Строитель и ветеран Второй мировой войны Рашелл Беной отметил 100-летие в Форест-Лейк

Russell Benoy turned 100 years old on Saturday, Aug. 8. Benoy, born and raised in Forest Lake, helped build Forest Lake with his late brother, Warren Benoy, through their construction company Benoy Brothers Construction Co. Inc. Russell, a World War II veteran, joined the Army Air Corps after graduating from Forest Lake High School in 1944. “He was training to be a pilot,” his son Nathan Benoy said. “But the war ended and they didn’t need pilots anymore, so then he became an aerial photographer and did a whole bunch of aerial photography and exploration type work for the Army Air Corps out in the western states.” Following his time in the Army Air Corps, Russell spent a few years in Utah. “I worked in the coal mines,” Russell said. Russell and his brother Warren formed the Benoy Brothers Construction Co. Inc., which spanned close to four decades, as the company started in the early 1950s and continued until they retired in 1989, according to the Times archives. The Benoy Brothers built homes and commercial buildings in the Forest Lake Area, including a number of area banks and churches and other large projects. “A lot of houses,” Russell said, as their construction company built custom homes around Forest Lake and Clear Lake, Nathan said. Daughter Melanie Benoy said he’s had many passions, including hunting, fishing, woodworking and especially traveling, as he hunted around the world, including 12 trips to Africa. “He’s been all over the world,” she said. Melanie said he’s lived a lot of life, largely spent in Forest Lake. “He was always busy doing something,” she said, adding, “He was never idle.” Family and friends celebrated Russell at his 100th birthday party on Saturday.