Ventura Herrera Gonzales

Ventura Herrera Gonzales, affectionately known as Ben, passed away on March 14, 2026, and was reunited with his beloved wife, Patricia.

Born on July 2, 1938, in Del Rio, Texas, to Maria Herrera and Antonio Gonzalez, Ben experienced a clerical error at birth that resulted in a different spelling of his last name from his parents and many of his siblings. He often spoke warmly of his childhood adventures in Texas spent with his brothers, cousins, and grandparents. In 1951, his family moved north in search of new opportunities, working in the fields of Utah and Idaho before settling in Idaho, where he lived for the rest of his life. He frequently returned to Texas to visit family.

Ben met the love of his life, Patricia Lundberg, in 1961, and they married on April 14, 1962. He took great pride in their nearly 63 years of marriage. Together they raised four children: Rayne, Jay, Randee, and Laurie. The family lived in several communities in eastern Idaho before making their home in Shelley, where Ben enthusiastically supported his children and grandchildren at countless sporting events. Family was everything to him. His home was always open to his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and he cherished every moment spent surrounded by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

From a young age, Ben worked in the fields and developed a lifelong appreciation for hard work. He became a skilled mechanic, welder, and fabricator, working for local farms, Standard Mead Ford, and Logan Farm Equipment before owning and operating Actioncraft Trailers, where he built quality trailers. He had a deep passion for cars and everything involved in restoring them, from engines to bodywork, a love he shared with his father and brothers and passed on to his sons and grandsons.

Ventura is survived by his sons Rayne Gonzales of Pocatello and Randee (Heather) Gonzales of Shelley, eight grandchildren: Joshua, Shayce, Amber (Dillon), Brittni, Jaydan, Ellie, Macie, and Holden, and 17 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law Elanie Gonzalez and Chepa Gonzalez, both of Idaho Falls, and Arlene Gonzalez.

He was preceded in death by his wife Patricia, his parents Antonio and Maria, his son Jay, his daughter Laurie, his great-granddaughter Kinnley, and all of his siblings: Antonio, Lupe, Albino, Joe, Jesse, and Maria.