Fenn, Benny (1936-2014)

Benny J. Fenn was born in Colonia Juarez (in western Chihuahua, Mexico) on June 27, 1936. the son of Ada and Lee Fenn a miner and cattle rancher. His Mormon great-grandfather had emigrated to Mexico in 1886 to escape Utah's new anti-polygamy laws. Benny's grandfather (who knew Pancho Villa) mined for gold and silver in Sonora and Chihuahua, and taught Benny how to mine as well.

Benny spent his childhood in Mexico mostly in Colonia Pacheco and Colonia Juarez. Besides his studies, he enjoyed track, high jumping, pole vaulting, baseball and basketball as a youth. He was active in scouting, earning many badges and learning many skills. He was also good at mechanics and built himself a go-cart when he was in grade school. He was a good hunter and fisherman. As a young boy he was also fascinated by the minerals he found on the family ranch and in the family gold mine, and started collecting minerals at the age of 12.

After high school, Benny joined the United States Army and was assigned to a stateside unit. While serving there he sent money home every month for his father to buy cattle for him. By the time he was discharged from the Army he had quite a little herd.

Following his marriage to Elva Miramontes in 1965, Benny became seriously involved in minerals. Benny and Elva first mined opal and agate from the famous silica fields of Chihuahua, but soon turned their attention to crystallized minerals. Already in 1965 they were supplying specimens to wholesale mineral dealers in Tucson and southern California. Tucson dealer Susie Davis (q.v.) was especially helpful, teaching Benny a great deal about minerals, mineral identification, and the mineral business.

Benny and Elva's travels in search of minerals took them throughout all of Mexico but they concentrated on the northern and central states. Some of Benny's most important dealings include a major pocket of legrandite at the Ojuela mine, Mapimi (1968); the Allende meteorite (1969); a series of wulfenite pockets at Los Lamentos (1969-1970); and most famously the brilliant yellow botryoidal mimetite he discovered and mined at San Pedro Corralitos in 1968 (See Wendell Wilson’s article on San Pedro Coreralitos in the November-December 2004 issue of the Mineralogical Record.). Benny used the proceeds from the San Pedro Corralitos venture to purchase a 5,000-acre cattle ranch in the Sierra Madre, 46 miles southwest of Casas Grandes, Chihuahua. But he also continued mining and dealing in minerals. In 1972 he handled a major find of smithsonite from the Choix mine, and in 1994 began working the now-famous pink grossular deposit at Sierra de Cruces.

Benny and Elva resided for many years in Mexico, ranching and mining and operating their own gem and mineral business. Their son, Benny Lee was born in El Paso in 1971, and their son David was born in Tucson in 1976. In 1991 they moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where the boys completed school. They continued their ranching and mineral business and eventually established a mineral shop in Las Cruces and purchased Fenn’s Mini-Mart.

It was always a family affair with the Fenns. Benny and Elva's two sons often helped out in their specimen mining projects; Benny's sister Verla and her husband Harold Jorgenson operated a mineral shop in Lordsberg, New Mexico, and Harold often helped out on mining ventures as well. The Fenns had a wholesale mineral booth at the Tucson Show as early as the late 1960s, and in 1971 they became retail show dealers.

Benny was a legend in the gem and mineral world. He and Elva introduced many fine specimens to the world. He has been mentioned in over 15 articles in rock and mineral-oriented magazines. Benny and Elva worked side by side on their ranch and in the rock business for 49 years. Together they were honored on several different occasions, most recently at the Denver Gem and Mineral Show in 2013.

Benny J. Fenn Passed away on February 23, 2014, surrounded by his family.