Patricia "Pat" Hornberg

Patricia (Pat) Ann Benson Hornberg, 88, passed away on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at Zearing Healthcare Center in Zearing.

A Celebration of Life, held by the family will take place on Sunday, October 11, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Dakins Community Center in Zearing. For more information or to send a condolence, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Pat and her family.

Pat, the daughter of Clifford and Zola (Smith) Benson was born on May 8, 1938, at St. Thomas Hospital in Marshalltown, Iowa.

Pat attended school in Green Mountain, Iowa. She was united in marriage to Benjamin Hornberg on May 20, 1956, at the United Church of Christ in Marshalltown. In June of 1956, Pat went to Jacksonville, North Carolina to be with Ben who was stationed at Camp Lejeune Marine Base. They returned to Iowa in January of 1957.

To this union five children were born: Deb, Ben Jr., Cheri, Dennis and Gary. They lived in many towns before settling in Zearing in 1968. Deb, Ben Jr., Cherri, and Gary all graduated from NESCO.

Pat worked at Lounsberry’s Grocery store in Zearing, Stewart Lumber in Marshalltown and owned and operated Ben and Pat’s Bait, Tackle and Convenient Store in Cape Fair, Missouri until 1993 when they sold the store and moved back to Marshalltown. Pat retired in 1999 from Stewart Lumber and moved to Albion. In 2014 she moved to Zearing to be near her family.

Pat enjoyed all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all their sports. Pat and Ben made a point of traveling from Missouri to watch their oldest granddaughter play her basketball games and the Girls State Basketball Tournament games. Pat also enjoyed camping, fishing, playing cards and time spent at the Marshalltown Senior Center.

Left to cherish her memory are her loving children: Deb Buffington of Zearing, Ben (Connie) Hornberg Jr. of Clinton, Cheri (Cal) Pearson of Huxley and Gary Hornberg of Zearing. Grandchildren: Wendy (Scott) Stensland, Nick Pearson, Tyler (Cennedy) Pearson, Clint Buffington, Derek (Sarah) Hornberg and Dustin Hornberg. Great-grandchildren: Caleb and Hannah Stensland, Holly and John Johnson, Bria, Lucas and Nora Pearson, Eli, Emarie and Georgie Pearson and Gunner Willey, Alden and Oliver Hornberg. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.

In death, Pat rejoined her parents Clifford and Zola Benson, unborn sister and brother, her son Dennis, husband Ben, her son-in-law John Buffington, grandparents, aunts and uncles and many cousins.

-lovingly written by Pat