Ted Binek

Funeral Mass for Theodore ?Ted? J. Binek, 86, of Dickinson, ND will be 3 p. m. , Friday July 25, 2008 at St. Joseph?s Catholic Church, Dickinson with Father Keith Streifel celebrating. Burial will follow in the St. Joseph?s Cemetery. Visitation will be 9 a. m. to 9 p. m. , Thursday, July 24, 2008 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson, ND with a vigil service at 8 p. m. Ted passed away July 22, 2008 at St. Benedict Health Center, Dickinson, ND. Theodore J. Binek was born October 29, 1921 to Frank and Frances (Haberman) Binek in Hebron, ND. He was educated for the first eight years at the Lehigh School and became the first in his family to graduate from high school. He completes his education at Dickinson State University?s Model High. He later studied welding and turning a lathe at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton. At the age of 10 he began working in the family coal mine, working in tunnels that were up to a mile long under ground. They used small cars on rails pulled by horses and mules to extract the coal. Tall chimneys with fans pulled air into the tunnels and water seeped from the ground. Ted, along with the other miners in the Binek Coal Mine, used hand tools for mining until 1937, when the company generated its own electricity. Sticks of dynamite were placed along the coal veins to expose the coal to be hauled out. The underground mining was eventually replaced in 1946 by strip-mining. From 1942 to 1946, Ted served in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theater. Ted was fortunate enough to have been present to witness the rising of the American Flags over Iwo Jima both times. Upon returning to the area, Ted along with his family, owned the Dickinson Coal Company, which was one of the largest earth-moving contractors in the state. In the 1950?s, the company purchased the Dakota Tar & Briquette Company near the mine and began producing briquettes. While mining for coal, the Binek?s discovered many petrified cypress trees and Ted donated them to the Dickinson Parks and Recreation for display at the Prairie Outpost Park. On October 26, 1948, Ted married Edna Pflepsen at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dickinson. The Binek family grew to six children. Because of the need for handicapped services, Ted worked diligently to establish ABLE Inc. in Dickinson. He liked playing cards, fishing and taking countless pictures. In recent years he videoed many weddings and special occasions for families in the area. Throughout his life he collected tons of petrified wood. Ted was a member of the American Legion, ARC Board, Rural Fire Department, Eagles Club and a life long member of St. Joseph?s Catholic Church. Ted is survived by: a son; Tim Binek, Dickinson, ND; daughters, Eileen (Sylvester Fernandez) Binek, St. Paul, MN and Clarine Binek, Dickinson, ND; sisters; Monica Krance, Trenton, MO and Mary Marsh, Independence, MO. He is preceded in death by: his parents; sons; Lawrence, Gerald and Kevin; daughter; Ann Margaret; sister; Martha Zastoupil; brothers; Mike, Martin, Tony, Daniel, Edward, George, Steve, Thomas and Sylvester.


Burial Date: July 25, 2008
Funeral Home Dickinson, ND

Funeral Mass: Friday; St. Joseph’s Catholic Church; Dickinson, ND