Loving rural health:babies to elders
By ALLAN TINKER
With a strong background in nursing and continuing her education to secure her nurse-practitioner credentials (FNP-C), Kerri Benning is doing what she loves best. She enjoys meeting new people and doing family practice, babies through elder care. The job with Northland Community Health Center was slam dunk, whopper, and bulls-eye in her life, wrapping up her love for sports in high school, fishing with family and hunting B.C. (before children) with her husband.
The couple, Kerri and Rhett, has three little ones at their home in rural Wilton. Kaleb is six years of age, Bree is four, and Addie is one year. The couple also owns the Coldstone Creamery in Bismarck and recently sold the Minot branch of the same name.
Benning graduated from Jamestown, moving there from her birthplace in Mohall while she was in kindergarten. She has one sister Tanya Perkins. Father and mother, Glen and Carol Southam were employed as gas station owner and nurse, respectively.
In high school, Benning was active in girls basketball, going to state competitions as a guard for two years. She ran in track in hurdles and relays and played all positions in girls hockey.
After graduating from Jamestown High School in 2001, Benning studied at North Dakota State University for her generals; then came the degree in nursing from University of Minnesota (BSN) in 2005. She worked as a nurse for 10 years.
