Storm Lake Pastor Killed in Humboldt County Crash, Community Mourns

Reverend Paul Bengtson, 83, of Storm Lake died on November 26, 2025 as a result of a car accident in Humboldt County. The news of his death has been confirmed by local funeral arrangers. Memorial services are scheduled for Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Storm Lake, with visitation from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will be held at a later date. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is handling arrangements.

The loss of a longtime community member carries personal and practical ripple effects for congregants, neighbors, and the wider Storm Lake area. The memorial at St. Mark Lutheran Church will provide a focal point for communal mourning and for the pastoral care that families and congregations often need after sudden deaths. Local leaders and service organizations may need to coordinate support for grieving family members and elders who rely on church programs for social connection.

This fatal crash also highlights broader public health and safety concerns in rural Iowa. Motor vehicle collisions remain a leading cause of injury and death, and rural crashes can be compounded by longer emergency medical response times and distance to trauma centers. Those systemic factors affect outcomes for residents across Buena Vista County and in surrounding counties. Community conversations about road safety, emergency medical services capacity, and resources for older drivers and riders are likely to take on renewed urgency in the wake of this incident.

For those planning to attend the memorial, visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday December 14 at St. Mark Lutheran Church, followed by the service at 2:00 p.m. Burial arrangements will be announced at a later time by Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home. The church gathering will offer residents an immediate way to support one another and to mark the life of a local clergyman who served Storm Lake.