Velda J. BensleyDallas CenterVelda Bensley, 79, died on April 27, 2017 at Mercy Hospice in Johnston. Velda was born on June 20, 1937 in Des Moines to George and Delores (Hesseltine) Pratt. She attended East High School. In 1956, she met the love of her life Gary Bensley and settled in Dallas Center. She was a homemaker and was active in the family business, DC Muffler Shop along with her husband for many years. Her hobbies included ceramics, flower gardening, puzzles and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.Mrs. Bensley was preceded in death by her parents and brother Jim Pratt. She is survived by her husband, Gary; son, Gary of Elkhart; daughters, Sheryl (Lynn) Clark of Colfax, Dianna Bennett and Marie (Greg) Hein of Dallas Center; 6 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren and a great-great grandchild; brothers, Roy, Robert (Martha) Pratt and Chuck Ballard.A celebration of Velda's life will be held at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, May 2 at the Dallas Center United Methodist Church. The family will greet friends during a reception following the brief service until 8 pm. Memorial contributions may be directed to the family. Velda's family would like to thank Michal Thompson for the wonderful care given to her at Mercy Hospice.