Obituary of Benjamin Franklin Vickery, Jr.

Vickery, Benjamin Franklin, Jr., aged 98, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, went to be with his Lord on December 8, 2023. “Minnesota’s Most Humble Artist” was featured in the 2018 award-winning documentary, Grandpa Ben, which was created by his granddaughter and her husband. Ben was quite the character and always ready with a witty joke. In WWII, Ben was a Staff Sargeant tail-gunner in the Army Air Force flying in a B-24 Liberator named “Homeward Angel”. A native of Jamestown, Colorado, born March 29, 1925. He met the love of his life, Millie Hoover, from Howard Lake, MN, in 1949 when she was living in Denver. During their courtship they would go dancing to the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. They married on September 23, 1950, in Howard Lake and started their life together in Minneapolis, where their first child, Robert, was born. They then moved to Longmont, Colorado, and added their second child, Marilyn. Finally, they moved back to Minnesota to settle down for good. A bricklayer by trade, he built their home in Minnetonka brick-by-brick, where they added two more children to their busy home, Janet and Ronald and, sadly, lost another shortly after birth. Ben’s creativity and love of music were passed on to his children. He continued singing with the Minnetonka Clippers Barbershop Chorus well into his 90’s. He was an artist at heart, painting and carving incredible works of art including many ribbon-winning paintings and carvings featured at the Minnesota State Fair and other competitions. His love for airplanes allowed him to identify at home, by sound, the vintage airplanes flying overhead from the Wings of the North airplane museum at the Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. He was also an avid University of Minnesota Gopher football fan (with many years of season tickets) and a fair-weather Vikings fan on Sundays in front of the TV. Many an evening was spent sitting with Millie watching Gopher basketball and then Cheers after the news (popcorn required!). A huge lover of big band music, classic TV, model trains, and airplanes, Ben’s fun-loving spirit and quick wit will be greatly missed. After Millie’s sudden passing in 2014, Ben adopted a rambunctious puppy he named Elvis to keep him company when the kids or grandkids were not visiting. Preceded in death by parents, Benjamin F. Vickery, Sr., and Elizabeth (Stockton) Vickery, sister Lois Moss, brother Lloyd Vickery, and wife Mildred. Survived by his children Robert Vickery, Marilyn (Rob) Rukavina, Jan (Rick) Lillemo, and Ron (Serra) Vickery; grandchildren Jennifer (Justin), David, Benjamin III (Lux), Hayden, Cole, and Noah; sister Donna Martin. Celebration of Life Service at 2:00 PM Saturday, December 23 at Plymouth Presbyterian Church, 3755 Dunkirk Lane North, Plymouth, MN. Private interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to 8th Air Force Historical Society or Shriners Hospital for Children. A special thank you to Brookdale North Oaks and Brookdale Hospice Minnesota for their wonderful care and kindness to our incredible Dad the last few months of his life. He will be missed by many and was loved by all. “Tooda-loo! Don’t take any wooden nickels!”