Arvid, a twin to Dorothy, was born March 24, 16, to Harvey and Mabel Benson. He grew up in Hannaford, attended 12 years of schooling there graduating in 1934. He worked in the family hatchery and mercantile store. In 1937, he went to Moorhead, Minnesota, where he worked for Northwestern Hatchery and later as salesman for Northwestern Supply Co.
Arvid met Patricia Durbahn, a student of Moorhead State University and they were married 1940.
After working 13 years for Northwestern Supply, Arvid and Patty started their own hatchery. Within four years they had developed an appliance and hardware store and sold the hatchery. Later they expanded the business by adding furniture and moved to larger quarters now known as Arvid Benson Supply.
Son Michael Benson has taken over the business. Arvid has been in real estate since 1954, and is still in that business which consists of apartments, shopping centers and office buildings.
Arvid and Patty have three children. Cheryl, born in 1942. She married Thorpe Running in 1963. They have two daughters: Sara, born in 1970; and Maren, born in 1972.
Michael was born in 1948. He married Roxanne Eisenbeis in 1974. They are both involved in the family business in Moorhead. They have two sons: Brian, born in 1978; and Jason, born in 1981.
Kimberly Kay was born in 1958. She married Steven Zimmerman in 1982. They have a son, Isaac John, born in 1987, and live in Moorhead. Kim is a nurse and continues to work and Steven is in business.
Arvid likes to reminisce about our early days in Hannaford.
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 89