Charles E. Bennison Sr.

Charles Ellsworth Bennison Sr. (July 23, 1917 - January 5, 2004) was the fifth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan. He was the father of Charles E. Bennison Jr., former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

The Right Reverend

Charles E. Bennison

D.D.
Bishop of Western Michigan
ChurchEpiscopal Church
SeeWestern Michigan
ElectedNovember 1959
In office1960–1984
PredecessorDudley B. McNeil
SuccessorHoward Meeks
Previous post(s)Rector, Christ Church, Joliet, Illinois
Orders
OrdinationOctober 5, 1942
by Stephen Keeler
ConsecrationFebruary 24, 1960
by Arthur C. Lichtenberger
Personal details
Born(1917-07-23)July 23, 1917
DiedJanuary 5, 2004(2004-01-05) (aged 86)
Menlo Park, California, United States
BuriedFormer Cathedral Church of Christ the King
DenominationAnglican
ParentsFloyd William Bennison & Cleo Leona Wilson
Spouse
Marjorie Elizabeth Haglun
(m. 1942)
Children3

Biography

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He was born in Janesville, Wisconsin in 1917 and went to college at Lawrence College and the University of Minnesota. He was ordained deacon in March 1942 by Bishop Frank McElwain, and priest in October 1942 by Bishop Stephen Keeler in the Diocese of Minnesota, having attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary; after serving in several parishes in the diocese and in the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire, he was called as rector of Christ Church, Joliet, Illinois, where he was serving when elected as bishop of Western Michigan. At his consecration in 1960 he was the youngest bishop in the Episcopal Church.

His tenure as bishop was marked by the construction of many new churches and facilities, including the Cathedral Church of Christ the King in Portage, Michigan. He retired on December 1, 1984, and served as assisting bishop in the dioceses of Los Angeles and California. Towards the end of his life he and his wife lived in Menlo Park, California, where he died January 5, 2004, of Alzheimer's disease.

His son John was also an Episcopal priest.

References

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  • "Obituaries". The Almanac. Embarcadero Media. 2004-01-14. Retrieved 2020-01-11.