hearing about the college through friends and attending the Christmas Concerts, Johnson enrolled at Concordia College as a Music major in 1960. While she was passionate about music, Johnson only stayed as a Music major for a semester. In 1964, Johnson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology. While she had thoughts of becoming a social worker, there were not any strong programs in the area, and she enrolled at Fairview Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While still attending Fairview, Johnson married David Benson on August 20th, 1966. She then graduated from Fairview with a three-year diploma Nursing degree in 1967. [2]
In 1968, Benson and her family moved back to Moorhead, and she became the Resident Head of the women’s portion of East Complex, while her husband took the position of Assistant Dean of Students. Benson, her husband, and their first child, Jonathan, moved into East Complex for her position and it was in the two years that followed that Benson said her love for the college student age group was cemented. She was able to spend time closely with students and expressed she was never short of babysitters. In 1970, with her second child – Matthew – on the way, Benson and her husband decided it was time to move out of East Complex. At this time, Benson heard of an opening in the Health Center for a part time nurse. She interviewed for the position with Dr. Alf Borge, the Health Center physician, and was immediately hired. Benson stayed in this position until 1978, when Dr. Borge left Concordia, at which time she became Head Nurse and the Health Center Administrator. [3]
As a nurse, and later the Administrator, Benson had a wide variety of responsibilities assigned to her at the Health Center. The Center acted as a true clinic for both students and faculty at this time, seeing faculty in the morning and students in the afternoon. Those visiting the Center could expect to receive nearly all out-patient services that would normally be provided in a physician’s office. Physical examinations, physical therapy, gynecological services, certain immunizations and lab testing, chest and extremity X-rays, and EKGs are all examples of services which were provided at the Health Center. Additionally, the Health Center worked closely with the community outside Concordia to ensure students and faculty could receive proper referrals for all needs unable to be met on campus. This creation and maintenance of connections within the Concordia and medical communities, as well as hiring staff for the Center, was a large part of Benson’s job as Admin. The Center also aspired to educate students on their health and wellness, Benson herself provided information for numerous articles and correspondences on topics such as sex education and flu vaccinations, and at one time provided courses such as CPR training and held a yearly Health Fair on campus. Moreover, before the Counseling Center as we know it today was created, Benson, along with the campus pastor, provided mental health support and were on call 24/7 to provide continual support to any struggling students. [4]
Benson was also active outside Kjos Health Center. During the summers of 1975 to 2000, Benson worked as a nurse with the Migrant School Program, now called the Migrant Education Program, which ensured children of migrant workers received proper education and healthcare due to the nature of their parents’ work. Benson cherished her time working with these children and explained it was through her work with this program she was able to come to a clear understanding of what equality should be after witnessing the discrimination these families often faced. Benson was also active in multiple groups within her church, was a member of the Moorhead Kiwanis and Concordia’s Women’s League, as well as the Clay County Health Advisory Committee and the AIDS Task Force when they existed. In addition, in the early 2000s Benson received the wonderful opportunity to tour with the Concordia Choir as their medical support. She continued to delight in this opportunity until she retired. [5]
All of Benson’s generous work has earned her lifelong recognition on and off campus. In 1989, Benson was awarded the YWCA’s Woman of the Year in Health Award for her campus and community engagement. In 2003, she received the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award from Concordia, which cited her dedication, care, understanding, compassion, humor, and capability in her nomination. The bottom of the award certificate states, “For her outstanding service to Concordia College, for a life of modeling the mission of the college, for influencing the affairs of the world in extraordinary ways through her service to students and the community, the Old and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award is conferred upon Kathryn E. Benson.” It is clear through these kind words, as well as numerous other correspondences and mentions of her, Benson was an adored and admired figure at Concordia College. However, Benson did not view her work as anything special. Rather, it was her duty and her delight to give so generously when life had been so generous to her. Furthermore, she found her life to be undoubtedly more enriched by engaging with college students. Benson cherished all those who let her into their lives and allowed her to walk with them on their journey. Exchanging ideas and education with this age group was an especially remarkable activity, which Benson felt changed her thought processes and outlook on life. This was especially true for her interactions with marginalized students, who she had certainly learned from and been supported by most. When she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011 and had to have surgery, it was the underrepresented students in choir at Concordia who aided her in her recovery most predominantly. [6]
Benson retired in 2018, remaining in her Moorhead, MN home, two blocks away from campus, where she continued to frequently interact with the Concordia community. Changes on campus leading to the ceasing of the Health Center as a clinic led to her retirement. However, Benson still attended the Christmas Concerts every year, frequented games, connected with past and present students and faculty on and off campus, and was on the Alumni Board. Furthermore, her four sons grew up to be Cobbers, all marrying “very strong women,” two of whom were also Concordia graduates, and had fifteen children between them. When speaking of Concordia College in 2022, Benson commented, “this is home for me,” and even though she was no longer a day-to-day presence on the campus, her ties ran deep, and she is remembered fondly. [7]
Author: Lauren McNeil
Footnotes:
[1] “Rev Cecil M Johnson,” Find a Grave, Find A Grave, Inc., May 20, 2010; “Kathryn Eleanor Johnson in the California Birth Index, 1905-1995,” Ancestry, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2005; Kathryn Benson, interview with author, February 15, 2022, Moorhead, MN; “Benson-Johnson Nuptials August 20,” The Daily Journal, August 27, 1966.
[2] Benson, interview; “Benson-Johnson Nuptials,” 6; Vicki Asp Bremer, “Women to Watch,” Area Woman, Spring, 1990, Benson, Kathryn, Biographical Files Collection, Concordia College Archives.
[3] “College Fills Positions,” Concordian, September 6, 1968, 1; David Gibbons, “Benson has healthy outlook at Cord,” Concordian, December 9, 1988; Benson, interview; “Four Receive Awards in Excellence,” Concordia, Winter, 2003-2004, 3, Benson, Kathryn, Biographical Files Collection, Concordia College Archives.
[4] “Concordia College Student Health Center Brochure,” May 1990, Health Services, Topical Files Collection; “Kjos Health Center Parents Letter,” n.d., Health Services: Correspondence, 1990’s, RG 24.3.1, File Folder 1, Box 1; “Medical History and Physical Examination Form,” n.d., Health Services: Forms, 1990-1999, RG 24.3.2, File Folder 1, Box 1; “Don’t Sneeze at Health Service,” Concordian, October 5, 1979; Benson, interview; Carroll Engelhardt, Concordia Fair Doth Stand: The College Begins its Second Century, 1991-2016, 142; Sarah Hoffman, “Health Center busy,” Concordian, December 12, 2003; Jim Meier, “H1N1 Information, Email,” August 31, 2009, Health Services, Topical Files Collection; “Cobweb Express: Important Update About Seasonal Flu Clinic, Email,” September 23, 2009, Health Services, Topical Files Collection; “CC Health Service dispenses both treatment and education,” Concordian, February 18, 1977, 5; “Health Fair, Email,” January 7, 2004, Health Services, Topical Files Collection, Concordia College Archives.
[5] Tanna Rae Wagner, “Love and The Migrant School,” n.d., 16-17, 54, Benson, Kathryn, Biographical Files Collection; Benson, interview; “Women to Watch,” Benson, Kathryn, Biographical Files Collection, Concordia College Archives.
[6] “Women to Watch”; “Four Receive Awards”; “The Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award, Kathryn E. Benson,” August 21, 2003, Benson, Kathryn, Biographical Files Collection; William Craft, “An Invitation to Kathy Benson’s Chapel Service, Email,” April 23, 2018, Benson, Kathryn, Biographical Files Collection; Lisa Sethre-Hofstad, “Retirement Reception for Kathy Benson, Email,” April 12, 2018, Benson, Kathryn, Biographical Files Collection, Concordia College Archives; Benson, interview; Carrie Johansen, “Concordia through and through,” Concordian, April 15, 2011, 3.
[7] Sethre-Hofstad, “Retirement Reception;” Katie Nystuen, “Student Development and Campus Life Parents Letter,” n.d., Health Services: Forms, 2020-2029, RG 24.3.2, File Folder 3, Box 1, Concordia College Archives; Benson, interview.