Steven Bennett

TOLEDO-Steven Charles Bennett, 71, of Toledo, passed away on Friday, January 23, 2026, at his home. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 11:30 AM at First Presbyterian Church in Toledo. Interment will take place in Prairie Center Cemetery in Packwood, Iowa. Visitation will be held Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 10:00-11:30 AM prior to the service at the church.

Steve was born on November 24, 1954 to Burnis Burdette (B.B.) and Nelle (Pollock) Bennett in Fairfield, Iowa.

He grew up in Packwood, Iowa, and his family moved to Toledo in 1966 when his father, Burdett, took a job at the soil conservation office.

Steve graduated from South Tama High School and Marshalltown Community College, obtaining his Associate's degree.

He married Llana Naniot in May of 1988 at First Presbyterian Church in Toledo. They divorced in 1997.

Steve was a faithful member of First Presbyterian Church in Toledo for over 50 years. He served on various committees and faithfully unlocked the church every Sunday for many years.

Steve worked at Montezuma Manufacturing, the Tama Pack, and then the Meskwaki Casino for 12 years.

He had various interests including water color painting, playing Solitaire, traveling, soccer, and watching television; favorites included M*A*S*H, NCIS, and Star Trek. Traveling and navigating with a paper map was a passion he shared with his son, David, as they took road trips to zoos, museums, and historical sites, or just to get lost and navigate their way back to a main road.

Steve loved soccer and played with the Toledo city team that traveled to Germany in the 1970s.

Steve loved the Tama/Toledo community and enjoyed sharing the local news and updates with his brothers and children.

He was a kind, fun-loving person who would stop and chat with anybody. Steve had a great sense of humor, though at times it could be a little irreverent, often joking, “I’ve been dead for years, I just haven’t fallen over yet.”

Survivors include his children, David (Celeste) Bennett of Crestwood, Kentucky, and Emily Bennett of Parkersburg, Iowa; granddaughter, Alice Bennett; brothers, Tim (Leigh) Bennett, Chris Bennett, Sam (Joy) Bennett, and Matthew Bennett; two nephews Sean (Brittney) Bennett and Chris Bennett.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial fund will be established.

Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home, Tama-Toledo, is assisting the family with arrangements.