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Daniel Baird Bennion, a longtime resident of Powell, died from an unexpected and advanced pancreatic cancer in his home on Feb. 28, 2024. He was 72.
Dan was born in the Powell Hospital on Dec. 23, 1951, to Wayne Harvey and Reva (Baird) Bennion as the third of five children. He was raised in Cowley and became close with his siblings and cousins who lived nearby. From a young age, Dan learned to work hard while helping out at his dad’s refinery and gas stations. With only a few notable exceptions, he and his brothers usually kept each other out of trouble.
Dan graduated from Cowley High School in 1970, and he attended Ricks College (now BYU Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho, for one semester before beginning his service as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1971, Dan was assigned to serve for two years in Guatemala and El Salvador, where he was able to learn fluency in Spanish and gain a love for the Central American people he served.
After his mission, Dan enrolled at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in 1973. There, he got to know the love of his life Lynn Hopkin, of Powell, and they began dating shortly after. Never one to let a good thing go when he saw it, Dan proposed to Lynn after only a few months of dating. They were married for time and all eternity in the Provo Temple on Dec. 21, 1973.
In the summer of 1975, Dan and his brother John decided to build and sell a house together to earn some extra money between semesters. Their father, who had experience in construction, worked alongside them and guided them through the process. Dan took to construction like a natural, and he ultimately dropped out of college to start Bennion Construction. Over the next 49 years, Dan truly left his mark on Powell and the surrounding areas through the hundreds of homes, apartments, office buildings, schools and subdivisions he built. Hundreds of people fortunate enough to call this place home have Dan to thank for helping them build their dreams here.
While some years were better than others, Dan’s career as a builder allowed him and Lynn to stay in Powell, raise seven children and become integral members of the community. Dan would always credit his success to the support of his wife and his faith in his savior.
Dan was a faithful member of his church and served in many callings, including twice as a bishop. He and Lynn both enjoyed making weekly trips to the temple in Billings, Montana, where they volunteered for the past 10 years.
Dan leaves behind a large and close-knit family of seven children, four sons-in-law, two daughters-in-law and 20 grandchildren. In December of 2023, they were all together — with the exception of one grandchild serving a mission — to celebrate Dan and Lynn’s 50th wedding anniversary. While he found joy in his profession, he would always say that his family was the legacy that mattered most to him.
Dan is survived by his wife and his children Natalee (Chris) Wexels of Tooele, Utah, Clint of Powell, Collin (Jennifer) of New York City, New York, Danna (Brady) Nelson of Mooresville, North Carolina, Bethany (Jason) Jenks of Moses Lake, Washington, Kimball (Elaine) of Woods Cross, Utah, and Cicily (Nathan) Jellen of Luxembourg. He is also survived by his siblings, Linda (Bob) Andros of Sterling, Virginia, John (Margaret) of Billings, Montana, Doug (Cindy) of Billings and currently serving a church mission in Auckland, New Zealand, and Michael (Sarah) of Oxford, Michigan. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A viewing is scheduled for March 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Latter-day Saints chapel, 1026 Ave. E, in Powell. A second viewing at the same location is scheduled for the following morning, March 9, from 9:30-10:45 a.m. Funeral services will be March 9 at 11 a.m. at the same chapel. Dan will be laid to rest at Penrose Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Powell Senior Citizens Center Building Fund: P.O. Box 1156, Powell, WY 82435.
