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BENZ, Frank L. Rev. Dr.
BENZ, Frank L. Rev. Dr. (Dunn Center, ND, Mar. 14, 1930--Loveland, CO, July 25, 2016).Born and raised on his parents’ ranch homestead in Dunn Center, North Dakota, along with three sisters and eight brothers, Frank graduated from Wartburg College in 1954 with majors in German and New Testament Greek. During his years of study for ministry at WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY(1954-1958), he was asked by the faculty to forego his year of internship to teach Beginning Greek and Hebrew for two years while completing his senior courses.
In 1958 he enrolled for graduate studies in the Department of Near Eastern Studies of The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. He and Joyce Schumann, an executive secretary in the home offices of the Kimberly-Clark Corp. in Neenah, WI, were married in 1959. In Baltimore, she took a job at the McCormick Spice and Tea Co. as secretary to the treasurer.
Frank was called back to Wartburg Seminary in 1960, but given leave to complete his degree studies. His doctoral dissertation, Personal Names in the Phoenician and Punic Inscriptions, was published by the Pontifical Biblical Institute Press in Rome. It continues to be a valuable resource for scholars in the Semitic field of study.
At Wartburg Seminary, Frank taught biblical languages, Hebrew scriptures/Old Testament theology and a variety of courses in the curriculum. During his thirty-three years of ministry there, he also served as dean of students, interim dean of the faculty and director of the January course of studies that took some students off campus for engagement in parishes as well as overseas for international immersions. In his teaching years, he led three archaeological excavations in Israel and the West Bank (Gezer and Tel-Hesi).
During retirement, Frank and Joyce traveled throughout the western states, teaching and giving lectures in churches. They lived overseas in Israel and in England. Together they led study tours to Egypt, Israel and Germany. In retirement, they took tours of most of the countries of Europe, as well as Alaska and Hawaii.
Frank served as President of the Lutheran Retired Pastors Association of Northern Colorado and Dean of The Luther Academy of the Rockies. At Trinity Lutheran Church in Loveland, Frank was a member of the choir and served on the Urn Garden Committee and Call Committee.
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