Harold and Arlys Benson Endowment Fund

Arlys Thibodo was born March 9, 1928 in Stephen, Minnesota. Her father was a wheat farmer, but by the time Arlys was born, the family was living in town. She was raised with six brothers and one sister. Harold Benson’s grandparents homesteaded in northern Minnesota when they immigrated from Sweden in the 1880s. Peter Benson, Harold’s grandfather, was a master carpenter and built many of the homes in Stephen. Harold was born in Stephen on October 25, 1927, and was one of five children. Arlys and Harold met and started dating when Arlys was 15 and they were both performing the lead parts in an operetta produced by the school.

Harold entered the V-5 naval aviation college training program at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. When the training program ended, he was able to transfer to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, where Arlys was attending. At college, Harold pledged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. They both graduated in 1949, Arlys with a bachelor’s degree in education and Harold with a bachelor’s degree in business. They were married on August 14, 1949.
Harold’s brother, Bill, was at Camp Adair during World War II. When the war ended, Bill purchased a store in Corvallis and called it Benson’s Paint and Floor Covering. He convinced Harold to purchase half of the store and in 1951 Arlys and Harold moved to Corvallis, arriving with $35 in cash and a car. Bill and Harold ran the store, which was downtown on the west side of 2nd Street between Jefferson and Madison, together for many years. When Bill decided to retire, Harold bought Bill’s half of the company.

Harold was president of the Chamber of Commerce and served on the Corvallis City Council in the 1960s. He is also a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Corvallis and the Elks Club. His local civic involvement included taking the initiative to obtain options on three pieces of downtown property and approaching the city council with the vision to make them into free parking lots—a vision that saw fruition. He was on the off-street parking committee for about 30 years and has twice served on a committee that studied the county’s jail situation.

In 1977, Harold and his friend Marv MacDonald opened Benton County Bank; Harold became chairman of the board. The bank was located on the west corner of 4th Street and Madison, across the street diagonally from the Whiteside Theater.
Harold sold Benson’s Paint and Floor Covering in 1996 and Benton County Bank was sold to First Security Bank of Oregon in 1997. Harold had been buying and selling properties for several years, and he continued to do that after retiring. Over the years, he has built numerous apartment complexes and adult foster care homes in Portland. He now focuses on commercial properties outside of Oregon.
Arlys and Harold raised four daughters: Peggy Jo, Jennifer, Laurie, Elizabeth. Peggy Jo (the eldest, born in 1952) and Jennifer graduated from Corvallis High School. Laurie and Elizabeth graduated from Crescent Valley High School. They all graduated from college; Peggy Jo and Jennifer are Oregon State University alumni. Arlys spent a lot of time volunteering at Grace Lutheran Church. She and Harold sang in the church choir, and Arlys was president of the women’s group and representative to the Vina Moses Center. Arlys has also been involved in numerous community organizations over the years, such as the Assistance League, PEO, and Campfire Girls.

Harold and Arlys love to travel, and have visited numerous countries, such as Great Britain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Costa Rica. They are avid Beaver football and basketball fans. Their large extended family includes nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They have traditionally spent a lot of time in Palm Desert, California, and more recently have begun to spend the winter months there.

The couple decided to establish a fund with the Benton County Foundation because they want to give back to the community where they have thrived.