WICHITA — Dale Merlyn Beneke, 94, of Wichita, Kan., passed away April 20, 2026, at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, Merriam, Kan. He was born March 25, 1932, in rural Bushton, Kan., the son of Oscar Henry and Aileon (Weihe) Beneke.

Dale graduated from Bushton High School, with the class of 1950. He served as a corporal in the United States Army from 1954 until 1956 in England. On May 3, 1959, Dale was united in marriage with Marlene Eloise Mehl. They settled in rural Bushton, where they farmed. Dale was a farmer, custom harvester, and business partner with his wife Marlene for the Eagle Associates Amway distributorship. He was a mechanic for Boeing in Wichita and worked at Northern Natural Gas in Bushton. In 1980, Dale moved to Overland Park and then to Wichita in 2007.

Dale is a member of Salem Church, Bushton, and the NRA. He enjoyed playing Five-Point Pitch, dominos, concentration game, pickle ball, racket ball and snow skiing.

Dale is survived by his daughter, C. Roseann (Beneke) Collins (Al) of Salina, Kan.; two sons, Mark N. Beneke (Angie) of Bushton, Kan., and Lane A. Beneke (Pam) of Louisburg, N.C.; four grandchildren, Jeremy M. Beneke (Chloe) of Overland Park, Kan., Nicholas M. Beneke (Maddie) of Manhattan, Kan., Ashley C. Beneke of Louisburg, N.C., and Paige K. (Beneke) Cope (Alex) of Rock Hill, S.C.; nine great-grandchildren; and aunt Norva Ann Beneke-Snay of Hutchinson, Kan. Dale is preceded in death by his wife, Marlene Beneke; son Todd Beneke; brother, Norman Beneke; and sister, Audrey Carter.

Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 24, 2026, at Salem Church, rural Bushton, with Pastor Tom Reazin officiating. Burial will follow at the Salem-Friedhof Cemetery, with military honors by the Fort Riley Honor Guard. Visitation will be from 5 until 7 p.m., Thursday, April 23, 2026, at Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons, with family present. Memorials may be given to Salem Church Scholarship Fund or Alzheimer’s Research in care of Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons.

Funeral arrangements provided by

Birzer Funeral Home

214 West Ave. South

Lyons, KS 67554

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, April 23, 2026