Know Your Neighbors: Dan Bentz
, Pastor

Dan Bentz, 51, has been the pastor at Northside Baptist Church in Dixon for 20 years. He and his wife, Roberta “Bert” Bentz, 53, live in Dixon.

They have three sons, Andy Bentz, 28, of Dixon, Chris Bentz, 26, of Sycamore, and Tim Bentz, 22, a senior at Monmouth College, Monmouth; and two grandchildren. Dan has two brothers, Terry Bentz, 48, of Ponca City, Okla., and Tod Bentz, 46, of Dixon.

On-the-job lesson: Every day’s a little bit different.

Alma mater: I graduated in 1976 from Cherryvale High School in Cherryvale, Kan., and attended Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.

Philosophy: Treat people with the same respect I expect to be treated with.

Hearts: Golf, woodworking, camping and spending time with my grandkids.

Darts: Being around negative people.

Haunts: Church. Spending time at friends’ homes and having them over.

Hero: Raymond Whetstone, a mentor for me in college.

First job: I washed dishes at Felipe’s, a restaurant in Wichita, Kan., when I was 15. I got to meet a lot of people.

First car: A 1983 Chevrolet Bel Air when I was 16.

Guilty pleasure: Golf.

I’d like to meet: Abraham Lincoln.

In the dictionary next to: Peacemaker.

Trading places: I’d like to be a pilot so I could learn how to fly an airplane.

Trading spaces: I’d like to visit Australia, for the culture.

Best thing about Dixon: People are friendly, it’s a middle-class town, and it’s a good place to raise kids.

Shout out to: My church family.

Do you know someone who ought to be featured in Know Your Neighbors? Write to Phil Hartman at phartman@svnmail.com or call 800-798-4085, ext. 524.