Benjamin "Benny" Dunn

Benjamin Dunn, 95, of Murphysboro, passed away at 4:53 a.m. Thursday, March 29, 2012, at the Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Illinois. Benjamin was born on February 17, 1917, in Gorham, Illinois, to Thomas G. Dunn and Frances M (Van Eman) Dunn. He married Johanna Mifflin on March 19, 1949, in Piggott, Arkansas, and she preceded him in death on May 17, 2001. Benny started teaching in 1939 in the Gorham School System at Baum School, a one room country school. In 1940, he taught in the Gorham Grade School, teaching 6th, 7th and 8th grades in Social Studies and coaching basketball. Then he went in the U.S. Army. Mr. Dunn was captured by the Japanese on Java on March 8, 1942 and was a prisoner of war until September 2, 1945. He was sent to Singapore, Burma and Thailand and was worked as slave labor for the Japanese. In the fall of 1947, he started teaching history and Physical Education at the Gorham High School and served as baseball and basketball coach for eight years. In 1955, he became the Superintendent of the Gorham School System until 1967. Then from 1967 to 1972, he served as the Superintendent of the Newman Community Unit School System, and in 1972, he served as the Superintendent of the Anna-Jonesboro School System until his retirement in 1974. In 1979, he authored the book "The Bamboo Express", which tells about his experiences as a prisoner of war and working on the Japanese Death Railway. Mr. Dunn was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Murphysboro, Illinois. He was a member of the Jackson County Retired Teachers Association and the Illinois Retired Teacher Association, a member of the American Legion Post # 127, V.F.W. Post # 7190, Disabled American Veterans, the American Ex-Prisoners of War, and the Texas Lost Battalion Association. He is survived by one son and two daughter in laws Tom and Elaine Dunn of Cobden, and Tempa Dunn of Chatham, IL; six grandchildren Aaron Dunn and his wife Michelle Dunn, Kyle Dunn and his wife Stacey Dunn, Abby Dunn, Katie Haley and her husband Chad Haley, Angela Hayman and her husband Scott Hayman, and Kevin Thornburg and his wife Sylvia; ten great grandchildren Madalyn Dunn, Chole Dunn, Jacob Dunn, Emma Dunn, Riley Dunn, Lauren Hayman, Isabel Hayman, Jesse Warner, Brandy Warner, and Lydia Thornburg, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one son Joe Dunn on July 4, 2008, two brothers Tom Dunn and Joe Bob Dunn, and three sisters Catherine Magill, Isabel McCleland, and France Dixon, and his parents.

Benjamin "Benny" Dunn

February 17, 1917 - March 29, 2012