Benedict "Ben" Joseph Cuba

Benedict (Ben) Joseph Cuba, 88, native of Nance County, Nebraska, passed away November 26 th , 2022 at the WakeMed hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ben is survived by his wife Elfriede (Elfie), sons John Cuba, Frank Cuba (Nancy) and daughter Barbara Skerik (Brad), grandchildren Carter, Logan, Mackenzie, Jessica and great grandchildren Grace and Abigail.

Ben is preceded in death by his brothers Eugene and Alois, sisters Frances and Eleanor.

Ben was born January 4, 1934 in Genoa, Nebraska to Benedict Sylvester and Florence (Kiolbasa) Cuba. He attended country school and Catholic grade school in the area. He attended high school in Fullerton, NE as well as helped his parents on the family farm.

Ben enlisted in the US Air Force in 1954, spending time in Germany and north Africa. During the Korean Conflict, Ben was assigned to Kaufbeuren Air Force Base in Germany where he met his wife, Elfie Sauerwein. They were married in the base chapel on November 10 th , 1956 and had their first son, John prior to Ben’s discharge from the Air Force. They returned to Nebraska where Ben worked the family farm and many other jobs including maintaining township roads in Nance County.  Ben fulfilled a dream by obtaining his pilot’s license in 1975 and in 1980 moved the family to Minnesota where he worked as a flight instructor, commercial pilot and FAA examiner for Crystal Shamrock Aviation at the airport in Crystal, Minnesota. Ben loved flying charter flights for fisherman into Canada as well as aerobatic flying. Ben also enjoyed working part time at EL-HY-MEC and O’Brien Sheet Metal Company in Minneapolis, MN. Ben was a member of St. Raphael Catholic Church in Crystal, MN.

After his retirement, Ben and Elfie moved to Sherburn, MN where they enjoyed living for over 20 years.  There he loved gardening and delivering his vegetables to the neighborhood. In Sherburn, Ben was a member of St. Luke’s Catholic Church where he was an active member of the Knights of Columbus. Ben was also a member of the American Legion, VFW and DAV. Due to declining health, Ben and Elfie moved to Clayton, NC to be closer to their daughter, Barbara and son-in-law, Brad. There he enjoyed watching the many birds in his bird feeder, golfers in his back yard and beloved cat, Mikey.

A Mass of Rememberance and Internment will be at Saints Peter and Paul, Krakow Catholic Church and Cemetery in Nebraska at a later date.

Memorials can be sent to Boys Town of Nebraska, of which he supported most of his life.