Benjamin “Ben” Thomas Luther, 81, of Mount Ulla, N.C., passed away Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at Iredell Memorial Hospital.
Born on November 11, 1943, in Candler, N.C., he was the son of the late Thomas Crowell Luther and Ora Williams Luther. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Thora Dell McDevitt; his brother, Ted Luther; and his granddaughter, Brittany Luther.
Ben graduated from Enka High School, where he participated in football and track. He remained close with many of his classmates throughout his life and valued those friendships deeply. He attended Western Carolina University before working at American Enka Corporation. In 1965, he and his brother, Ted, established Lutheridge Jersey Dairy Farm, which they operated together for 48 years. In recognition of his dedication and leadership, Ben received the NC Jersey Breeders Distinguished Service Award in 1992.
He enjoyed exploring many National Parks, Canada, and Alaska, and especially snowmobiling in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was passionate about camping, horseback riding, and rodeo. He and his wife Margaret shared many adventures, including competing in Team Penning and Barrel Racing events. They spent many weekends with their friends, camping and traveling to rodeos. Ben was a proud member of the National Barrel Horse Association and competed in both the Open and Senior divisions, attending several World Championships. He also enjoyed meeting friends for coffee and breakfast several times a week.
Those left to cherish his memory include his devoted wife of 33 years, Margaret Correll Luther; his former wife and the mother of his children, Jean Sowers Barbee of Gastonia; his son, Galen Luther, and wife Frances of Statesville; his daughter, Shawn Luther Carpenter, and husband Cam of Belmont; his stepdaughter Amy Nash of Cleveland; his sister-in-law, Dot Luther of Mount Ulla; grandchildren, Brandon Luther, Bradley Luther, Luke Carpenter, Carley Carpenter, and Sydney Nash; and great-grandchildren, Brayden, Jace, and Bowen Luther. He is also survived by two nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the director, nurses, and all the staff of the Skilled Nursing Unit at Iredell Memorial Hospital for the care, kindness, and compassion provided to Ben and his family.
A Celebration of Life service will be held October 19 at 1 p.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Mount Ulla, N.C., with Pastor Robert McCarty officiating. A reception will be held in the Church Fellowship Hall following the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the SECU Family House, 1970 Baldwin Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 or the North Carolina Dairy Youth Foundation, PO Box 7621, Department of Animal Science, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7621.
Cavin-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory, Mooresville, is serving the Luther family. Condolences may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com.