Elisabeth Schömbs Benz
       - Jo Daviess County, Illinois

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Elisabeth Schömbs (*1789 Undenheim)

Elisabeth Schömbs, christened Anna Elisabetha on the 6th of January, 1789 in Undenheim, was the fifth of six children of Konrad and Anna Maria Kulzler Schömbs. She is the only of their children to our knowledge to have emigrated.

Marriage to Valentin Benz

On 14 January 1810, eight days after her 21st birthday, Elisabeth and Valentin Benz (*06.04.1787 Undenheim, +05.09.1865 Jo Daviess Cty IL) were married. Valentin was the son of Michael Benz. His mother's name is not in the transcription of the marriage record. It is interesting. The marriage record gives her name as Maria Elisabetha, not Anna Elisabetha. There was no significance at the time of being at least 21 years of ago.

And in this story she will simply be called Elisabeth.

Their Life in Germany

Kirchgäßchen Nr. 3, Undenheim Home of Peter Schömbs, his son Konrad, and finally Konrad's daughter Elisabeth and her husband Valentin Benz

Elisabeth and Valentin lived most of their lives in Undenheim. All their children were born there. In fact at the time of their emigration their youngest child was eighteen years old.

The Valentin Benz family lived at various times at Kirchgäßchen 3, Kirchstraße 75, and later at Großen Straße Nr. 139 ½. The Kirchgäßchen 3 home had been in the family for many years. It was sold in about 1840 to the Sauer family, which still owns it some 185 years later.

The photo to the left was taken during our Undenheim walk in 2015. Cousins are shown standing in front of the home.

Emigration in 1843

The Metamora of Alexandria

The entire family emigrated together in 1843. The original passenger list is difficult to read. Zoom in as necessary. Valentin and Elisabeth and their six living adult children sailed on the "Metamora of Alexandria", arriving in New York City on 26 July. Valentin was 56 years old at the time, Elisabeth was 54. Their children ranged in age from 33 years to 18. Valentin (*1810), was accompanied by his wife Anna Maria.

It is worth noting that the passenger list, or at least the transcription of the list, spells the family name "Bentz". Upon arrival in Amerika this new spelling was assumed by all the family members.

Six years later Valentine, he spelled his given name in Amerika with an "e", became a naturalized U.S. citizen. This took place in the Circuit Court in Galena, Illinois.

Another point to mention at this time is that many of the family members changed their given names once in Amerika. In several cases it was siimply adapting to a more traditional English spelling, e.g. Valentin became Valentine or Elisabeth became Elizabeth. But in other cases the change was a little more significant. Magdalena became Madeline. Anna Maria became Mary.

Jo Daviess County, Illinois

The first record we have of the Bentz family in Amerika is from the 1850 U.S. Federal Census. Valentine and Elisabeth were living on a farm which they owned. The location of the farm was given as Mill Creek. The farm was valued at $1000 in the Census. Their daughter Madeline was living with her parents. Also living in the home was a Phillip Rollinger, age 22. He was identified as a laborer, probably helping Valentine operate the farm. Click for the image of the original census page. Or click on the Link in LiveLinks at the very bottom of this story to see the entire original page.

The 1860 Census possibly gives additional information about the location of Valentine and Elisabeth. They are enumerated in Guilford Township in Jo Daviess Cty. Jo Daviess Cty is in the very northwest corner of Illinois, bordered on the west by the Mississippi River and the north by the state of Wisconsin. Since they were farmers, they probably were in the same location in both 1850 and 1860. This would say they were near Mill Creek in Guilford Township. If one were to zoom in on the map of Guilford Township below, you can see Mill Creek in the upper right corner of the map.

Enumerated with Valentine and Elisabeth in 1860 is Mary, their daughter age 46. This would have been their daughter 8.3 Maria Magdalena (*1813), who did not marry.

Five years later there was an Illinois state census taken. Unfortunately a state census does not gather as much information as a federal census. For example, the state census only lists the head of family and no other members of the household. But this is still very interesting. Valentine Schönhardt, Valentine Bentz and Valentine Bentz Jr. are all enumerated in sequence. We need to see the full census page to understand what the columns indicate and confirm that these are the three names recorded. The image is not clear. But from the transcription we see that there were three "men with pale skin color" and five "women with pale skin color" ("Ahnzahl der ... mit heller Hautfarbe") associated with Valentine Bentz. This was the year the American Civil War ended. Color was an interesting metric in the census!

Other Descendants of Zacharias Schömbs Living in Jo Daviess County

Jo Daviess County, Illinois was a hot spot for the emigrant descendants of Zacharias Schömbs. At this time (2017) we are aware of five emigrants who initially went to Jo Daviess County. Two of the five, Johann Georg Schönhardt and Johann Wilhelm Schömbs James, later moved out of Illinois as shown in the table below. But they first settled in Jo Daviess County. All five emigrated in the early 1840's and were some of the first Schömbs emigrants to go to the United States.

Schömbs Emigrants to Jo Daviess County IL
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	Birth Year	Birth Place	Emigrated	Settled First	Died
Valentine Schönhardt	*1808	Mommenheim	1840	Guilford Twp	Guilford Twp
Joh. Georg Schönhardt	*1811	Mommenheim	1840	Jo Daviess Cty	Brownsville MN
Jacob Schönhardt	*1824	Mommenheim	~1840	Scales Mound Twp	Scales Mound Twp
Joh. Wilhelm Schömbs James	*1810	Hahnheim	1842	Galena	Hokah MN
Elisabeth Schömbs Bentz	*1789	Undenheim	1843	Guilford Twp	Jo Daviess Cty

Guilford Township and Scales Mound Township are both in Jo Daviess County, as is the city of Galena.

Of the three maps immediately below, the first shows the northwestern corner of Illinois with Iowa across the Mississippi River and Wisconsin to the north. The arrow points to the area of Mill Creek, roughly between Woodbine and Scales Mound. The second shows more detail on Jo Daviess County and the towns in it. Galena is the county seat of Jo Daviess and the largest town. The third gives the various "townships" in the County. Townships in this case are not urban areas but rather just a method of breaking the county into smaller pieces.

While Elisabeth and Valentine probably lived their entire lives in Guilford Township, the descendants of the Schömbs emigrants also lived in Thompson and Scales Mound Townships and most likely others still.

Northwestern Illinois #1 Click to enlarge	Jo Daviess Towns #2 Click to enlarge	Jo Daviess Townships #3 Click to enlarge

Map of Guilford Township #4 Click to enlarge

Map #4 is a Plat Map of Guilford Township from 1893. The owner of each parcel of land is specifically identified along with the number of acres in the Plat. Zoom in to see the details. In the eastern part of Guilford Township, underlined in red, are the parcels owned by Schömbs descendants. Specifically, E. Schoenhard (Ernest *1849, +1899) owned 220 acres in Section 10 and 43 acres in Section 3. Ernest was the son and only child of Valentin Schönhardt (*1808, +1878). Most likely these parcels had been owned and farmed by Valentin before his death. George Schoenhard (*1873, +1938) owned 80 acres in Section 2. Mrs. J. Schoenhard (*1837, +1920), the wife of Jacob Schönhardt (*1824, +1890), owned 120 acres in Section 24 and 26 2/3 acres in Section 25. Immediately to the west Ernest Schoenhard owned another 20 acre parcel in Section 23. For those on the metric system, one hectare equals 2.47 acres.

Since the map is from 1893, it is after the deaths of Elisabeth and Valentine. We will later look to see if any of their daughters who married are landowners in Guilford Township.

The resolution of the map is not high. But zooming in still allows the reading of the owner's names. For a high resolution image but without the red underlines, one can go to the Plat of Guilford Township in the LiveLinks at the bottom of this page and zoom by using the slide bar below the map.

Also of interest is the "Schoenhard School #1" located in Section 11, across the road from Ernest's Section 10 parcel.

Deaths of Elisabeth and Valentin Bentz

Northwestern Illinois #1 Click to enlarge	Jo Daviess Towns #2 Click to enlarge

Elisabeth passed away 22 July 1863 during the height of the Civil War. She was buried in Singer's Cemetery. She was followed two years later by the death of Valentine, her husband. Valentine died on 5 September 1865 following an illness. The War had ended five months earlier with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.

Prior to and again on his last day alive Valentine stated his intentions orally (a noncupative will) regarding the disposition of his possessions. His declarations were made to Valentine Jr., his son, and Magdalene, his daughter. Benjamin and Annie Bentz, the two living chlldren of the late Jacob Bentz, another son of Valentine Sr. were to receive the share otherwise entitled to Jacob.

If one looks at their grave makers, they clearly wanted to be remembered by their German given names, i.e. Elisabeth and Valentin. We have no documents signed by them and therefore do not know how they spelled their names during their lives. All the documents in the story were produced by others, e.g. census, ship's passenger list, etc.

Descendants of Elizabeth Schömbs Bentz

Children: (8)

8.1.....Valentin Bentz Jr (*14.08.1810 Undenheim, +19.05.1872 Apple River IL)

In 1842 Valentin Jr. married Anna Maria Jungbluth (*25.09.1811 Undenheim). The ceremony took place on 17 May 1842 in Undenheim. Anna Maria was the daughter of Jacob and Theresia Lehn Jungbluth. The couple then emigrated the following year on the Metamora of Alexandria with the parents and siblings of Valentin. They are listed on lines 64 and 65 of the passenger list.

Apparently Anna Maria died soon afterward. For on 11 March 1848 Valentine married for the second time. His wife was Barbara Resz (*1825 Germany, +after 1870), fifteen years younger than Valentine. The wedding took place in Galena, the county seat of Jo Daviess County. At that time daughter Catherine would have been about 4 years old. In 1850 Valentine and Barbara were enumerated in the Census with Catherine and her new half-brother Jacob.

It is likely the maiden name of Barbara was not Resz but rather Ritchtenwalt. This comes from the research done by Peter Bosserman circa 2000. [1]

The 1850 Census shows Valentine (*1810) as a farmer owning land with a value of $400. They are enumerated also in Mill Creek and on the page immediately preceding Valentine's father Valentine (*1887). They appear to have lived very close to each other in Guilford Township. Ten years later, in 1860, Valentine and Barbara are still in Guilford Township. Their farm is now valued at $2,000. There are now five children.

There is a personal property tax list from 1855 for Guilford Township. Valentine paid $199 in taxes. His father paid $281. Then a year later Valentine became a naturalized citizen on the United States.

In 1870 Valentine, at age 60,and Barbara had four teenagers in the house. And six year old Peter. Son Jacob, 19 years old, worked on the farm with his father. But the family had moved. They were living in Thompson Township, the township to the east of Guilford Township. The property was valued at $2000.

Valentine passed away on 19 May 1872 at the age of 62. He was buried in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Apple River Township. Why he was buried in Apple River is curious. Perhaps it will become clear as more of the story unfolds. We do not have a death record for Barbara. She is not listed on the St. Joseph's Tombstone Index.

Children: (7)

From the first marriage with Anna Maria Jungbluth:

7.1.....Catherine Bentz (*1843/1844 Illinois)

We know of Catherine from the 1850 and 1860 Censuses. Since she was not listed as a passenger on the ship Metamora (arrival New York City 26.07.1843), she must have been born in Amerika and probably Guilford Township, Jo Daviess County. She would have been born either very late 1843 or more likely 1844. She does not appear with the family in the 1870 Census. She would have been 26 years old. We know nothing more about Catherine.

From the second marriage with Barbara Resz:

7.2.....Jacob Valentine Bentz (*09.06.1850 Apple River, Jo Daviess Cty IL, +23.04.1916 Albany, Linn Cty OR)

As mentioned above, Jacob was living on the family farm in 1870 and helping his father Valentine. Sometime during the next decade he moved to Nebraska. On 4 November 1880 he and Sophia Maria "Mary" Bellaardts (*14.04.1861 Millen, Prussia/Germany, +12.02.1930 Mt Angel OR), age 19, were married in Platte County in the east central part of the state. Mary was the daughter of Jan Peter Alexander (*1836 Holland) and Catherine Mary Grein (*1834 Germany) Bellaardz. Mary's brother Henry J. used the spelling Bellarts when he lived in Marion County, Oregon.

It should be pointed out that many census records of the children of Jacob and Sophia Maria "Mary" give the birthplace of Mary as Holland, not Germany. It is not known which is correct.

The next information we have about the family is from the 1900 Census. Jacob and Mary are farming in Spalding Precinct, Greeley County, about 80 miles to the west of Platte County. They owned the farm without a mortgage. They have seven children, ages 1 to 19 years. Their first three children were daughters, not as much help on the farm. Of the final four, three were sons. Jacob was enumerated as "James" in the census. Spalding Precinct is due north of Grand Island NE.

The entire family picked up and moved to Oregon soon after 1900. We determine the year from the marriage of their first child Mary in 1905. The 1910 Census enumerates them in Fox Valley, Linn County. Fox Valley, now called Lyons, is about 40 miles southeast of Salem, the state capitol. Their four youngest children, ages 10 to 22, are living at home and single. It is likely the Bentz family was following the lead of Mary's brother Henry Bellarts in moving to Oregon. Henry had settled in St. Paul, Marion Cty. Fox Valley was about fifty miles southeast of St. Paul. Further research might confirm which family did, in fact, relocate to Oregon first.

Six years later Jacob passed away on 23 April 1916. The cause of death was heart disease. He died in St. Mary's Hosital in Albany. Per his death certificate he was buried two days later at Riverside Cemetery in Albany. This probably did not occur, however, for the headstone at Calvary Cemetery in Mount Angel, Oregon indicates that Jacob and Sophia Maria were buried together there. Alternatively Jacob may have been buried in Albany, then some years later his body was moved to Mount Angel.

Following the death of Jacob, Mary moved to Mount Angel, twenty miles to the north of Fox Valley, where she and their youngest son Aloysius "Alous" were living together in 1920. The date of her death is unclear. Her gravestone says 1930. A family record posted on Ancestry.com suggests 1936. Gravestones have been wrong before. But genealogy records on Ancestry certainly have as well.

Children: (7)

7.1.....Mary C. Bentz (*26.12.1881 Spalding, Nebraska, +02.05.1980 St. Helens, Columbia Cty OR)

Mary lived a long life, passing away in 1980 at the age of 99 1/2. But her life had some bad times.

Mary was in her early twenties when the family moved from Nebraska to Oregon. The year was about 1902, for on 16 November 1905 Mary and Julius Joseph Timmerman (*20.04.1873 St. Louis Missouri, +about 1955 in Oregon) were married in Linn County. In 1900 Julius was 27 years old and living and working on his parent's farm in Boring, Clackamas County, Oregon about tweny miles east of Portland. Julius was the son of Fritz and Mary Timmerman who had emigrated from Germany in 1868, five years before Julius was born.

By 1910 Mary and Julius were the parents of two daughters, ages two and 8 months. They were living in Boring. Julius was a laborer (at "odd jobs"). Perhaps he was still working for his father. Mary and their daughters appear on the next Census page. They had two more daughters and moved to Vancouver, Washington State, across the Columbia River from Portland. According to the obituary of daughter 4.3 Agnes the move was in 1917. In 1918 Julius registered for the World War I Draft. He gave his address as R.F.D.#4 (Rural Free Delivery, Vancouver). He was a self-employed farmer, of medium height and stout, with brown hair and eyes.

Something went seriously wrong in their lives, for in 1920 Julius was in the Federal Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington. It is not known for what felony he was convicted, nor any information about Julius after 1920. Their divorce was final in 1920.

The divorce was filed in Clackamas County, Oregon, not in Washington State. Mary had moved back to Oregon between 1918 and 1920. When the 1920 Census was recorded Mary was living and working in the Christie Orphans Home and Marylhurst Farm in Lake Oswego in the Portland area. She is enumerated on Line 88 of the page and as a "single" woman and "Servant", age 38. In all there are 115 young girls, ages 5 to 18, in the orphanage with a staff of about 75, most of whom are Catholic sisters. Three of their daughters were also in the Christie Orphanage. Mary must have appealed to the Sisters for a place for the family to live and her to work while they were sorting out their lives. But it is interesting why daughter Ruth is not at Christie's. From the 1910 Census we know that she was not yet born. Therefore in 1920 Ruth would have been less than ten years old. Were she born between Cecilia and Agnes, she would have been about eight years old in 1920 and certainly would have been with her sisters. It is likely that she was deceased by 1920.

The original Census pages for the Christie Orphanage are worth looking at. They are available in LiveLinks at the bottom of this page. Click on the Link for "1920 Census - Bentz Timmerman, Mary C. 1881". This will take you to "Image 14 of 29". Each image is a different Census page. Mary Timmerman is on Line 88 of the page. Then click to move back to Image 12 of 39. The three Timmerman daughters are on Lines 77-79 of Image 12.

By 1930 Mary, age forty-seven, had again moved to Vancouver, Washington. Her daughter Agnes, age fourteen, was living with her. They were renting from William Sudwick, age sixty-four, divorced and a farmer. The farm was in Harney Precinct, near today's St. Helens City Park two miles to the east of downtown Vancouver.

At this time we have no other information from 1930 until her death in 1980. Mary passed away in St. Helens, Columbia Cty, Oregon a few months from her 100th birthday. She was buried in Mother Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Vancouver WA.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Alice Timmerman (*1907/1908 Oregon, +before 2008)

Alice was the first born of the Timmerman girls. We know of her from the 1910 and the 1920 Census records. The ages of the Timmerman girls in the 1920 Census are mixed up.

From the Peter Bosserman compilation we see that Alice married Joe Edwards.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Joe Edwards, Jr.

3.2.....Lois Edwards

3.3.....Grace Edwards

From the 2008 obituary of her sister Agnes, we know Alice was married a man by the name of "Regner". This must have been a second marriage. And that she preceded Agnes in death. Nothing more at this time.

4.2.....Cecilia H. Timmerman (*31.07.1909 Oregon, +02.03.1993 Snohomish, Washington)

As stated above, Cecilia in 1920 was living with her sisters Alice and Agnes at the Christie Orphans Home and Marylhurst Farm in Lake Oswego. She was eleven years old at the time.

By the 1930 Census she was working in the home of Fred J. and May E. Sechtem in Portland. She was a "servant" to the Sechtems. Fred was sixty-three and retired, his wife May was forty-seven. Their home at about 9th Avenue and East Burnside was valued at $12,500, the highest home value on the Census page. The Sechtems had no children. Cecilia was twenty.

Ten years later Cecilia was thirty years old and divorced. Her name was Cecilia Gill. A family tree on familysearch.com shows a marriage to Philip Dillion Gill (*30.09.1906 Cottage Grove, Lane Cty OR, +10.12.1979). In 1940 she was a roomer in the home of Magnor Knutsen, a forty-four year old divorced Norwegian emigrant. Magnor was the owner of a laundry. Cecelia was a housekeeper for Magnor or others or both. The home was at 5914 NE 27th Avenue in Portland. Cecilia indicated she had been living in the same place in 1935. The marriage to Gill must have been brief. In 1939 Magnor worked 52 weeks, Cecilia 20 weeks.

The information regarding Philip Dillion Gill is curious. "Philip Dillion Gill" should be a somewhat unique name, particularly with a birthyear of 1905. From New York Passenger Lists we have the immigration of a Philip Dillion Gill, born about 1905, arriving in New York City in 1946 aboard the ship "Agwiprince". The original Passenger List shows additional information. Without knowing the column headings, it is difficult to know that this record is telling us. Perhaps it is a different Philip Gill. Perhaps the "family tree" posted on familysearch.org is in error and it should have just said "Philip Gill". Perhaps the immigration record in 1946 was not an immigration but merely Philip Dillion Gill arriving back in the U.S. after the War.

Regardless, years later a Philip D. Gill died in the town of Gold Bar in Snohomish County, Washington. His birth date from the Social Security Death Index is shown as 30 September 1905. The Death Index from Washington State also gives a birthyear of 1905, although perhaps the information source is the same for both the SSDI and State Death Index.

Finally, Cecelia's death record raises questions. The Social Security Death Index indicates her last place of residence was Snohomish, Washington. Why was she living in Snohomish? Had she and Philip reconciled? All very interesting! But she may have died in Oregon.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Bruce Alden Gill (*26.12.1951 Seattle WA)

Bruce Gill married Marlene Debra Nickoloff (*14.01.1955 Yakima WA), the daughter of Mike and Dorothy Tebow Nickoloff. The ceremony was on 15 July 1978 in Yakima.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Matthew Ian Gill (*6.11.1980 Walla Walla WA)

2.1.....Megan Lindsey Gill (*18.03.1985 Yakima WA)

4.3.....Agnes M. Timmerman (*08.12.1915 Boring, Clackamas Cty OR, +03.03.2008 Vancouver WA)

Joseph and Agnes Timmerman Nuttman Click to enlarge

Per the 2008 obituary for Agnes, the family moved from Boring, Oregon to Vancouver, Washington when she was two years old or in 1917. They settled on a farm in Vancouver.

During World War II Agnes was working in the Vancouver Shipyards as a "Tool Check Girl". Here she met and, in 1945, married the "love of her life" Joseph Herman Nuttman (*31.05.1914 Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada, +31.07.1986 Vancouver WA) who then moved into the family homestead. As mentioned above, the farm was just to the east of downtown Vancouver. Here Agnes lived the remainder of her life. She lived to be ninety-three. (Note: There is a discrepancy here. As noted above in 1920 Agnes along with her two sisters and their mother were living in Portland at the Christie Orphanage. But perhaps the Vancouver property stayed in the family and they moved back for in the 1930 Census Mary and Agnes were living in Vancouver.)

Joseph Nuttman was a building contractor by profession. He and Agnes were members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Vancouver.

Anges loved spending time outside in her garden, planting and watching the birds. She also was a painter of nature. She and Joseph traveled extensively, including abroad.

Agnes outlived her parents, her husband by twenty-two years, all three of her sisters and three of her six children. She was the only child of her parents to have offspring. She and Joseph were buried in Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Children: (6)

6.1.....Theresa M. Nuttman (*08.02.1946 Vancouver WA, +09.02.1946 Vancouver WA)

Theresa died one day after she was born. She and her brother 6.2 James are buried together.

6.2.....James Philipp Nuttman (*03.03.1947 Vancouver WA, +06.03.1947 Vancouver WA)

James died as a three day old and was buried with his sister 6.1 Theresa.

The death records for both Theresa and James indicated the mother's name was Elizabeth Regner. They are both in error. The obituary for Anges, their mother, includes them in her family. Regner was the family name of Agnes's brother-in-law who married her sister 4.4 Ruth.

6.3.....David Lee "Nutty" Nuttman (*10.04.1948 Vancouver WA, *09.08.2013 Vancouver WA)

"Nutty Nuttman"	Gravestone of David Nuttman Click, then zoom to enlarge

"Nutty", as he was familiarly called, did not marry. From the photograph of him as well as the artwork on his gravestone, one might suspect he was a welder by profession. He passed away in 2013 at the age of sixty-five and was buried in the Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver. In his career he had worked for the Washington State Department of Transportation. Not long before his death he had retired and opened a steel fabrication company.

More of his life is told in his obituary. Or if one wants to receive their information in German, they can view the familysearch.org page.

6.4.....Joyce Lorraine Nuttman (*13.12.1950 Vancouver WA, +14.09.2005 Vancouver WA)

Joyce and Ellis H. Jackson (*01.09.1953 Camas WA) were married on New Year's Eve 1971 in Skamania County, Washington just east of the city of Vancouver. Her obituary indicates she had been a dental technician.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Jesse Calder Jackson (*20.02.1973 Portland OR)

2.2.....Casey Jean Jackson (*22.09.1978 Vancouver WA)

On 25 January 2008 Casey and Kenny R. Risley were married in Skamania County, east of Vancouver WA.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Conner Risley

2.1.....Aiden Risley

6.5.....Jeanne Dolores Nuttmann (*09.11.1952 Vancouver WA)

In June 1971 Jeanne and David W. Bennett were married in Vancouver. They divorced a year later. Later in 1972 she married Charles H. Parent. Their marriage lasted fifteen years. Finally Jeanne and Brian G. Wright were wed 24 May 1997 in Vancouver. The obituary of Agnes Timmerman Nuttman mentions no children of Jean's.

6.6.....Judy A. Nuttman (*12.05.1956 Vancouver WA)

When Judy was twenty she married William J. Thomas in Vancouver. They divorced after four years in 1981. She later re-married. Her second husband was David S. McIntyre. She and David ended their marriage after four years. The obituary of Agnes Timmerman Nuttman mentions no children of Judy's.

4.4.....Ruth Timmerman (*about 1912 Oregon, +before 2008)

Ruth is mentioned in Agnes's obituary as being deceased. Since she does not appear in the 1910 Census, she may not have yet been born. Then she does not appear in the 1920 Census, perhaps because she was deceased. The obituary of Agnes gives her name as Ruth Timmerman, indicating that she did not marry.

7.2.....Anna Petronella Bentz (*12.06.1883 Cummingsville, Wheeler Cty, Nebraska, +01.08.1968 King County WA)

According to the Catholic Church obituary of her son, Anna Petronella was born in Cummingsville, Nebraska. Cummingsville is in Wheeler County in the central part of the state. On 14 February 1906 in Linn County OR she and Peter J. Nealen (*26.07.1880 Nicktown, Cambria Cty PA, +19.11.1945 Niagara Falls, Niagara Cty NY) were married. The marriage record indicates Linn County. The ceremony was most likely in the Fox Valley. The present day town of Lyons, located about forty miles southeast of Salem, would be the general area.

Four years later they appeared in the Census as living in Linn County, Fox Valley Precinct. They were enumerated just above Anna's parents Jacob and Mary. Since Anna and Peter owned their home, they were almost next door neighbors. The Census indicates Anna P. Nealen (on Line 72) had borne two children, one of whom (Joseph) was living. We have no information about the other child. Peter was an agent at the Express Agency.

In 1918 Peter registered for the World War I Draft. The record is challenging to read. It does, however, show that they had moved to Sublimity in Marion County. Sublimity is only ten miles to the west of Lyons but across the county line. Peter was employed as a laborer in a sawmill. Two years later in the 1920 Census Peter was the "head sawyer" in a sawmill. For those not familiar with sawmills, the head sawyer was perhaps the most highly paid position. It is the head sawyer who decides log by log how to cut the tree to maximize the value of the lumber produced.

In 1930 and 1940 Peter and Anna are not living together. In fact, we do not know where Peter is. In 1930 Anna is living in Spokane, Washington with their two youngest children Marie and Leo. She is enumerated as being married and working as a "janitress" in a school. Joseph, age twenty-one, is in divinity school in Santa Clara County, California. In 1940 Anna is still in Spokane. She is enumerated as a widow and not having worked at all in 1939. Her son Leo continues to live with her but also had no earnings in 1939. They paid $8.00 a month rent at 1103 Hamilton Street.

Peter J. Nealen passed away on 19 November 1945 in Niagara Falls, New York. At the time he was working for the Niagara University where he was employed. He was buried in a cemetery on the University grounds. Thirteen years later he was re-interred and buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston, Niagara County.

How to reconcile the information on Find-A-Grave.com with the Census records is not clear. The Find-A-Grave site suggests that they were still married when he died in 1945. But had he been working in the East for the past twenty years? We should be able to make contact with their descendants and they can clear up the mystery.

Anna lived another twenty-three years, passing away in August 1968. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Seattle WA.

Children: (3)

3.1....."Father" Joseph P. Nealen (*13.07.1908 Oregon, +05.01.1991 Washington)

We know Joseph was in divinity school in 1930 and went into the Catholic ministry. Unfortunately the information we have about his life tells us little more.

3.2.....Marie Anna Nealen (*14.08.1913 Lyons, Linn County OR, +5.08.2008)

Marie lived a full (94 years) and rewarding life which is best related in her obituary. Born in Lyons Oregon, she move to Spokane with her mother and her siblings. She married Patrick J. Reagan (*1.12.1914 Sturgis, Saskatchewan Canada, +April 1990 Seattle WA), the son of William and Mary Madden Reagan. He was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, one of twelve children. The family was enumerated in the 1916 Canadian Census. The entire family appears to have immigrated into the United States in December 1924 when Patrick was ten years old. Patrick was a member of the Class of 1932 of the IHM Academy in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The Class picture gives a great view of the styles of the day for both the young women and men.

Patrick J. Reagan

There is a lenghty story of the Reagan family going back several generations on the web.

Marie's career in teaching began by riding a horse to a one-room school house twenty miles from Pomeroy, Washington. From there she went to Republic WA, Harrah WA and finally Seattle. In 1940 she was teaching in Republic, Washington near the Canadian border north of Grand Coulee Dam. She had worked 36 weeks (a school year) in 1939, earning $1,200. She reported having gone to three years of college. But read it in her obituary.

Patrick, a Canadian citizen, enlisted in the United States military in September 1940, a full year before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was twenty-six years old at the time.

Marie and Patrick were married 21 July 1942 in Spokane. They moved to Seattle and raised a family of four boys and a daughter. After the end of the War Patrick became a naturalized citizen of the United States. They were living at 4122 Tamerack Drive in Seattle at the time. From the Army Enlistment Record and the Naturalization Petition it can be seen that when he enlisted in the military in September 1940 it was for a period of one year. He was honorably discharged 22 October 1941, seven weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor bringing the United States into the War. It is not known if Patrick was called up to serve again.

Patrick passed away in 1990 and was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Seattle. Marie followed him eighteen years later.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Timothy James Reagan (*21.04.1943 Seattle WA)

Timothy and Julie J. Faucher married on 15 June 1972.

5.2.....Janet Marie Reagan (*29.08.1944 Seattle WA)

Janet married Gerry Sheehan.

5.3.....Patrick John "Jack" Reagan (*25.09.1946 Seattle WA)

Patrick's wife is named Jane.

5.4.....Rod Reagan (*22.03.1949)

Rod and Chris married.

5.5.....Kevin Peter Reagan (*1953)

Kevin married Rebecca Osborn.

Marie's obituary also mentions seventeen grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. Their placement in the story requires help from her children. And since it has been ten years since the obituary was written, there are undoubtedly more great-grandchildren now.

3.3.....Leo H. Nealen (*22.05.1916 Lyons OR, +05.11.2000 Spokane WA)

Gravestone of Bernardine and Leo Nealen Click to enlarge

Leo and Bernardine F. Crowley (*17.10.1915 Idaho, +27.12.1974 Seattle WA) married.

Bernardine passed away in 1974. Leo was interred with Bernadine in the Calvary Cemetery in Seattle.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Mary Kaye Nealen (*26.03.1942)

Sister Mary Kaye Nealen Click to enlarge

Mary Kaye entered the Catholic novitiate in Seattle in 1960 where she became a Sister. Sister Mary Kaye Nealen is associate professor of theology and ministry at the University of Great Falls (MT), where she has served in ministry on the campus for more than 20 years. She also has served as director of mission integration, provost and vice president of academic affairs. She holds degrees from Seattle University and Aquinas Institute of Theology, as well as a doctorate in systematic theology from the Catholic University of America.

She is a member of the Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province.

3.2.....Michael Joseph Nealen (*07.11.1943)

Michael and Mary Lou Wood (*29.01.1946 Spokane WA, +21.10.2017 Tucson AZ)) were married in Spokane on 16 August 1980. They moved to Tucson, Arizona in hopes that the climate would help ease the pain of her rheumatoid arthritis.

3.3.....Curtis Nealen

7.3.....Gertrude Bentz (*1.05.1885 Nebraska, +15.12.1968 Portland OR)

Gertrude Bentz married Ralph E. Crowe (*1879, +05.01.1925 Portland OR), the son of Rodney and Elizabeth Bussell Crowe. They left us no children but some wonderful photographs. Click on them below to enlarge.

From the obituary of Ralph it appears there is reference to the town of Amity, Oregon. But they clearly must have been living in Portland at the time he passed away at the age of forty-five. The funeral parlor, church and cemetery are all in Portland. Ralph was interred in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in the West Hills of Portland.

Gertrude and Ralph, circa 1905 Click to enlarge	Ralph Crowe, circa 1925 Click to enlarge	Gertrude Crowe, circa 1910 Click to enlarge

Gertrude and Ralph, circa 1925 Click to enlarge	The Crowes Gravestone Click to enlarge	Gertrude Crowe, circa 1925 Click to enlarge

7.4.....James Joseph Bentz (*10.02.1888 Cummingsville, Nebraska, +26.08.1984 Mount Angel OR)

Little information has been found for James Joseph Bentz. The usual draft registrations for World Wars I and II, the 1940 Census and finally his burial in 1984. He lived a very long life, passing away at the age of ninety-six years!

When he registered for the draft in 1917, James was living in Lyons, Oregon. He was single, age twenty-nine, short and stout with dark brown eyes and black hair. He was a farmer, perhaps living and working on his parents farm. By the time the Second World War was approaching James was married. His wife Emma Elsie (*1893 Wisconsin) was about five years younger than him. We do not know her maiden name. They were living in Bonners Ferry, Boundary County, Idaho, just a few miles south of the Canadian/U.S. border. James was an automechanic working in a garage.

Two years later (1942) James registered again for the draft. He was now fifty-four years old and working for the R.J. Thomas Company in Bonners Ferry. He gave his place of birth as Spalding, Nebraska. Their address was Box 465 Bonners Ferry.

James is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Mount Angel, Oregon, about five miles north of Silverton. It is not known whether Emma Elsie is buried with him. We know of no children, although it is possible there were some. We do not know about James and Emma for the period of roughly 1920 until 1940, long enough to have had children and for them to have moved out of the home.

7.5.....John Patrick Bentz (*08.12.1889 Spalding NE, +22.10.1974 Sublimity OR)

In 1917 John Patrick was twenty-seven years old when he registered for the World War I Draft. He gave his address as R.F.D. #2, Scio, Oregon. Scio is just east of Albany. He reported that he was a self-employed engineer working near Shelburn OR. He was single with no other family members dependant upon him. On the reverse side of the card he was described as medium height and build with gray eyes and black hair.

John Patrick and May W. Peters (*25.02.1898 Mt. Pleasant, Linn Cty, Oregon, +04.08.1950 Marion Cty OR) were married in Sublimity in 1917. May was the daughter of Karl and Amelia Rosenthal Peters. Two years later in the 1920 Census John and May were the parents of nine-month old Marie Madeline. They lived in the Schelburn Precinct of Linn County. May was born in Oregon of German immigrants. John was a farmer.

In 1930 five of their seven children had been born. Living with them was Carita Davenport, a sixteen year old niece. Carita probably helped around the house with the children, ages two to eleven. John was a head-sawyer in a sawmill. As mentioned above with Peter Nealen the head-sawyer was perhaps the top job in a sawmill as he would determine how to saw the logs to realize the maximum value.

By 1940 their daughter Marie Madeline had married and moved out of the house. The younger six children were still at home in Sublimity. Their property was valued at $1,500 in the Census.

There is a very nice website dealing with the history of Sublimity. Click on the Link to read more.

As all adult males, John Patrick registered again with the outbreak of World War II. The address was now Route 1 in Sublimity. His telephone number was 187. Simple! When the card was transcribed he was noted as of the Mexican race!

May passed away in August 1950 and was buried in Saint Boniface Cemetery in Sublimity.

Sometime after 1950 John Patrick re-married. His second wife was Essie Mae Hause (*23.09.1898 Missouri, +12.10.1991 Union County OR). John Patrick was probably in his mid-60's at the time of their marriage and Essie Mae about ten years younger. She well may have been a friend of the family's. She had been previsouly married to Charles H. Brooks (*1876, +1950). According to her obituary Essie was the mother of one child, a son Norman Edward Brown (*1917, 2008).

John Patrick died 22 October 1974 and was buried with May in Saint Boniface.

Children: (7)

7.1.....Marie Madeline Bentz (*28.03.1919 Oregon, +28.02.1959 Pacific Grove, Monterey Cty CA)

When the 1940 Census was taken, Marie Madeline and Joseph Herman Bindel (*19.06.1912 New Mexico, +18.05.1997 Monterey CA) were somewhat newly weds. We don't have a record of the marriage but in 1940 Marie was twentyone years old at the time of the Census. Joseph was the son of William and Barbara Lehmer Bindel. Joe and Marie were living in the Macleay Election Precinct of Marion County OR where they were farming. Joe can be seen at the very top of the image on Line 40 of the census page. Marie appears on the next census page, top line. She had completed two years of high school.

They do appear in a private family tree available from familysearch.org, showing the lineage of Joseph Herman Bindel.

Marie and Joe moved from Oregon to Monterey County, California. Marie passed away in 1959 at the age of thirty-nine. Joe lived another thirty-eight years, dying in 1997 in Monterey.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Mark Bindel

Mark was their adopted son.

2.2.....Ruth Ann Bindel

7.2.....Leona Elizabeth Bentz (*27.03.1921 Shaw, Oregon, +13.10.2010 Salem OR)

Lucky and Leona Kremer

Leona married Sylvester Jacob "Lucky" Kremer (*19.10.1919, +2.05.1995) in 1940.

Leona's obituary talks about her cooking and sewing. She loved to paint, dance, play cards and travel. They retired to Lyons, OR in 1985.

Children: (7)

7.1.....Darwin Francis Kremer (*30.09.1941)

Darwin and his wife JoAnn A. Desmidt have lived in Los Molinos, California (ten miles south of Red Bluff) and Encinitas north of San Diego. They were married 12 June 1965 in Alameda CA.

Children: (7)

7.1.....Darwin J. Kremer (*08.09.1967 San Francisco CA)

7.2.....Amy Kremer

Amy and Edson Gowersall married.

7.3.....Darby Kremer

Sheri married Darby Kremer.

7.4.....Beth Kremer

Beth married Dan Cusack.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Katie Cusack

7.5.....Kevin Kremer

Kevin married Kelly.

7.6.....David Kremer

7.7.....Peter Kremer

7.2.....Arlene Marie Kremer (*12.07.1943 Salem OR, +16.11.2016 Hermiston OR)

Arlene married Wally Kapica. But their marriage was annulled in about 1975. This information is from Arlene to Peter Bosserman in July 1997.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Mary Ann Kapica (*23.08.1967)

Mary Ann married Gerry Camocho.

4.2.....Jeff Kapica (*25 April)

Jeff married but his wife's name is not known at this time.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Charlie Kapica

4.3.....Clint Kapica (*2.06.1973)

4.4.....Tina Kapica (*2.01.1975)

Arlene married for the second time. Her husband was James Poe (+2.11.1996). Following the death of James she married Joe Camaro on 15 November 1997. Joe may have also gone by the name Jose Jiminez. In 2010 Arlene and Jose/Joe were living in Hermiston, Oregon. In 2018 Tina was living with Joe.

7.3.....Constance Leona "Connie" Kremer (*20.07.1944 Salem OR)

Connie married Larry Larkin (*16.10.1941 Watsonville CA).

Children: (4)

4.1.....Grant Larkin (*16.11.1966 Los Altos, Santa Clara Cty CA)

4.2.....Todd Larkin (*24.02.1968 Las Altos, Santa Clara Cty CA)

4.3.....John Larkin (*16.05.1969 Los Altos, Santa Clara Cty CA)

4.4.....Shannon Larkin (*14.08.1971 Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Cty CA)

Shannon and Brian Brock (*15.05.1970 Granville, Licking Cty OH) were married.

Connie and Fred Schneider were living in Montrose, Colorado in 2010.

7.4.....Steven Sylvester Kremer (*04.08.1946)

Steven and Anne Marie Stuckart, his wife, were living in Los Moliinos CA in 2010.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Scott Kremer

Scott's wife is Erica.

5.2.....Kevil Kremer

5.3.....Brent Kremer

5.4.....Megan Kremer

5.5.....Ryan Kremer

7.5.....Douglas Mark Kremer (*11.09.1954)

Douglas and Megan McGowan married. They were living in Arvada, Colorado in 2010.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Jason Kremer

4.2.....Kelly Kremer

4.3.....Matthew Kremer

4.4.....Johnny Kremer

7.6.....Karen May Kremer (*28.04.1957)

Karen Kremer and her husband Ronnie William Smith (*10.01.1957) married on 28 July 1984. She was living in Salem, Oregon in 2010.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Christopher Aaron Smith (*7.06.1985 Fairfield, Solano Cty CA)

3.2.....Erin Elizabeth Smith (*31.08.1987 Concord, Contra Costa Cty CA)

3.3.....Daniel Smith (*15.11.1993 Siolverton, Marion Cty OR)

7.7.....Gregory John Kremer (*1958)

Greg and Kate Barth Kremer, his wife, were living in Rochester NY in 2010.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Julia Kremer

3.2.....Jacob Kremer

3.3.....child Kremer

7.3.....Dolores J. Bentz (*13.12.1922, +before 2009 Oregon)

We have Dolores's school photograph from 1933. And it is a classic!

Subliimity School Picture, 1933 Click to enlarge

There is a line on the history of the Town of Subliimity website: "1940 - The "activity hall" (in 1888 the first parish grade school) was converted into the first St. Boniface HIgh School. Four years of high school were taught in its three roooms by the Sisters of St. Mary. The first graduating class included Camilla Lulay, Bernice Ruettgers, Delores Bentz, Loretta Etzel, and Joe Spenner." The Sublimity website has many great historical pictures of the town and is worth browsing.

Dolores married Robert Cremer (*09.07.1925). This seems quite unusual. Her sister Leona married a man by the name of Kremer. Dolores married a man by the name of Cremer. But based upon the information we have this is correct.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Timothy Jon Cremer (*10.01.1950 Salem OR)

Karen Najako (*Connecticut) and Tim married. They later divorced. Tim married a second time but his wife's name is not known.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Erika Cremer (*17.06.1976 Salem OR)

The name of Erika's husband is not known.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Christa Lynn

2.2.....Nickalas

3.2.....Ruth Ann Cremer (*28.07.1978 Salem OR)

3.3.....Veronica Cremer (*17.03.1981 Salem OR)

3.2.....Jill Diane Cremer (*Salem OR)

Jill married twice. Her first husband was Thomas Hood. She later married Thomas Benner. It is not clear if Aaron, her first son, was the son of Hood or Benner.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Aaron Benner (*about 1974 Salem OR)

3.2.....Benjamin Benner (*12.04.1983 Brewster, Okanogan Cty WA)

3.3.....Daniel Benner (*12.01.1985 Brewster, Okanogan Cty WA)

3.3.....Joan Terese Cremer (*Salem OR)

Joan and Mark Rossi married but later divorced.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Anthony Rossi (*15.07.1985 Seattle WA)

7.4.....Kenneth John Bentz (*13.12.1924 Scio OR Oregon)

The Sublimity Hawks, Champions Click to enlarge

Ken was athletic throughout his life. He was one of the tallest in highschool class. Basketball was one of his favorite activities. For their graduation picture in 1942 there were about forty classmates. Following graduation, Ken and his younger brother Bernard played on the Sublimity Hawks basketball team, a town team. They were 19-1 in the 1946/47 season..

When Ken was twenty-three he met Anne Stewart (*13.06.1927 Crane, Harney County OR, +19.12.2002 Drewsey OR). They were married two years later on 30 April 1949. Anne was the daughter of Paul and Ruth Sager Stewart.

Ken and Anne had seven children, one daughter and six sons. They lived in Drewsey OR, forty miles east of Burns.

Anne passed away in 2002 and was buried in Burns Cemetery. Her story is told in her obituary.

Children: (7)

7.1.....Katherine Anne Bentz (*23.11.1950 Boise ID)

James Leonard Neal (*13.11.1946 Silverton, Marion Cty OR), the son of Leonard and Stella Lulay Neal, and Kathy married. Kathy and Jim both completed their college studies at Oregon State University. Jim's degree was in forestry. Jim is partner with his brothers-in-law in Bentz Solutions.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Matthew James Neal (*03.02.1973 Portland OR)

Matthew graduated from Willamette University in 1995 with a degree in Environmental Science. He and Margaret Elizabeth Ashley Frantz were married 3 August 1996.

3.2.....Jacob Michael Neal (*29.12.1974 Portland OR)

Jacob followed his older brother, also graduating from Willamette University with a degree in Environmental Science.

3.3.....Anne Katharine Neal (*20.10.1976 Salem OR)

7.2.....Cliff Stewart Bentz (*12.01.1952 Salem OR)

Cliff received his bachelor's degree from Eastern Oregon State College, now Eastern Oregon University. He went on to get his law degree from Lewis & Clark in 1977. He practiced law in Ontario with the Yturri Rose firm. In 2008 he was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives. He later was appointed to the Oregon Senate where he is today (2018).

Cliff's and Dr. Lindsay Margaret Norman were married 15 August 1987 in Santa Rosa CA. She is the daughter of Frank and Virginia Hubbert Norman. Lindsay is a veterinarian in Ontario OR where they live.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Allison Anne Bentz (*11.05.1991)

2.2.....Scott Christopher Bentz (*18.10.1993)

7.3.....James William Bentz (*14.04.1953 Salem OR)

Jim and his wife Alicia Clemens (*8.12.1957 Burns OR) own a business in field crop industry. They are based in Drewsey. Alicia is the daughter of Delmer and Theresa Denardis Clemens.

Jim and his brother Mike were partners and the driving force behind the Ranchers Horse Sale held each year in June for over twenty years.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Natasha Bentz (*21.10.1982)

5.2.....William Bentz (*15.05.1984)

5.3.....Monique Bentz (*21.06.1988)

5.4.....Gabriel Bentz (*8.04.1992)

5.5.....Clayton Bentz (*8.03.1996)

7.4.....Andrew Paul "Andy" Bentz (*26.09.1959 Salem OR)

Andy spent most of his career in in municipal, county and state government. For fifteen years he was the elected Sheriff of Malheur County in the southeastern corner of Oregon. After his retirement from government service he organized the family firm Bentz Solutions.

Andy has been an outspoken opponent of the Federal government's interest in expanding its control over Oregon's Owyhee Canyounlands, as can be read in this Associated Press article.

Andy and his wife, the former Joan Marie Frost (03.01.1960 Stayton OR) live in Ontario OR. She is the daughter of Greg and Donna Lou Gries Frost and a registered nurse.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Erin Nicole Bentz (*27.08.1982 Salem OR)

2.2.....Paul Andrew Bentz (*17.11.1985 Caldwell ID)

7.5.....Kenneth Bentz, Jr. (*10.1961)

With his business degree from Oregon State University and an MBA from the University of Nevada Reno, Ken and his wife, the former Debbie Daniels, moved their family back to southeastern Oregon. He became a rancher and ultimately in the real estate business. The story is told in a marketing piece from Bentz Solutions, the family services business.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Natalie Bentz (*Reno NV)

3.2.....Nicole Bentz (*Reno NV)

3.3.....third child (*about 1998)

Five of the seven Bentz kids (excluding Kathy and Jim at this time)

Cliff Bentz Click to enlarge	Andy Bentz Click to enlarge	Ken Bentz Jr. Click to enlarge	Father Jack Bentz Click to enlarge	Mike Bentz Click to enlarge

7.6.....Michael Thomas "Mike" Bentz (*18.01.1964, +14.05.2015 Junatar OR)

Mike attended college at Treasure Valley Community College, Hartnell College in Salinas CA, and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo CA. He was an accomplished rancher and cowboy. He had many friends. Mike was also a member of Bentz Solutions, the consulting group formed by Andy Bentz.

Mike married the former Linda Clemens (*22.05.1964) on 12 August 1989. Linda is the daughter of Delmer and Theresa Denardis Clemens.

Mike had several passions including ranching, rodeo riding and flying his single engine airplane. Unfortunately he died flying his plane in 2015. His obituary tells a lot about his life and his love of life.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Ethan Thomas Bentz (*26.08.1990)

5.2.....Garrett John Bentz (*3.11.1992 Burns OR)

5.3.....Erika Marie Bentz (*21.07.1994 Burns OR)

5.4.....Britton Michael Bentz (*16.01.1997 Burns OR)

5.5.....Joe Bentz

7.7.....Father John "Jack" Bentz S.J. (*28.12.1964 Boise ID)

As can be seen above, John Bentz went into the Catholic ministry. For all basketball enthusiasts there is an interesting piece in a Jesuit journal. Father Jack was a regular on the Gonzaga University bench during their basketball games. The "Zags" have a very good program and have frequently been in the NCAA March Madness. Father Jack may have moved on to Boise State University per his Twitter account but is no longer there, awaiting re-assignment.

7.5.....Bernard Peter Bentz (*03.03.1928 Sublimity, Marion Cty OR, +24.08.2009 Albany, Linn Cty OR)

As noted above, while in high school and after Bernard was an avid basketball player. He and Ken were teammates on the Sublimity Hawks town team. The team was 19-1 in 1946/47 play.

Bernhard and Eileen Heintzman, the daughter of Paul and Dorothy Houtz Heintzman, married on 23 February 1963. They lived many years in the Jordon/Scio area where they farmed ten miles south of Sublimity and Stayton. In 1975 they followed his brothers Ken and Ron in moving to Central Oregon. Bernhard worked with Ron as an agricultural specialist in Ron Bentz Realty. In 1987 in retirement they moved back west to live the remainder of their lives in Albany in the Willamette Valley. They enjoyed traveling, often to Mexico including missionary work in Mexico.

Bernard passed away in 2009 and was interred in the St. Boniface Cemetery in Sublimity. His obituary gives a picture of his life.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Patrick John Bentz (*07.12.1963)

The Patrick and Holly Bentz Family From left: Sam, Chloe, Bernard, Daniel, Eileen, Sarah and Rachel Click to enlarge

Patrick married Holly Bechly (*Redmond OR) who has had a long and varied career with the U.S. Forest Service. Holly is the daughter of Julius and Carol Page Bechly. Her work has included assignments on six national forests. She is a registered professional engineer in the State of Oregon. Meanwhile she has been the mother of five. And she is on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/holly.b.bentz

Ron's career has been in airport management, including the Grant County (Oregon) Airport and Snohomish (Washington) Airports.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Rachel Marie Bentz (*11.11.1993)

5.2.....Daniel Joseph Bentz (*30.01.1996)

5.3.....Sam Bentz (*1998)

5.4.....Chloe Bentz (*2006) (twin)

5.5.....Sarah Bentz (*2006) (twin)

4.2.....Paula Marie Bentz (*05.02.1965)

Paula and her husband Dennis B. Catmull live in the Portland area of Oregon. After twenty years with Costco, Dennis founded the American School of Success, a project dedicated to assisting adults in obtaining their high school diplomas (GEDs). The presently live in Happy Valley in southeast Portland.

4.3.....Elizabeth Ann "Lisa" Bentz (*21.01.1969 Stayton OR)

On 15 June 1991 Lisa and Steven Wayne Elmore (*09.09.1970), the son of Darrell and Vonda Elmore, married.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Christian Thomas Elmore (*18.06.1992 Portland OR)

3.2.....Ryan Everett Elmore (*15.11.1993 Forest Grove, Washington Cty OR)

3.3.....Gabriel William Elmore (*04.03.1996 Hillsboro, Washington Cty OR)

Lisa later married Kevin Gruenefeldt of Stayton OR.

4.4.....Christopher Bentz (*05.06.1970 Stayton OR)

Chris Bentz's wife's name is Dawn.

7.6.....Claudia Theresa Bentz (*05.04.1933 Oregon)

Per Leona's obituary Claudia was living in Silverton OR in 2010. Her 1952 marriage with Robert Lewis "Shorty" Cunningham (*20.03.1925 Castle Rock WA, +30.07.2001 Portland OR) is from brother Bernard's obituary. Bob was a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He is interred in the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Gail Cunningham (*29.06.1953 Salem OR)

Gail married Jeff Grimes (+1994) on 19 July 1977.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Jeffrey Robert Grimes (*2.11.1980 Portland OR)

4.2.....Grant Cunningham (*29.01.1961 Salem OR)

Grant's wife is named Chris.

4.3.....Claire Cunningham (*29.11.1963 Salem OR)

4.4.....Glen Cunningham (*01.09.1970 Salem OR)

Glen and Heather Ann Krupicka (4.06.1970 Salem OR)

Children: (1)

1.1.....Rio Ann Cunningham (*30.04.1995 Salem OR)

7.7.....Ronald Joseph Bentz (*09.03.1936 Sublimity OR, +26.11.2002 Oregon)

As a young man "Ronnie" liked to kick up his heels, circa 1950. Click to enlarge

Ron Bentz had a full life combining selling real estate, running a tree farm and becoming a Deacon in the Catholic Church. He graduated from Seattle University where he had met Barbara Jean Cole (*28.07.1935 Chico CA, +25.09.2009 Jordan OR). Barbara was the daughter of Albert Morris and Elizabeth Jane Forrest Cole. The wedding was 31 May 1958 just after their graduations, Ron with a degree in Business and Barbara in education. Following University Ron was commissioned in the U.S. Army and they were stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. When he completed his active duty they returned to the Jordan Valley just south of Sublimity and Stayton. Here they bought a stump farm (land that had been logged but the stumps not removed) and over the years developed it into a tree farm and fish hatchery. They also raised cattle. While doing this he was selling real estate to supplement their income.

Meanwhile Barbara was raising their five children and teaching in grade and high schools in the area. She later joined her husband's company, Ron Bentz and Associates from 1981 to 2002.

Later in life Ron became much more involved in the Church, receiving a master of theology from the University of Dallas in 1997 and a doctorate in ministry in 1999 from the Graduate Theological Foundation. He was ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of Portland. He served as deacon and pastoral administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Jordan.

The obituaries of Ron and Barbara tell us more about their lives.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Clinton John Bentz (*19.05.1959 Honolulu HI)

Clint was raised on the family tree farm along with his younger siblings. The experience became part of his DNA.

After college Clint met and married Maureen Adair Fecher. The wedding was on 9 May 1983. Maureen is the daughter of Carl and Irmgard Sauer Fecher.

Clint began his career in the corporate world as a financial controller. He then moved into public accounting but, with the passing of his father in 2002, Cliff assumed responsibliity for this part of the family business. He was very active in the tree farming industry natinoally, including participating at the top level of the national organizations. In 2009 Cliff testified to the House Agriculture Committee, Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry. His presentation is very enlightening.

Clint and his brother Randy operate the Blue Den Ranch with its 700 acres of tree farm and fish hatchery. His photograph is on the Boldt Carlisle + Smith website. The Cannon Financial Institute website provides additional information.

Children: (6)

6.1.....David Michael Bentz (*1.02.1984 Indianapolis IN)

6.2.....Mark Adam Bentz (*1.09.1986 Indianapolis IN)

6.3.....Christine Marie Bentz (*24.06.1987 Indianapolis IN)

6.4.....John Paul Bentz (*28.03.1989 Stayton OR)

6.5.....Gregory Francis Bentz (*26.09.1991 Stayton OR)

6.6.....Mike Bentz (*1998)

5.2.....Theresa Melia Bentz (*24.08.1960 Waiwaia HI)

Theresa and James Vincent "Vince" Crocker (*7.01.1959 Hollywood, Los Angeles CA), son of James Crocker and Barbara Jardee, were married on 5 July 1986 at Our Lady Lourdes Church in Scio, Linn County OR. Theresa received Bachelor degrees in Nursing and Psychology in 1983 from the University of Steubenville, Ohio.

Jim is now involved in Bentz Solutions with Theresa's cousins above.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Samantha Therese Crocker (*29.07.1988 Fullerton CA)

4.2.....Roberta Barbara Crocker (*19.05.1990 Fullerton CA)

4.3.....Alexandria Ruth Crocker (*3.03.1992 Salem OR)

4.4.....Victoria Joan Crocker (*3.03.1992 Salem OR)

5.3.....Dr. Charles Joseph Bentz (*26.02.1962 Portland OR)

Charles is a general internist in private practice at the the Fanno Creek Clinic in S.W. Portland. He has over 25 years experience in caring for patients nearing the end of life. He serves as the Medical Director of the Pacific University School of Physician Assistant Studies. He is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland.

Charles' wife is the former Suzanne "Suzy" Marie Brennan (23.07.1962 Akron OH), the daughter of Orval and Otillia Lauinger Brennan. They married 5 September 1987 in Portland.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Jeffrey Joseph Bentz (*27.07.1988 Portland OR)

4.2.....Michelle Marie Bentz (*4.01.1990 Portland OR, +15.06.1990 Portland OR)

4.3.....Matthew James Bentz (*1.06.1991 Portland OR)

Matt and Natalie Bender married. They first met when Matt was a couple of months old and Natalie a newborn. Their parents were close friends.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Luke Bentz (*about 2016)

2.2.....James Bentz (*about 2017)

4.4.....William Ronald Bentz (*2.08.1994 Portland OR)

The five Bentz kids

Clint Bentz Click to enlarge	Theresa Bentz Crocker Click to enlarge	Dr. Charles Bentz Click to enlarge	Col. Randy Bentz Click to enlarge	Gen. Julie Bentz Click to enlarge

5.4.....Randall Morris "Randy" Bentz (*26.04.1963 Redmond, Deschutes Cty OR))

Randy and Clare E. Bosserman (*24.09.1962 Seattle WA) married on 30 November 1991 at St. Clare Church in Portland. Clare is the daughter of Peter and Sarah Kaufer Bosserman. Peter has contributed significantly to this story.

Randy received his Engineering degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point. He was career U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Colonel before his retirement. As a result Randy and Clare moved frequently during his active duty as seen in the public records for Randy and Clare. Now in private life they have settled down in Scio where Randy is involved with managing the family tree farm and fish hatchery. In the Country Traveler Online, there is a good article about the Bentz family farm.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Paul Andrew Bentz (*2.11.1993 Neuendettelsau, Kreis Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany)

Paul graduated from Cal-Poly in Pomona CA in 2018. He won the conference title in the discuss throw!

5.2.....Amanda Monique Bentz (*11.01.1996 Neuendettelsau, Kreis Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany)

Amanda graduated summa cum laude from Cornell College, Mt. Vernon IA with a theater arts degree.

5.3.....Rebecca "Becca" Anne Bentz (*19.05.1997 Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany)

Rebecca graduated from the Franciscan University of Steubenville Ohio with a biology major.

5.4.....Katherine "Katie" Nicole Bentz (*2.12.1999 Colorado Springs CO)

5.5.....Jacob Valentine Bentz (*28.07.2002 Fort Carson CO)

5.5.....Julie Ann Bentz (*08.08.1964 Jordan, OR)

Julie, the baby of the family, went to Oregon State University on an ROTC scholarship. After graduating in 1986 with a bachelors degree in Radiological Health she was deployed in Landstuhl, Germany as part of the U.S. military team responding to the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. While in the military she continued with advanced education, earning several more degrees. In 2013 Julie became a U.S. Army Major General (two star general) in the Oregon National Guard where she was again promoted. An Oral History Project commemorating the OSU Sesquicentennial captures some of the highlights of her life.

One of those highlights was her marriage to Brendan Plapp.

7.6..... Margaret "Maggie" A. Bentz (*07.02.1895 Nebraska, +23.02.1958)

The Pilot Butte Inn, 1121 Wall Street, Bend Click to enlarge

Margaret was between five and ten years old when the Bentz family moved from Nebraska to Linn County, Oregon, soon after 1900. In 1910 at age fifteen Maggie was living with her parents in "Fox Valley", now Lyons, Oregon.

Ten years later Maggie was enumerated in the 1920 Census living on WALL STREET! She was twenty-four years old and single. But this Wall Street was in Bend, Oregon. The address was 1121 Wall Street, the location of the Pilot Butte Inn. Maggie was one of twenty-four boarders at 1121 Wall Street, eight of whom were employees who also lived in the Inn - four waitresses, a clerk, dishwasher, pantry girl and yardman. Maggie was a waitress. Wallace C. Birdsall, age fifty-two and a widower, was the "Manager, Pilot Butte Inn". To see the original Census page go to LiveLinks at the bottom of this page. She is on Line 55.

Bend is about 120 miles (180 Km) southeast of Lyons. But it is on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. During the winter months the road would have been closed much of the time due to snowpack.

1920 is the last record of Maggie, except that Peter Bosserman has her marrying a Harold Brown. Nothing further is known at this time.

7.7.....Aloysius I. "Al" Bentz (*04.11.1899 Nebraska, +06.03.1984 Mount Angel OR)

Al was about four years old when the family moved from Nebraska to Oregon. The year was roughly 1903. We know the family was in Nebraska, per the 1900 Census. Yet in 1905 they were living in Oregon when Al's oldest sister Mary was married.

It is interesting that his future wife Cecilia J. "Ceil" Froemel (*29.05.1904 Humphrey, Platte Cty NE, +08.07.1999 Mount Angel, Marion Cty OR) was also born in Nebraska per the 1930 and 1940 Censuses. We do not know Ceil's maiden name. The families well might have known each other in Nebraska and even migrated together. If they moved west together, however, the move must have been in late 1904 or very early 1905 after Ceil was born. In this case she was an infant at the time.

When Al registered for the U.S. Military Draft in 1918 months after the United States had joined in the fighting in Europe he gave his address as West Main Street in Silverton. Silverton is about five miles south of Mount Angel where his parents were living. He was employed as a mechanic at Overland Garage, also on W. Main. On the back of the card he was described as of medium build and height with brown hair and eyes.

When the family was enumerated in the 1930 Census they were living in Mount Angel in Marion County. They rented their home at the rate of $8 per month. Although it is very possible they were living in a boarding house. Their daughter Jeanette was eight months old. Al's occupation is a challenge to read. It appears to be ".... chopper".

The Bentz Headstone in Calvary Cemetery Click to enlarge

By 1940 their three children were ages 10, 7 and 2 years old. They continued to rent. They were living at the same location where they had been in 1935. Whether this is the same as in 1930 is not known, as the street names and addresses were not entered on the Census pages. Al gave his occupation as "carpenter, working for a carpenter". In 1939 he had worked a total of forty weeks with total earnings of $720.

At this time we have no further information about Al and Ceil after the 1940 Census until their deaths. Al passed away in 1984 and was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Mount Angel. Ceil followed him fifteen years later and was buried with him.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Jeanette Lucille "Jean" Bentz (*30.07.1929 Silverton OR, +18.08.2010 Tigard OR)

Most of what we know about Jean is from her obituary. Jean and Ralph Henry Dieker (*24.07.1927 Fleming CO) were married 5 April 1952. They lived in S.W. Portland near or in Tigard. Jean was an active member of St. John Fisher Catholic Church. She also loved sewing and gardening, going to the Oregon coast, bird watching and dancing. They traveled to many National Parks.

Jean is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Mount Angel.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Michael Gerold Dieker (*30.07.1953 Mt. Angel OR)

In 2010 Michael and his wife Judy were living in Battleground, Washington.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Kevin Dieker

5.2.....Donna Cecile Dieker (*04.03.1955 Mt. Angel OR)

At the time of her mother's death, Donna and her husband Robert Evans were in Ellsworth IA.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Jeremiah Evans (*24.06.1987)

3.2.....Sean Evans

3.3.....Ethan Evans

5.3.....Diane Marie Dieker (*04.03.1955 Mt. Angel OR)

Michael Pamplin and his wife Diane were living in Fernley NV.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Amy Pamplin (*Apr 1981)

2.2.....Kimberly Pamplin (*9.06.1983

5.4.....Mary Beth "Amber" Dieker (*30.09.1956 Mt. Angel OR)

Amber and John lived in Bend OR in 2010.

5.5.....Annette Louise Dieker (*03.09.1963 Newburg OR)

Arian and his wife Anette lived in Olympia, Washington State.

Grandchildren Amy (N. Olmstead OH) and Kimberly (Vallejo CA) are not attached to their parents. There were also three great-grandchildren in 2010.

3.2.....James "Jim" William Bentz (*20.10.1932 Mount Angel OR, +02.07.2014 Salem OR)

Jim served in the U.S. Army in 1953 and 1954. For most of his active duty time he was stationed in Germany. In life he was a carpenter, locksmith, painter, whatever needed to be done. On 23 February 1973 Jim and Linda Murphy were married in Salem.

Jim's pastimes were hunting, fishing and shooting skeet. But there were frequent vicious rummy games in the home in Mt. Angel.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Teresa Bentz

Teresa was the "apple of her father's eye" per his obituary. She married Jason Buzzell.

2.2.....David Michael Bentz (*unknown, +19.09.1977)

David probably died very early in life, assuming he was the son of Linda and born after their marriage in 1973.

3.3.....Lucille Bentz (*12.01.1934 Mt. Angel OR)

Lucy married Frank Gerspacher. The wedding was on 25 May 1957.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Susan Marie Gerspacher (*21.06.1958)

Susan Marie and Ken Hunt married.

2.2.....Nancie Anne Gerspacher (*05.07.1963)

Nancie and Darren Steiner were married.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Austin Elizabeth Steiner (*21.11.1994)

7.3.....Mary A. Bentz (*28.12.1852 Apple River, Jo Daviess IL, +07.04.1940 Antelope County, NE)

Mary and Alonzo Brown (*May 1847 Illinois, +13.04.1912 Antelope NE) were married 7 January 1875 in Jo Daviess County. Alonzo was the son of John Davenport (*Vermont) and Louisa Mariah Gilette (*Pennsylvania) Brown.

Five years later they were enumerated in the 1880 Census. They were farming in the Sherman Precinct, Antelope County, Nebraska. They had two sons, ages 4 and 1, both born in Nebraska per the Census. Then they also appear in the 1885 Nebraska State Census. The location is given as Verdigris Precinct, Antelope County. Presumably this is the same location as in 1880. Mary's mother Barbara was living with Alonzo and Mary in Nebraska, or at least visiting them at the time of the Census.

But fifteen years later (1900) they were living in Sanborn County, South Dakota. The information is clear. It is the same family. No profession is given for Alonzo. He was 53 years old at the time. They were living in the same town as Mary's younger brother 7.7 Peter Joseph Bentz (*1863). Peter and his family appear on lines 1-8 of the Census page, while Alonzo and Mary are on lines 25-27. To view the Census page click on the Link in LiveLinks at the bottom of this page.

The final census record for Alonzo and Mary is from 1910. Again, the information provided in the Census gives evidence that it is the same family. They have a daughter Agnes V., age 26, living with them. The ages and birth states for Alonzo ("Olanzo") and Mary are correct. Mary had borne three children, all of whom were living in 1910. They had been married for 35 years. They had relocated to Centerville, Turner Cty in South Dakota. Sanborn and Turner Counties are sixty miles apart. Alonzo was 64 years old and farming. They rented the property. They did not provide the information for the Census, as it indicates that the birthplaces of their parents were "unknown". Also that only one of their three children were living in 1910.

Headstone for Alonzo Click to enlarge	Headstone for Mary Click to enlarge

Two years later in 1912 Alonzo passed away at the age of 65. His obituary confirmed that they were some of the early settlers in Antelope County, later moving to South Dakota. They returned to Antelope County in 1910 and were living with their daughter Agnes Brown Hering. Alonzo was buried in the Saint Ludgers Catholic Cemetery in the town of Creighton NE.

Mary lived for 28 years after the death of her husband Alonzo, passing away on 7 April 1940. She lived those years in her daughter Agnes Viola Brown Hering's home in Royal as seen in the Censuses of 1920, 1930 and 1940. She is buried with Alonzo in Saint Ludgers.

Children: (3)

3.1.....George Benedict Brown (*11.06.1876 Iowa, +11.03.1965 Aurora IL)

The first child of Alonzo and Mary, born in 1876 in the nation's Centennial year, was a challenge to follow. Fortunately Monika Schoembs was able to locate his Draft Registration for World War I. At the time George was 42 years old but still required to register. The back side of the card indicates he was of medium build and stout with gray eyes and hair. The front, however, confirmed his birth date and indicated he had entered the clergy and a part of the Benedictine Order. He was "Clergyman" and "Professor" at St. Meinrad's in Spencer, Indiana. In the space for "Nearest Relative" he wrote in the Reverend Friar Abbot Athanarius of St. Meinrad's.

For the period 1938-1941 George was First Prior or Monastic Superior at Marmion in Aurora, Illinois. In 1941 he moved to St. Mary's Church in Huntingburg, Indiana where he was pastor. Six years later he returned to be a founding member of the newly created Marmion Abbey in Aurora. He held this position until 1959 when he became Prior Emeritus. Father Benedict passed away in 1965 at the age of niney.

3.2.....William J. Brown (*31.03.1879 Belmond IA, +23.07.1929 Belle Fourche, Butte Cty SD)

William apparently moved from Iowa to Alzada, Custer Cty, Montana. He is apparently enumerated there in the Censuses of 1900 and 1910.

By 1917 William and Lily Honora Fischer (*November 1891 Kansas City KS, +January 1965 Belle Fourche SD) were married and living in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. In that year their first child was born in Belle Fourche. William passed away there twelve years later at the age of fifty. Someone has posted information about the William J. Brown family on FamilySearch.org. Perhaps this person is related.

Based upon the information on FamilySearch.org it appears that Lily's family when she was growing up was living in Millard, Douglas Cty NE in 1900 and 1910.

Lily died thirtysix years after William. William and Lily are buried together in St. Paul's Cemetery in Belle Fourche SD.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Alonzo "Lon" Fisher Brown (*05.10.1917 Belle Fourche SD, +02.06.1944 New Guinea, Bocas del Toro, Panama)

Lon Brown, the first child of William J. and Lily Honore Fisher Brown and Ramelle Louise Chester (*04.05.1922 Washington, +20.02.1985 Salinas, CA) were married 15 November 1942. Lon went into the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. He was in the 17th Recon Squad. Lon died two years later in Panama at the age of 26. The location of his death almost seems in error. New Guinea is a large island in the South Pacific. But there is also an area in northwest Panama by the name of New Guinea. Most likely the AAF was doing jungle training in Panama and Lon died. He is buried in the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis SD. Little is known about Ramelle after Lon's death.

3.2.....Jean Arthur Brown (*04.01.1919, +02.01.1977)

Jean Arthur was married 13 July 1942 in Miles City, Custer Cty Montana. His wife was Jessie Vivian Morris (*31.08.1922 Miller, Hand SD, +17.02.2005 Belle Fourche SD). Jessie was the daughter of James V. and Mabel Fern Wharton Morris. She had a sister Carolena Alice Morris Crawford (*1917, +2000). Like for Jean's father, someone has posted information about Jessie and Jean on FamilySearch.org.

Jean served in the U.S. Army in the Second World War. He was a first leautenant. He dies two days before his 58th birthday in 1977. Click for the gravestones of Jean Arthur and Jessie. They are buried in the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Bonnie Jean Brown (*30.11.1955 Belle Fourche SD, +17.11.1960)

Bonnie Jean died at age four, almost five. She is buried in St. Paul's Cemetery in Belle Fourche.

3.3.....Bernice Mary Brown (*01.06.1924 Belle Fourche, Butte SD, †22.01.2012 Spokane WA)

Bernice and Donald Wesley Cornwall (*27.05.1923, +27.01.2012) were married 31 January 1948 in Butte County, South Dakota. The ceremony was undoubtedly in Belle Fourche. A posting on FamilySearch.org indicates Don was born in Mount Hope, Washington. This needs to be verified.

Headstone for Bernice and Don Cornwall Click to enlarge

From the posting on FamilySearch.com we can trace a little part of their lives. Sometime between 1950 and 1985 the Cornwalls moved from South Dakota to Washington State. In 1985 they were living in the town of Fairfield, Washington.

Don passed away five days after Bernice in 2012. She was 88, Don 89. Bernice and Don are buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Spokane WA.

3.3.....Agnes Viola Brown (*19.06.1883 Antelope NE, +15.06.1967 Plainview, Pierce Cty NE)

Headstone for Agnes and Roy Hering Click to enlarge

Agnes Viola was the third and last child of Mary and Alonso Brown. From her obituary we know she was born in a sod house near Hering's Mill north of Royal. The family moved to Woonsocket, South Dakota in 1891 where she graduated from high school in 1901. She then worked at the local newspaper setting type, running presses, selling subscriptions and writing news. She did it all! She also taught school in South Dakota and Nebraska for 13 years.

Agnes and her childhood sweetheart Roy Julius Hering (*1883 Nebraska, +02.06.1962 Royal, Antelope NE) were wed on 24 November 1910. Roy's father Julius Hering was a German immigrant, his mother Harriet Ida Fields born in Wisconsin. Agnes's brother, the Reverend Benedict G. Brown, participated in the service.

Agnes was an active and accomplished woman. She loved writing and was active in the PTA and the Red Cross.

Roy Hering sitting on the front porch of their Royal, Nebraska home Click to enlarge

The 1920 Census indicates they owned their home with a mortgage in Verdigris Township, Antelope County. Roy is enumerated as a flour miller, undoubtedly working in the family business. Living with them was Agnes's mother Mary Brown. By 1930 they had moved. They now rented in Royal Village in Royal Township, Antelope County. Roy is a carpenter. And ten years later in 1940 they were still renting in Royal. Roy was a janitor at the high school. In addition to Mary Brown (now age 87), living with them were Herbert Field, Roy's uncle, a 79 year old widower, and their son Robert, age 28. Robert was an attendant at a local service station. To view the original census sheets the reader is directed to the LiveLinks section at the bottom of this page.

There is more information in Agnes's obituary which is in part a and part b. Additional information about Roy Hering is also available.

Children: (6)

6.1.....Robert L. Hering (*14.10.1911 Royal, Antelope NE, +18.01.1959 Nebraska)

From the 1940 Census we see that Robert had been living in Hyda, South Dakota in the mid-1930's. By 1940 he had moved back to Royal, was living with his parents and working at a filling station. He married Zola V. Anson (*1929), eighteen years his younger, on 2 July 1949 in Ewing, Nebraska. His obituary included in the Find-a-Grave site adds color to his life. They had no children.

The gravestone for Robert suggests Zola is buried with him or was expected to be buried with him. But she was only thirty years old at the time of Robert's death. It is possible she later re-married, died with a different name and is buried somewhere else.

6.2.....Joseph Vincent Hering (*07.01.1914 Nebraska, +29.10.1962 Beatrice, Gage Cty NE)

Joseph married Elenor Pichard. We know this from the obituary of their son Terry. Joseph is buried in Saint Joseph Cemetery in Beatrice, Gage Cty NE. The information at the Cemetery strangely does not mention Elenor. But perhaps she too had re-married after the death of Joseph. That obituary is interesting. For parents it only lists his father, Joseph, but not his mother Elenor.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Terry J. "T.J." Hering (*2.12.1944 Beatrice NE, +11.02.2007 Fallon, NV))

From his gravestone we know T.J. was a career Navy officer. He enlisted after high school and spent much of his career in the Pacific on aircraft carriers. He was in the Navy for twenty-eight years, including during the Vietnam War. He met his wife, whose name we do not know, in the Philippines. They had been married 39 years when he passed away after a long battle with diabetes. He was sixty-three years old. The gravestone also indicates he left a wife and son behind.

6.3.....Mary Agnes Hering (*10.12.1916 Royal, Antelope NE, +17.11.2002 Madison NE)

Mary Agnes and her sister Margret Ida were twins. Mary Agnes did not marry, living with her parents in 1920, 1930 and 1940. In the 1940 Census, when she was 23 years old, there is no occupation shown for her. She died at the age of 86.

6.4.....Margaret Ida Hering (*Dec 1916 Royal, +Antelope NE, +05.01.1917 Royal, Antelope NE)

Margaret died at home at the age of 3 weeks from congestion in the lungs. She is buried with most of the family in Saint Ludgers Catholic Cemetery in Creighton NE.

6.5.....Helen Frances Hering (*1920 Royal, Antelope NE, +2002)

Helen married Arthur John Meuwissen (*1918, +1993). The wedding was on 13 Nov 1944. Arthur served in the U.S. Army in World War II.

She is buried in Laingsburg Cemetery in Laingsburg, Shiawassee Cty, Michigan. The memorial for Arthur John Meuwissen indicates he is buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Northville, Fulton Cty, New York. They are both named on the gravestone. This is interesting. Are there identical gravestones in both cemeteries?

Children: (3)

3.1.....Celeste Anna Meuwissen (*27.05.1946 Hennepin, Minnesota)

3.2.....Jeffrey Arthur Meuwissen (*31.08.1947 Hennepin, Minnesota)

Jeffrey and Jane Ann Ferguson (*22.01.1950, +28.02.1985) were married.

3.3.....Pamela Jo Meuwissen (*02.09.1949, Hennepin, Minnesota)

Jeri Southern (Genevieve Lillian Hering)

6.6.....Genevieve Lillian Hering (*05.08.1926 Royal, Antelope NE, +04.08.1991 Los Angeles CA)

Genevieve definitely decided to get off the farm. Her first stop was Chicago where she began performing and was discovered by Dick LaPalm, "legendaary jazz promoter". Since Genevieve was probably in her early twenties, Dick must have been at the start of his career. He was two years younger than Genevieve. His story was chronicled in the Lincoln Journal Star in a 2010 article which is worth reading.

Genevieve then moved to Los Angeles, changed her name to Jeri Southern, and had a long career as an actress, singer and piano player in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

Several of her songs can be listened to by clicking HERE. And additional pictures by clicking HERE.

Jeri married three times. John Kitzmiller is mentioned in the obituary of her brother Robert in 1959. William Holman is mentioned in the obituary of her mother in 1967. The third, whose name is not known, is referenced in Wikipedia. Jeri is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.

Her career is chronicled in Wikipedia and very interesting to read.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Kathryn King

Kathryn King Click to enlarge

Kathryn has had a long career in the music industry concentrated in record production and a public relations agency. She has twice been nominated for Grammy Awards and in 1986 won an award for a record for Sesame Street. More can be learned by visiting her website "Kathryn King Media".

7.4.....Paulina "Polly" Bentz (*1854 Jo Daviess Cty IL)

Polly married a man by the name of Eider.

7.5.....Elizabeth Bentz (*1856 Jo Daviess Cty IL)

Elizabeth and a Mr. White were married.

7.6.....Valentine Bentz (*07.1860 Jo Daviess Cty IL)

7.7.....Peter Joseph Bentz (*18.10.1863 IL, +07.02.1925 Fort Myers, Lee FL)

Peter was ten years old when his father Valentin (*1810) passed away. He worked his way through school while he helped support his semi-invalid mother Anna Maria (*1811). As an young adult he moved to Humphrey, Nebraska where he met his future wife. On 15 October 1883 he and Americana Viola Cosby (*1.03.1865 Indiana, +6.10.1928 Fort Myers FL) were married in Yankton, South Dakota. Viola, as she preferred to be called, had an interesting given name, "Americana", if one is to believe the marriage record. But it becomes credible when one looks at the name of her father Thomas Jefferson Cosby. Her mother was Elizabeth Kysar.

Portrait of Viola Click, then zoom to enlarge	Headstone of Peter and Viola Click, then zoom to enlarge

Peter was a teacher and later school principal in Alpena, South Dakota. He learned printing and publishing and by 1900 had bought an interest in the Woonsocket, South Dakota Times, later becoming its sole owner. The 1905 South Dakota state ceneus indicates he had been living in the state since 1885. The state census only includes the head of household, not the family members.

In 1910 Peter retired to a ranch in western Nebraska, or that was the plan. But his son Walter C. intrigued him with an opportunity to acquire three small weekly newspapers. They probably did not buy the three papers but the idea of owning another paper took hold. In 1918 Peter and his family moved to Fort Myers, Florida. They started the Fort Myers Tropical News, a twice weekly newspaper. The business went well, well enough that in February, 1922 they began publishing daily. Five of their children (Clyde, Belvy, Harold, Walter and Fern) worked in the newspaper at one time,

The 1910 records are very interesting. The family is enumerated in the 1910 Census as living in the Lost Creek Precinct of Garden County, Nebraska. The Census page is undated, but if one looks a couple of pages earlier in the Census, the date is 15 April. Then they are then also enumerated in the Blue Creek Precinct of Garden County on 3 May 1910. Perhaps one of the Census takers strayed into the other precinct and mistakenly counted the people outside their assigned area. Which is correct is not known. The Bentz family is the same, yet their neighbors are different?? Both Census records indicate they owned their property. Regardless, they clearly seemed to be living in Garden County in 1910. Garden County is in the western part of the State. One can see both original census pages in LiveLinks at the bottom of this page.

In 1925 Peter passed away after a long battle with cancer. The Depression quickly affected the economy in Fort Myers. The Benz family merged their newspaper with the Fort Myers Press in 1931. The combined company survived the Depression. Much of the information about the life of Peter comes from his obituary and a 2012 article in The River. Zoom in on both to read.

Viola died three years after Peter from a heart attack. Peter and Viola are buried in the Fort Myers Cemetery.

Children: (7)

7.1.....Walter Cosby Bentz (*21.08.1884 Nebraska)

From the 1920 Census we know Walter married Ethel (*1901 South Dakota). They were living in Ft. Myers and Walter worked in the newspaper where he was a printer. They lived on Third Street, just a few doors down from Walter's sister Pearl Bentz Quelle. Soon after 1925 they moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. We have no further information.

7.2.....Pearl Bentz (*03.1886 South Dakota, +1938 Nebraska)

Pearl and Albert Quelle (*30.04.1879 Germany, +August 1964) married in about 1911. In the 1910 Census Pearl was single, living at home and a teacher. There were two Quelle families living near the Bentz. Pearl must have married one of their relatives.

In 1918 Albert registered for the Draft for World War I. He was a farmer near Oshkosh in Garden County NE. But two years later they had moved with Pearl's family to Fort Myers FL. They were living on Second Street. Walter, Pearl's brother, and Ethel Bentz lived on the same street. Albert was enumerated as a farmer but they were living in the city. By 1928 they had moved back to Nebraska and were living in Omaha per the obituary of Pearl's mother Viola.

In 1930 they were back in Lost Creek Precinct, Garden County NE and Albert was farming. Three of their children were teenagers. Their youngest, Wilbur, was five. Pearl passed away in 1938 at the age of 52. In 1940 their son Wilbur was living with Albert, as were their daughter Dorothy (Mikkelson), her husband and their two children. ages 1 and 2. Albert lived on many more years, passing away in 1964 at the age of eighty-five. He had been a widower for twenty-six years.

Pearl and Albert are buried in the Oshkosh Cemetery in Oskosh, Garden County.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Arthur M. Quelle (*05.06.1912 Nebraska, +27.03.1963 Alameda CA)

Arthur married Clessie Margaret Steger (*20.09.1913 Missouri, +10.08.1991 Alameda CA), the daughter of Robert E. Steger. In 1940 Arthur was a timekeeper working at the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration), a large governmental organization organized by Roosevelt to reduce unemployment and address many projects to improve the country. They were living in Scotts Bluff NE. At this time we have no further information about the family other than their deaths. They likely had more than one child.

Arthur and Clessie are buried together in the Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland CA.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Marilyn Quelle (*1939 Nebraska)

4.2.....Dorothy Fern Quelle (*02.12.1913 Oshkosh NE, +11.06.2009 Gering, Scotts Bluff NE)

Dorothy grew up near Oshkosh an a farm. The family moved briefly to Ft. Myers, Florida but returned to Scotts Bluff NE and finally Gering NE. Dorothy married Clarence W. Mikkelson (*24.04.1911 Nebraska, +08.11.1995 Scotts Bluff NE), the son of Ole and Mable Mikkelson. In 1940 the Mikkelsons were living with Dorothy's father Albert in Lost Creek Precinct, Garden County.

The 1940 Census is the last available. They may have had more than two children.

Dorothy and Clarence are buried in Oshkosh Cemetery in Garden County.

Dorothy Fern Quelle Mikkelson (*1913)	Corinne Jean Mikkelson Lehman (*1937)

Children: (2)

2.1.....Corinne Jean Mikkelson (*24.07.1937 Oshkosh NE, +09.07.2009 Sun City AZ)

Corrine received her early education at Penn School near Oshkosh. She and Jerold L. Lehman (*1934, +Sun City AZ) married on 16 September 1954 in Scotts Bluff. In their later years they moved to Sun City, Arizona, a retirement community near Phoenix. They were buried in Nebraska.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Susan Lehman

Susan married a man by the name of Ron Spencer. They live in Champlain MN.

2.1.....Kevin Lehman

Kevin married Denise Sikes. They live in Lafayette CO.

2.2.....Gary Clarence Mikkelson (*24.06.1939, +04.05.1997 Nebraska)

On 19 October 1968 Gary married Barbara J. Barry (*1939). The wedding was in San Francisco.

They lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gary passed away at the age of 58 and is buried in Lafayette CA at the Oakmont Memorial Park.

4.3.....Donald F. Quelle (*02.02.1913 Nebraska, +14.09.1970 Omaha NE)

Donald and Dorothy Fern were twins. In the Second World War Don was a Private in the Headquarters Company of the 65th Engineering Battalion. In 1950 he married Anna Schmidt (*09.04.1915 Chicago IL, +11.12.2011 New Martinsville WV). Anna was the daughter of John and Anna Karlin Schmidt. The Schmidts had moved to Scotts Bluff in 1920. She began working in a meat packing plant, then for 22 years was employed by Cawley's Potato Chips. Her first husband was Wayne G. Ogg. They married in 1947. Wayne died in 1949. In 1950 Anna then married Don Quelle.

Don passed away in 1970. Anna survived him by forty-one years, dying in 2011 in West Virginia where she is buried. Don is buried in the Oshkosh Cemetery.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Darlene Quelle

We can see from the obituary of her mother that Darlene married Walter Howton. They lived in Dawson Springs KY.

4.4.....Wilbur A. Quelle (*07.02.1925 Nebraska, +04.04.2002 Cozad, Dawson NE)

Little is known of Wilbur. He died at the age of 77 and is buried in Cozad, Dawson County in Nebraska.

7.3.....Roy Orville Bentz (*23.12.1887 Woonsocket, Sanborn Cty SD, +23.09.1967 North Platte, Lincoln Cty NE)

Roy and Anna Jensen Bentz Click to enlarge

Roy and Anna M. Jensen (*30.09.1892 Council Bluff IA, +18.09.1984 Sutherland NE) were married 12 June 1911. Anna was the daughter of Godfrey and Petra Fredericksen Jensen.

In 1920 and 1930 they were farming in Lost Creek Precinct near Oshkosh in Garden County NE. In 1940 they had moved a little east and were farming near Sutherland in Lincoln County. Their youngest two daughters, Viola and Darlene, were living with them.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Ruth Leona Bentz (*30.04.1912 Oshkosh, Garden Cty NE, +27.03.2005 Sutherland, Lincoln Cty NE)

Ruth married Franklin Raymond "Ray" Merrill (*7.12.1907, +17.07.1993 North Platte, Lincoln Cty NE). Ray was the son of Franklin and Gertrude Winter Merrill.

Ray and Ruth bought a farm in Nebraska, then moved to California for a short time running a cafe. From California they went to Colorado where for several years they managed two different girl scout camps. Upon retirement they returned to Nebraska and lived on the farm they had bought in 1941. From Ray's outfit, he appears to have been a butcher. But perhaps this was only for show.

Ruth and Ray are buried in the Sutherland Riverview Cemetery in Sutherland, Lincoln Cty NE. Also in the Cemetery is a Crystal Lea Merrill who was born in 1958 and died three weeks later. We are unaware of any children of Ruth and Ray. Whether Crystal was somehow related to the family is unclear.

Ray and Ruth Bentz Merrill, 1929 Click to enlarge	Ray Merrill, circa 1950 Click to enlarge	Ruth Bentz Merrill, 2005 Click to enlarge

5.2.....Basil Bentz (*03.11.1914, Garden Cty NE, +10.12.2003 Ogallala, Keith Cty NE)

Basil and Vera Keenan Bentz, 2003 Click to enlarge

Basil was born on his parents farm north of Oshkosh in Garden County. He went to the Hutcheson School. Basil and Vera Alice Keenan (*12.04.1919 Alliance, Box Butte Cty NE, +16.07.2003 Ogallala NE) were married the day after Christmas, 1926 in Lewellen NE. Vera was seventeen years old and the daughter of Charles Leonard Keenan. They farmed on land owned by others, then bought a ranch north of Imperial, Chase Cty NE where they lived for 41 years.

In 1940 they were enumerated in the Census. Their two oldest children, Ann and Maxine were infants at the time and enumerated on the next page.

Basil was an avid rancher and hunter. He also learned to fly and would take friends on flights inspecting his ranch from the air.

In 1996 they retired to a smaller property south of Ogallala where they were members of the Presbyterian Church. Basil passed away in 2003, five months after Vera at the age of 89. They had been married 66 years.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Anne Bentz (*1938)

The 1940 Census suggests that Anne's name was Vera Ann. If so, she apparently went by the name Anne. She married Charles "Chuck" Parcell. In 2003 they were living in Flintridge, California. This information comes from the obituary of her father. No more is known at this time.

5.2.....Maxine Fern Bentz (*19.05.1939 Nebraska, +04.11.2006 Metropolis, Massac Cty IL)

Maxine and Jack Duane Holtzman married 25 January 1958 in Phillips, Colorado. We have two records. The first is likely their application for the marriage license, the second the actual ceremony. In 2003 Maxine was living in Aurora, Colorado.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Paula Jean Holtzman

3.2.....Jackie Holtzman

She may be living in Vienna, Illinois.

3.3.....Jodi Holtzman

Jodi married a man by the name of Lewis. They may be living in Vienna, Illinois.

5.3.....Sharon Bentz

Married Garry Spady. In 2003 were living in Imperial NE.

5.4.....Lana Jo Bentz

Married Richard Westfahl. In 2003 they lived in Colby, Kansas

5.5.....Rodney Leonard Bentz (*30.03.1955, +30.03.1955 North Platte, Lincoln Cty NE)

Rodney Bentz, the fifth child of Basil and Vera, died at birth. He is buried in the North Platte Cemetery in North Platte NE.

5.3.....Lila Petrea Bentz (*24.07.1918 Garden Cty NE, +15.09.2012 Cheyenne, Laramie Cty WY)

Lila and Conrad Cecil Wallace (*20.07.1910 Garden Cty NE, +11.04.1991 Garden Cty NE) were married 19 September 1936 in Holyoke, Colorado. Conrad was the son of George and Bertha Suit Vocke Wallace. Lila and Conrad farmed and ranched near Lisco NE. Lisco is in Garden County.

The obituary of Lila mentions grandchildren Dave, Steve, Jeff, Kim (married to Kevin Geraty) and Carrie (married to John David). It is now known where to place these grandchildren, or their twelve children.

Lila and Conrad are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Lisco NE.

Lila Petrea Bentz, circa 1936 Click to enlarge	Conrad C. Wallace, circa 1936 Click to enlarge	Conrad and Lila Bentz Wallace, 1991 Click to enlarge

Children: (2)

2.1.....Wayne W. Wallace (*before 1940)

Married Jeanette. They lived in Oshkosh in 2012. Find-a-Grave says Oshkosh, Wisconsin. But it is more likely to be Oshkosh, Nebraska.

2.2.....Dennis Wallace (*27.10.1940)

Married Sandy. In 2012 they lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

5.4.....Viola M. Bentz (*1924 Nebraska)

Viola married a man by the name of Dunkin.

5.5.....Darleen Bentz (*1931 Nebraska)

Darlene married a man by the name of Moore.

7.4.....Clyde Earl/Emerald Bentz (*10.08.1889 Sanborn SD, +Chicago IL)

By the time Clyde was in his early 20's he had moved to Iowa. For in 1911 Clyde and Madge Winnie Clark (*20.08.1887 Iowa, +25.02.1977 Shooting Creek, Clay Cty NC) were married in Poweshiek County, about sixty miles east of the city of Des Moines. The date was the 3rd of May. Madge was the daughter of North and Sarah Mcfadden Clark.

Four years later in 1915 the Iowa State Census was taken. We have records for Madge and Clyde. They were living at 512 Spring Street in the town of Burlington, Des Moines County. It should be pointed out that Des Moines County is in the southeastern part of the state on the Mississippi River. It is not to be confused with the city of Des Moines in the center of the state. Clyde's card indicates he had been in Iowa for five years, i.e. he came in 1910. He was a printer by trade, having earned $1,050 in 1914. They rented the home in which they were living. It was valued at $1100. Clyde said he had no church affiliation, Madge was a Presbyterian. Her mother and father were born in Ohio.

Clyde registered for the World War I Draft in 1917. His Draft card shows his name as Clyde "Emerald" Bentz, not Clyde "Earl" as had his marriage record. Another discrepancy is his year of birth. The Draft record says 1890 while his later Social Security Death Index indicates 1889. This latter date is assumed to be correct. Clyde and Madge lived at 1060 6th Street in Des Moines (city), Iowa. He stated his occupation as lineotype operator at the Register Tribune Newspaper at 4th and Court Avenue. He was married with three children. He claimed three years of prior military service, although it is not clear what is entered next. The second card describes him as of medium height, slender with blue eyes and brown hair.

Clyde, like most (or all?) of his siblings, moved to Florida when his father started the newspaper in Ft. Myers in 1918. He is enumerated in the 1920 Census as living on Edison Street in Tampa, Hillsborough Cty FL. Clyde is then mentinoned in the 1925 obituary of his father. Peter Joseph, as having worked in the business but living in Miami. Three years later he is mentioned in the obituary of his mother as living in Chicago, Illinois.

We do not have a U.S. Census record for Clyde for 1930. He does appear, however, in the Florida Census in 1935. He is enumerated as a "widower", indicating Madge had died. This clearly was not true. For Madge and Clyde were divorced in 1939 in Dade County (Miami), Florida. She apparently did not re-marry as her 1977 gravestone still gives her family name as Bentz. Perhaps she was living in North Carolina with or near one of her children at the time of her death.

Clyde quickly re-married after their divorce, for on 2 January 1940 Clyde and Beulah M. Sutton (*1901 Pennsylvania) became husband and wife in Fort Lauderdale FL. Beulah was a dressmaker. They appear in the 1940 Census. But this marriage did not last either for in 1951 Clyde and Beulah divorced in Dade County.

At this time (2017) we are aware of few descendants of Clyde Bentz. However, there very well may have been several births in the 1940's of more grandchildren (after the 1940 Census) and we do not yet know of them.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Maxwell "Max" Clark Bentz (*10.11.1911 Grinnell IA, +08.09.1996 Citrus County FL)

Maxwell does not appear with his father and new step-mother in the 1940 Census. He and his younger sisters were likely living with their mother Madge. In 1945 Maxwell was a married to Dorothy Yates Hughes (*1911 Nashville GA) in Broward County FL. The date of the ceremony was 4 March 1945. Dorothy was widow from a previous marriage.

The couple divorced in 1952 in Miami. We are not aware of any children, although they likely exist. Max died in September 1996 in Citrus County on the gulf coast of Florida. He was 84 years old.

3.2.....Doris Glea Bentz (*24.08.1912 Grinnell IA)

Doris and Willard Thomas (*1913) were married 8 August 1930. According to the marriage record she was 16, he 17. Both are probably off by a year or two. Wilard's parents were Edgar S. and Dorothy May Thomas.

We have not found Doris and Willard in the 1940 Census. If they had had children, they would probably have started before 1940.

3.3.....Maxine Bentz (*1916 Iowa)

Maxine, like her brother and father, divorced. Her first marriage on the 26th of April 1935 was to Kenneth Elmere. The wedding was in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County FL.

Maxine and Ken had one son in 1933. They then divorced in 1939. Maxine does not appear in the 1940 Census with her son Stanley, age 6. Stanley is living with his grandmother Madge in Miami. The location is recorded as Precinct 53. Their home is valued at $1000. It is not known where Maxine is living.

Maxine may have re-married in 1957. The record is curious. No husband is named.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Stanley Pat Bentz (*13.05.1933 Florida)

The information we have on the son of Maxine and Ken is probably correct. There are three records with somewhat conflicting data but with a little creativity they all can tie together. The first is a Census record from 1940. Here Stanley is enumerated with his grandmother Madge. Five years later in 1945 a State Census was conducted. "Pat" is now his given name and he is still living with his grandmother. The years and states of birth for both are correct.

Finally there is a "Public Record" public record. It has a person with the name of S Bentz living in Lake Placid, Florida. Lake Placid is about halfway between Miami and Orlando. It gives other alias's of Pat Bentz, Stanley Pat Bentz and Pat S. Bentz. This perhaps ties together the two given names from the censuses mentioned in the paragraph above. It further lists other Bentz names as possible relatives of S Bentz: Air C Bentz, Carol Jean Bentz, Charles J. Bentz, Jamie Bentz, Jessie Jean Bentz, Jessie Bentz, Judy J. Bentz, Joni Bentz, Norma Jean Bentz and Pat Bentz. There are probably redundancies in the list but all perhaps live in the Lake Placid area. It should be possible to make contact with some of them. The most recent record in this "public record" appears to be from 2009.

7.5.....Ferne Viola Bentz (*15.08.1895 Sanborn SD, +04.11.1978 Los Angeles CA)

In 1925 Ferne was living in Ft. Myers and single. She was, or had been, working in the family newspaper business.

Ferne married late in life at the age of 40. Perhaps this is the reason she had no children. On 9 March 1935 she and Warren Bennett Beach (*26.07.1881, +1970) were married in Fairbury, Jefferson Cty NE. The registration cards (one and two) for Warren when he registered for the World War I Draft in 1918 indicates he was living in Big Springs, Deuel County. Deuel Cty is immediately south of Garden County in the western part of the state. Warren was the son of Riley V. Beach.

Five years later they were enumerated in the 1940 Census. They were living at 1850 N.W. 33rd Street in Miami FL in a home which they owned. Living with them was Warren's 30 year old single daughter Bernice from a prior marriage. Ferne was 43 years old and an english teacher in a public school. Warren was a carpenter in the building industry. He reported earnings of $600 for 1939, having worked twenty weeks. Ferne reported $1,620 from 39 weeks of work. Bernice did not work. The Depression was still going on.

The Florida State Census in 1945 shows Ferne had a college education. Warren had graduated from high school and was farming in 1945. Bernice no longer lived with them.

Warren passed away in 1970. Ferne lived another eight years, passing away on 4 November 1978 at the age of 83. But she died in Los Angeles, not Florida. One must ask the question "why was Ferne, aged eighty-three, in Los Angeles"? Perhaps it was to see her first cousin, once removed Jeri Southern?

Ferne and Warren are buried in Graceland Memorial Park, Coral Gables FL.

7.6.....Belvy William Bentz (*11.09.1897 South Dakota, +06.08.1978 Wichita Falls, Wichita TX)

In 1918 Belvy, age 21, registered for the World War I Draft. He was 21 years old, single and working as a printer for Press Publishing Company. This was likely the family owned business which published the newspaper. He lived at home. He was of medium height, slender and with blue eyes and brown hair. His registration card (sides one and two) provide this information.

By 1928 he was living in Colorado Strings, Colorado according to the obituary of his mother. Then on 7.07.1935, at age 38, Belvy married Ina Mae Moore (*9.01.1904, +11.11.1991 Cameron, Milam County TX). The wedding was in Wilbarger County, Texas. Wilbarger is the county west of Wichita County of which Wichita Falls is the county seat!

They are in the 1940 Census, living at 2703 Garden Street in Vernon, Wilbarger Cty. Belvy was a publisher, Ina Mae a bookkeeper. They had no children.

The birth certificate for Belvy was filed in 1942. The information was sworn by his sister Ferne Bentz Beach. This was either because no birth certificate was created at the time of his birth or the official record had been lost. Belvy was 45 years old. It was the beginning of World War II.

Belvy died in 1978, Ina Mae thirteen years later. They are buried together in the Eastview Memorial Park, Vernon.

7.7.....Harold Archie Bentz (*17.08.1900 Sanborn SD, +7.07.1984 Washington D.C.)

In 1918 Harold registed for the Draft. He was at the time working for the U.S. Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. as a laborer. He was described as tall and slender with blue eyes and "light" hair.

In 1925 Harold was living in Ft. Myers FL like many of his siblings. The obituary of his mother says he was in Washington D.C. again in 1928. This is possible.

Harold married Florence L. Miller (*1907 Loveland, Larimer Cty CO) of Berthoud in Colorado Springs on 4 August 1935. Harold's home address is still given as Fort Myers FL. They next appear in the 1940 Census living on Emerson Street in Denver CO. Harold is 39 years old, Florence 33. Harold is a linotype operator at the local newspaper. He had worked every week in the prior year, earning $2,000.

Harold passed away in 1984. It is not really clear where he died, whether in Washington D.C., Florida, Colorado or somewhere else. There is an "obituary" record which says Florida. Regardless, Harold is buried in the Woodlawn Park Cemetery South in Miami. The headstone on the grave seems to show two people. Presumably the second is Florence but we have no record of her death.

8.2.....Sibylla Bentz (*20.10.1811 Undenheim, +23.03.1823 Undenheim)

Sibylla Bentz died at the age of 12 years, twenty years before the family emigrated.

8.3.....Maria Magdalena Bentz (*21.07.1813 Undenheim, +12.05.1888 Galena IL)

Little is known of Maria Magdalena. She did not marry. In 1850 at age 36 she was the lone child living with her parents in Mill Creek, Jo Daviess County. Her name was enumerated as "Madeline". And again in 1860 she is living at home at the age of 46. But here she is enumerated as "Mary". Most of the records for "Mary" Bentz apply to 8.4 Anna Maria. This one does not. Anna Maria had been married for fifteen years by 1860 with children.

Then we have no further records for Maria Magdalena until the 1880 Census. Here she is entered as a 65 year old woman by the name of "Martha". She is living in the home of her sister 8.4 Anna Maria "Mary" Bentz Cortade, a widow. The home was on Fourth Street in East Galena.

Magdalena passed away on 12 May 1888. She was approaching her 75th birthday. She is buried in the St. Mary's Cemetery in Galena in Section 6, Lot 18. The family of her sister 8.5 Katharina Margarete (*1819) is also buried here as seen in the Cemetery burial register.

8.4.....Anna Maria Bentz (*24.02.1816 Undenheim, +31.01.1898 Galena IL)

Anna Maria "Mary" was 27 and single at the time the family emigrated. On 3 June 1845 in Galena she was married to Michael Courtade (*29.10.1806 Altenstadt, France, +~13.06.1868 Galena IL). Michael was the son of John Peter and Mary Ann Frey Courtade. He was the 11th of 19 children! There is a family tree for the Courtad family (in France the name was spelled without the "e") going back to the 17th Century on Genealogy.com. It is quite interesting. Here is a small part:

In 1832 Michael's parents (including thirteen of their children) sailed for America, leaving the port of Havre, France on board the ship "Logan-Boston." They landed in Baltimore, Maryland, being on the ship for sixty-three days. From there, they progressed to Bellefount, Pennsylvania where one of the older children died. In 1832, they took a wagon from Pennsylvania to Adrian, Seneca County, Ohio. On the original land entries for Seneca County, John Peter Courtade is listed as purchasing land in Big Springs Township, e 1/2, sw 1/4, section 25 on July 5, 1833. He is also listed aspurchasing land in 1834 as well. They lived there for a few years before moving to Iowa in 1841. The family resided in Iowa until 1844 when they moved back to the Seneca and Wyandot County areas of Ohio.

Johannes died in 1848 in Iowa and is buried in the Catholic cemetery in McCutchenville, Ohio. After his death, Mary Ann moved back to Ohio and resided with a daughter in Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio until her death.

For more on the Courtade family Click Here. And use the "Previous Page" and "Next Page" links to more about the site. Michael Courtade, the husband of Anna Maria, is number 11. in their listing. Or to learn about Altenstadt, the town in Alsace from which the Courtads emigrated, Click Here.

In the same year of Mary and Michael's marriage they had a son who apparently did not live to be an adult. This information comes from a family tree on familysearch.org. The 1850 Census shows the son, age five, but it is challenging to determine his given name. He is on Line 13 of the census page. Also note the "Zaphir Willie" family starting on Line 15. This is Mary's sister 8.7 Catharina (*1824). Michael Courtade was a carpenter, as seen in the Census.

In 1856 Michael was naturalized in Galena, the county seat of Jo Daviess County. Twelve years after that, in 1868, he passed away at the age of 62.

The 1860 Census shows the family with additional children of whom we are not aware, specifically Aloysius (*1855) and Elizabeth (*1856). They do not appear in the 1880 Census and therefore probably were deceased.

In 1880 Mary was living on Fourth Street in East Galena. The Census has three sons living with her: John, "Edward" and Prosper. Edward was most likely Oliver (*1854). Also living with the family was Mary's sister 8.3 Maria Magdalena "Martha". In the State Census of 1895 son Oliver, age 39, is the head of the household. Mary and her son Prosper, age 30, are in the home. Margaret Courtade is the wife of Oliver.

Children: (8)

8.1.....Son Courtade (*1845, +after 1850)

The first child of Mary and Michael, whose given name is difficult to decipher from the 1850 Census, is a mystery. We have no additional information about him. Someone creating a family tree on familysearch.org has this son in the tree. Whether this son actually existed is not clear. Other information in the Census is also incorrect.

8.2.....Mary Courtade (*1847)

There is no other information about Mary (*1847).

8.3.....John Conrad Courtade (*16.05.1853 Galena,Jo Daviess IL, +17.11.1894)

In 1880 John was single, living at home and employed as a "tinner". He was 26 years old. We have no record of his having married. He died before the 1900 Census.

8.4.....Aloysius Courtade (*1855 Galena IL, +before 1880)

The 1860 Census shows a son Aloys, age 5. He does not appear in the 1880 Census when he would have been fifteen and most likely living at home.

8.5.....Elizabeth Courtade (*1856 Galena IL, +before 1880)

The 1860 Census shows also shows a daughter Elizabeth. She does not appear in the 1880 Census when she would have been fourteen and certainly living at home.

8.6.....Tovita Courtade (*15.02.1859 Galena IL)

8.7.....Oliver Aloysius Courtade (*21.06.1861 Galena IL, +29.12.1931 Bellevue, Jackson Cty IA)

As mentioned above, in 1880 there was an "Edward" enumerated in the Census living with their mother Mary. This was likely Oliver, given the wrong first name. But this is just when the conflicting information on Oliver begins. The big question is "when was he born"? Based upon the 1880 Census he was born in 1854. Yet when one looks at the other four Census records, one can see 1856, 1859, 1863 and 1865. Quite a spread. His Death Certificate says 21 June 1861. This is probably correct. It should be more reliable than census data. The "Informant" for the Death Certificate was his wife Maggie. Other records were undoubtedly created from the Death Certificate and therefore do not confirm the birthyear.

Oliver moved to Bellevue in Jackson County, Iowa in 1881 where he was also a tinner. Bellevue is on the Mississippi River about ten miles due south of Galena. He worked for Haney & Company Shop. On 24 August 1893 Oliver married Margaret Koppes (*May 1872 Bellevue IA, +27.03.1961 Davenport, Scott Cty IA) in Bellevue. Maggie was the daughter of Mathias and Hannah Rosenberg Koppes. She was eighteen years younger than Oliver. Oliver was in the merchantile business with Maggie's brother.

In 1898 Maggie delivered their only child, a daughter Ella Elizabeth. Two years later the family is enumerated in the 1900 Census. Ollie was a grocery merchant. Emma Elizabeth was one year old.

On the 1910 Census from Ancestry.com, Oliver was transcribed as Oliver Boustade. It is very challenging to read the original page but, if one is looking for Courtade, it is easy to see that it could be. The family members and ages fit. Margaret is a teacher. Five years later in the Iowa State Census Oliver is listed as Catholic.

The final Census in which Oliver is found is from 1930. Ollie is once again a tinner. They own their home which is valued at $3,000. The Census page also includes age at marriage. Ollie is shown at 31 years, or a birthyear of about 1862.

Oliver A. Courtade (*1861)	Margaret A. Koppes (*1872)	Ella Elizabeth Courtade (*1898)

Oliver passed away in December 1931 from age and pneumonia. The Death Certificate shows his birthdate as 21 June 1861. Margaret passed away thirty years later in 1961. They are buried in Saint Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Bellevue.

In the death record for Ella Koppes Willy, wife of 7.3 George O. Willy (*1877) in Galena, Illinois, it is seen that Margaret Koppes Courtade and Ella Koppes Willy were sisters. They both married into the Schömbs/Benz family.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Ella Elizabeth Courtade (*05.11.1898, 11.05.1976 Dubuque IA)

Ella lived with her parents until the 1920's. Nothing is known of her life after this time, except that she died in 1976 and is buried with her parents. She did not marry.

8.8.....Prosper Edward Courtade (*25.06.1864 Galena IL, +13.01.1950 East Dubuque, Jo Daviess Cty IL)

Prosper Edward was born in the last year of the American Civil War. He was educated at St. Mary's parochial school and then the German English Teachers College in Galena.

At age 31 he married a Canadian woman, Theresa Ann McCrimmon (*01.04.1876 Angus, Ontario Canada, +11.10.1957 East Dubuque IL). The ceremony was in Dubuque, Iowa on 11 June 1895. As seen above, Prosper had been living in Galena (Illinois) with his mother prior to his marriage. Theresa's family must have lived across the river in Dubuque, Iowa and the reason for their marriage there. Following their marriage Prosper and Theresa had their home in Dubuque, Iowa. By the 1900 Census they already had three children, all sons. They lived at 521 Rush Street in a house which they rented. Prosper was a carpenter.

Ten years later they had moved back to Illinois, but just across the Mississippi River to Dunleith Township in Jo Daviess County. Their family had grown but was not done. They now had seven children. Prosper was a foreman in a "sash factory", which would have made windows for houses. They owned their home free of a mortgage.

For the census years 1920, 1930 and 1940 Prosper and Theresa lived in Dunleith Township. By 1920 they had their full complement of children -- twelve. Prosper continued to be a cabinet maker at the sash & door company through 1930. By 1940 no occupation is given.

The 1940 Census is very interesting for a number of reasons. Prosper is seventy years old. Nine of his twelve children are still living at home -- ages 22 to 43! The other three had married and were out of the nest. Later Paul (*1918) married. But all the single children stayed home! The 1950 Census will not be available for a few more years.

The 1940 Census also gives the occupations of the children, from machinist to more cabinet makers, school teachers, grocery clerk and stenographer. Finally it gives the education level of each household member: Prosper (C-college 2yrs), Theresa (G-gradeschool 8 yrs), Frank (H-high school 4yrs), William (C-5), John (H-4), Mary (C-3), Jane (C-2), Henry (H-4), Peter (H-4), George (H-4) and Paul (C-2). A well educated family for the time! This does not include the three who by 1940 had married, were living elsewhere and are discussed below.

Reminder: The original census pages are available in LiveLinks below, if one would like to drill down. But be sure your browser is compatible, as stated in LiveLinks.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

THE ALL AMERICAN FAMILY -

There was a wonderful article in the newspaper at the end of 1942 "Six Brothers Serve U.S.". It details six of the nine sons who were in U.S. military. The family would write a letter to their sons, make six copies and mail it out to them in their various postings. When asked by the reporter what they would do if the drafting of fathers went through, they responded "they would have to make three more copies ot the letter, one for another of their sons and two for sons-in-laws". "If our country needs them, they are welcome to all of them" said Prosper proudly. "I'm only sorry that I'm not young enough myself to join". Prosper was 78 at the time! The article is a little fuzzy but worth the effort to read. Zoom in!

Prosper passed away in 1950 at the age of 85. Theresa died seven years later at 81. They are buried together at the East Dubuque Cemetery in Jo Daviess County. Although a record on familysearch.org says the name was St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery in East Dubuque.

Children: (12)

12.1.....Frank Prosper Courtade (*30.06.1896 Dubuque IA, +27.07.1972 East Dubuque IL)

Frank did not marry. In 1920 and 1930 he worked at the bank. By 1940 he was not employed but still living at home. This was as the Great Depression was finally ending.

Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge

12.2.....Aloysius "Ollie" Edward Courtade (*30.05.1898 Dubuque IA, +02.08.1970 East Dubuque IL)

After graduating from high school Ollie worked in a bank as a bookkeeper and then teller in 1920 and 1930 respectively. In the late 1930's he moved to central Wisconsin and was an unmarried farmer in the 1940 Census. It is interesting to note that the people listed directly above Ollie were either his neighbors or he was living with them. The son is Warren W. Rice, age 25, who would later marry Ollie's sister Jane "Jennie".

Ollie enlisted in the U.S. Army Calvary in World War II. He was forty-four years old at the time.

He died in 1963 and was buried with many of his siblings and parents in East Dubuque.

12.3.....William Alva Courtade (*21.03.1900 Dubuque IA, +23.10.1963 East Dubuque IL)

William was trained and worked as a machinist in 1920. In the 1930 Census there is no occupation shown. In 1940 he is enumerated as a machinist but had not worked in 1939. In October 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to an ordinance regiment.

It is believed that William did not marry. He died in 1963 and is buried with the family in East Dubuque.

12.4.....John J. Courtade (*03.02.1902 East Dubuque IL, +26.12.1970 East Dubuque IL)

John was a cabinet maker by trade, following in the footsteps of his father Prosper and probably working for the same company. There is no information about military service, obviously he was not in the military when the above article about his six brothers was written, or his having married.

12.5.....Ethel Theresa Courtade (*04.03.1904 East Dubuque IL, +11.02.1984 East Dubuque IL)

Ethel Theresa and Willard Henry Riesselman (*21.05.1912, +3.06.1971) were married in Jo Daviess County IL on 19 June 1935. They were buried in the East Dubuque Cemetery, the same as the other family members. No further information is available at this time.

Children: (1)

Alice Riesselman Kaiser Click to enlarge

1.1.....Alice J. Riesselman (*17.06.1939 Dubuque IA, +27.04.2017 Cuba City, Wisconsin)

Alice and Delbert J. Kaiser (*) were married 6 June 1959 and were husband and wife for 57 years. Alice worked as a day care provider in a center. Her family is laid out in her obituary.

Children: (6)

6.1.....Theresa Kaiser (*4.05.1960)

∞ James Davis of Montfort WI

6.2.....Michelle Kaiser

of Darlington WI

6.3.....Catherine Kaiser (*6.04.1966)

∞ David DeMuth (+6.02.2007) of Waterloo, Iowa

6.4.....Lori Kaiser

∞ Greg Goodman of Oakdale, Minnesota

6.5.....David Kaiser (*5.10.1962)

∞ Noreen of Kieler WI

6.6.....Willard P. "Willy" Kaiser (*12.1964, +19.01.2004)

12.6.....Mary A. Courtade (*29.05.1906 East Dubuque IL, +02.06.1989 Appleton, Wisconsin)

In 1930 and 1940 Mary was a public school teacher. She passed away in 1989 at the age of 83 and was buried in the Cemetery in East Dubuque with many of her family members. It is believed that she did not marry.

12.7.....Jane Jennie A. Courtade (*05.06.1908 East Dubuque IL, +10.08.1984 Friendship, Adams Cty Wisconsin)

In 1930 Jennie was a public school teacher. In 1940 she was the same at age 32. The Census shows that Jennie and her sister Mary, both school teachers, had each earned $600 teaching for the prior year.

Jane and Warren Wesley Rice (*14.05.1914 Oak Park, Cook Cty IL, +14.06.1975 Springville, Adams Cty, Wisconsin) married. Warren was six years younger than her. Warren was the son of Guy Arthur (*North Freedom WI) and Mae Eva Genther (*Camden NJ) Rice. Jane apparently preferred the name "Jennie" to "Jane". The marriage took place after 1940.

In 1940 Warren had been living with his mother in Springville. Enumerated immediately after Warren in the Census is Ollie Courtade. This is probably how Jennie and Warren met. They are buried together in the Mount Repose Cemetery, Friendship, Adams Cty WI.

12.8.....Charles J. Courtade (*25.07.1910 East Dubuque IL, +12.11.2003 Snohomish Cty, Washington)

Charles was born in Illinois. As an adult he began moving west. As a 26 year old he married Virginia M. Frantzen (*14.10.1909 Dubuque IA, +17.09.2003 Mountlake Terrace, Snohomish Cty WA) in Missoula, Montana on 24 July 1937. Charles turned 27 the following day. Virginia was the daughter of John P. and Josephine Palen Frantzen. Her father was a longtime Dubuque attorney.

Charles, Virginia and Robert Courtade Click to enlarge

In the 1940 U.S. Census they were enumerated living in Missoula, Precinct #8. Their first child was less than a year. One of the questions in the Census was where the person lived in 1935. Charles reported rural Jo Daviess County IL, Virginia Dubuque IA. Their address in Missoula was 527 S. Fifth East, which they were renting. Charles reported he had gone to college for two years, Virginia had graduated from high school. Charles was employed as an interior decorator for a local paint company. He had worked 52 weeks in 1939, earning $1,560.

From Missoula they moved to Spokane and finally Seattle, both in the state of Washington. Virginia is described in her obituary. Charles passed away two months after Virjinia in 2003. Charles and Virginia, together with their son Robert, are buried in Holyrood Catholic Cemetery in Shoreline, King Cty WA.

The obituary of Virginia mentions eight children. Only four have been identified to date. However, Courtade is not a common name. WhitePages.com has a few who are probably the other children of Charles and Virginia -- Thomas J., Marilyn Rae (an inlaw?), Frances M. and Michael F. -- as well as grandchildren.

Children: (8)

8.1.....Paul J. Courtade (*14.04.1939 Missoula, Montana, +7.11.2007 Shoreline, King Cty WA)

Paul's obituary gives us a glimpse into his life. He lived in Shoreline, a district of Seattle and immediately south of Mountlake Terrace where his parents lived. Paul worked for 32 years for Allied Safe and Vault. His hobbies were his "muscle car", the 1965 Oldsmobile 442, and fishing. The foto of the 442 is just a generic 442, not specifically Paul's. He did not marry.

8.2.....Robert Martin Courtade (*13.04.1945, +28.03.2014)

Robert died at age 59. It is believed that he did not marry.

8.3.....Virginia M. Courtade (*02.04.1948)

The only information we have about Virginia at this time is that she was living in Seattle in the year 2000. She lived in zip code 108, south of downtown in the area of Franklin High School where her brother Paul had gone. The family probably lived there when the kids were growing up. As her name was still Courtade when she was 52 years old, she probably did not marry.

8.4.....Charles J Courtade (*28.01.1950)

Charles also lived in Seattle, as seen from the Public Record.

8.5.....

8.6.....

8.7.....

8.8.....

12.9.....Henry M. Courtade (*22.08.1912 East Dubuque IL, +08.05.1966)

Henry was a corporal in the U.S. Marines in World War II. He died at age 54 and is buried in the East Dubuque Cemetery with the family. Unfortunately the photograph of Henry in the newspaper article above is very poor quality. Before the War Henry had been a cabinet maker like his father.

12.10.....Peter Eugene Courtade (*14.08.1914 East Dubuque IL,. +05.01.1965 Dubuque IA)

Peter and Irma E. Manamen (*9.12.1919, +31.12.1969) married. Irma was from Hazel Green, Wisconsin. They are buried in the East Dubuque Cemetery.

Peter E Cortade Click to enlarge	Monument for Peter's Service Click to enlarge	Gravestone of Peter and Irma Click to enlarge

12.11.....George Bernard Courtade (*20.05.1916 East Dubuque IL, +08.10.2007 Dubuque IA)

Prior to World War II George was a grocery clerk. He was then one of the six sons who were in the military in the War. He was a Private First Class in the U.S. Army. George died at age 91 and is buried in the East Dubuque Cemetery.

Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge

12.12.....Paul R. Courtade (*20.03.1918 Illinois +04.01.1983 East Dubuque IL)

In 1940 Paul was a stenographer and new into the labor force. He had not worked in 1939. He was the sixth of the children to serve in World War II, in his case he was an Army sergeant. Paul later married Mary C. Wiederholt (*13.12.1918 Illinois, +20.09.2005 Appleton WI). Mary was the daughter of Nicolas J. and Mary Venderah Wiederholt. Paul passed away in 1983, Mary twenty-two years later. They are buried in East Dubuque Cemetery.

		Click to enlarge

Children: (2)

2.1.....Mark Alan Courtade (*07.08.1946 East Dubuque IL, +16.08.1946 East Dubuque IL)

Mark died at the age of nine days.

2.2.....Paulette M. Courtade (*26.05.1950 Appleton, Wisconsin)

Paulette appears to still be living in Appleton as of 2009.

8.5.....Katharina Margarete Bentz (*10.03.1819 Undenheim)

For Katharina Margarete, the fifth child of Valentin and Elisabeth Bentz, we only have a record of a marriage. On 21 January 1845, when she was twenty-six years old, "Margaret" was wed to Conrad Wagner in Galena. A second record is most likely from when they applied for a marriage license in October 1844.

8.6.....Katharina Elizabeth Benz (*29.05.1822 Undenheim, +16.06.1822 Undenheim)

8.7.....Catharina Bentz (*20.03.1824 Undenheim, +19.01.1890 Galena, Jo Daviess Cty IL)

Catharina, or "Katharina", was twenty-two when the family emigrated in 1846. Most of the records spell her given name with a "C", but not all. Apparently her cemetery records do not. That is just one of the less significant bits of conflicting data on Catharina. Her marriage to Franz "Xavier" Willy (*30.12.1807 Switzerland, +29.01.1880 Galena IL) has a date of 1844 in Galena IL.

Xavier had appeared in the 1840 U.S. Census. The image of the original census page is very poor resolution and not of much help.

In the Census years of 1850, 1860 and 1870 we can track the family. In 1850 the Willys lived either next door to or with Catherine's older sister 8.4 Anna Maria "Mary" Bentz Courtade. Xavier, on Line 15, was a stone mason by profession. Living with the family was also Xavier's younger brother Moritz (*1820 Switzerland). Moritz is shown as a violinist!

In the 1860 Census the family is shown at the bottom of one page and top of the next. August, their fifth child, is two years old. Then in 1870 the family is complete with their seven children, six of whom are living with Catharina and Xavier. Mary (*1845) has married. Actually, Mary and her husband Louis Weisgerber did not move away. They are shown starting on Line 21 of the Census immediately below the family of Catherine and Xavier. They are most likely all under the same roof - twelve of them.

Xavier passed away in January 1880. The 1880 Census was taken five months after the passing of Xavier. Catherine and three of her children are enumerated starting on Line 34.

Catharina followed Xavier ten years later. The photographs of their gravestones (Xavier, Catharina) are a challenge to read. But from the ground they do provide confirming and/or conflicting information. The undated obituary for Catherine is curious. It is entitled "Elizabeth" Willey, not Catherine. This is the only document where Elizabeth is the given name. Yet all the family members named are Catherine's. It is the correct person!

Children: (7)

7.1.....Mary W. Willy (*1845, +1907)

On 19 September 1866 in Galena Mary and Louis Weisgerber (*16.10.1842 Luxemburg, +15.05.1893 LeMars IA) were married. He was 21 years old, she 18 according to the marriage record. However the record shows her year of birth as 1848. Perhaps they were the same age. Louis was the son of Peter and Anna Weisgerber. In 1860 Louis, his younger brother Peter and their parents were living in Tete Des Morts Township, Jackson County, Iowa. Louis, as was his father, a laborer.

Interesting name for the Township. It translates to something like "skull and crossbones" from French to English. Tete Des Morts Township is about ten miles southwest of Galena, across the Mississippi River.

In 1870 Louis and Mary were living in Galena, next door to, or more likely with, her parents Xavier and Catherine as well as six of Mary's siblings. Louis had become a shoemaker. In 1875 Louis became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Soon after his naturalization the family moved from Galena to LeMars, Plymouth County IA in the northwest corner of Iowa. They lived here for more than twenty years as shown in the Census records of 1885 and 1895. Louis had passed away in 1893. He was fifty-one.

The 1895 Iowa State Census reports the family as Catholic. Mary is a fifty year old widow with four of their children living with her. Five years later in 1900 only daughters Pauline and Emma were still in the house.

Mary passed away in 1907 at the age of sixty-two in the town of Cherokee, just east of LeMars. She may have been working as a nurse there. Mary is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in LeMars. Louis undoubtedly is also, although we do not have a record.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Otto Prosper Weisgerber (*16.07.1867 Galena IL, +17.06.1945 San Francisco CA)

Otto and Anna M. (*1870 Missouri, +before 1920 San Francisco CA) married in 1895. In 1910 they were living in San Francisco, California at 1295 Geary Street. They had no children. Otto was a barber by trade.

By 1920 Mary had passed away. She was less than fifty years old. Otto was living in a boarding house on Golden Gate Avenue, one of sixty boarders. He is enumerated on Line 65 of the Census page. Ten years later he lived in a somewhat smaller (27 lodgers) boarding house at 140 Mason Street. He was sixty-two years old. In 1940 he had moved again, this time to 159 Seventh Street. He is enumerated on Line 56 of the Census. He was still a barber, reporting total income for the full year 1939 of $600.

Otto died 17 June 1945 two months before Japan surrendered to the United States to end World War II. He was 77 years old. He was buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in San Mateo County CA.

5.2.....Pauline "Paulene" W. Weisgerber (*05.04.1869 Galena IL, +03.12.1916 Jesup, Buchanan Cty, Iowa)

In 1895 Paulene was twenty-six years old and teaching school in LeMars, Iowa. She lived at home with her mother and three of her siblings. Five years later two of her siblings had moved out of the house.

A few months later Paulene and Mathias N. Tritz (*, +1928) were married. Mathias was the son of Nicholas and Carolina Knolle Tritz. The ceremony was in LeMars. Paulene and Mathias both reported their ages as thirty-two years.

Ten years later they were living in the town of Cherokee, Iowa. Cherokee was only a few miles to the east of LeMars. Paulene was forty-one years old. They had been married nine years and had no children. Paulene continued teaching school. Mathias was a drug salesman. Paulene passed away only a few years later at the age of forty-seven. Mathias lived another twelve years, dying in 1928. They are buried in Calvary Cemetery in LeMars.

5.3.....William Harry Weisgerber (*01.09.1873, +15.12.1936 Minneapolis MN)

In 1895 William was twenty-one years old, living at home with his mother, two sisters and brother Arthur and working as a laborer. In 1900 he no longer was living with his family. His uncle 7.4 Joseph had moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It appears that William followed Joseph to Minneapolis.

Theresa E. Schroeder (*19.07.1875 Red Wing, Goodhue Cty, Minnesota, +03.11.1941 Hennepin Cty MN) and William were married 8 June 1904 in Minneapolis. Theresa was the daughter of John and Frances Schroeder, immigrants from Germany. The marriage license document for William and Theresa cites the 8 June 1904 date as well as 6 October 1908 on the jacket. Interesting. Perhaps the filing was four years behind?

In 1910 William and Theresa were living at 1312 Ninth Street in Minneapolis. William was a hardware salesman. Theresa did not work. They had one child, a son who was one year, eight months old. They named him Lester Joseph. He appears on the first line of the next census page.

The United States entered the First World War in 1917. In September 1918 William registered for the Draft. His occupation he entered as "City Salesman at Williams Hardware Company". He was of medium height and build with grey eyes and brown hair.

The 1920 Census shows William and Theresa owning their home at 3537 First Avenue South in Minneapolis. The home was owned free of a mortgage. They lived in the home for the rest of their lives. William worked in hardware sales. Then in 1930 Theresa's mother Frances Schroeder, age 80 and a widow, also lived with them. The home was valued at $6,500 which was a little higher than most of the homes on the street. They owned a radio, one of the questions asked in the 1940 Census. William's occupation was now listed as "sales - steel and iron".

William passed away in 1936 at the age of sixty-two. Four years later, at the age of 31, Lester was still living at home with his mother. They had also taken in a twenty-one year old boarder who worked as a stenographer.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Lester J. Weisgerber (*05.08.1908 Minnesota, +24.02.1979 Orange Cty CA)

In 1930 Lester was twenty-one years old and a station attendant in a filling station. Then in 1940 he was still living at home with his mother. He had worked 52 weeks in 1939 and made $2000 or about $1.00 per hour. He was in sales but it is difficult to see what he was selling.

Lester Weisgerber married Lorena Roberts (*05.10.1910 Minnesota, +May 1987 California). Lester died in 1979. He was buried in the Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest, Orange Cty CA. Lorena passed away in 1987 and is buried with Lester.

Children: (1)

1.1.....William Harry Weisgerber (*17.03.1943 Hennepin Cty MN)

The grandson of William Harry (*1873) married in 1967. His wife is Barbara Borland (*1943). They married 27 May 1967 in Los Angleles CA.

5.4.....Emma A. Weisgerber (*17.10.1876 Iowa, +12.12.1953 Le Mars IA)

At age nineteen Emma was enumerated as a school teacher in LeMars. Five years later in 1900 she was a dental assistant and the same in 1905. But we see from her gravestone her name is still Weisgerber. It appears she never married.

5.5.....Arthur Robert Weisgerber (*26.02.1883 Le Mars IA, +after 1895)

Little is known about Robert. He was enumerated in the census years of 1885 and 1895. But not in 1900. He would have been seventeen years old in 1900. The Census reports that all of the children of his mother Mary W (*1845) were living.

7.2.....Otto S. Willy (*20.05.1846 Galena IL, +28.11.1921 Galena IL)

In 1870 Otto was a twenty-four year old blacksmith living in his parents home in East Galena. The next year he married Mary C. Schneere (*1847 Illinois, +about 1899). Various documents spell her maiden name somewhat differently.

The 1880 Census shows them living on Third Street in East Galena. They have four children, ages 8 years down to seven months. Otto is still blacksmithing which he does for his entire life.

In 1900 the Census gives the street address - 207 Third Street. Otto is a widower. Mary had passed away about a year earlier. Otto's obituary says she had died twenty-two years before him. Four of their children were still living in the home with Otto Sr. By 1910 two more of the children were gone. In 1920 Emma, age 35 and single, was the only child remaining at home with Otto. He was a "retired blacksmith", she did not work.

Otto passed away the following year on 28 November. His obituary mentions he had lived in Galena his entire life, except for three years he spent in the west. We know nothing more about this.

Children: (7)

7.1.....Henry Willy (*1872, +before 1921)

Little is known of Henry. He appears in the 1880 Census as an eight year old. By 1900 he no longer lives in the family home. But from his father's obituary we know Henry had become a Catholic ministry. Perhaps he was in seminary in 1900. He died prior to 1921, per the obituary.

7.2.....Mary Pauline "Mamie" Willy (*1875, +15.04.1935 Galena IL)

When Mamie was twenty years old she married William Stiermann (*03.08.1870 Rawlins TWP, Illinois, +01.06.1939 Galena IL), the son of Theodore Stiermann.

In 1910 William and Mary were living on Donegan Street in West Galena Township. William was a "stock cutter" in a box factory. They owned their home. They have not been found in the 1920 Census but in 1930 their three youngest children, all daughters, were living with them. William had become a carpenter and contractor.

Mary passed away in 1935, William four years later. They are buried together in the Saint Mary's Cemetery in Galena. Their headstone is pictured below.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Edward Francis Stierman (*18.07.1900 Galena IL, +24.12.1925 Minneapolis MN)

In 1910 Edward, a ten year old, living with his parents as one would expect. Then in 1918 when he registered for the World War One Draft, he put his Aunt Emma (7.6) as his nearest relative. Why would he not have put his parents? Was he estranged from them? Edward was a fireman on the Illinois Central Railroad and living in Galena at the time.

Sometime between 1920 and 1925 Edward married Frances L. Schyma (*14.10.1900 Minnesota, +24.07.1975 Hennepin Cty, Minnesota), the daughter of Polish emigrants. In 1920 Frances had been single and living with her parents. Edward passed away in 1925. Frances did not re-marry. In 1940 she was enumerated as a 40 year old widow working as a servant in a private home in Minneapolis. Her younger sister Anna was also a servant.

There were no descendants of Edward Francis Stierman.

5.2.....Lucille M. Stierman (*23.09.1903/1904 IL, +14.04.1944 Galena IL)

Lucille and Frank H. Bauer (*1901 Illinois, +26.03.1962 Rochester, Olmsted Cty Minnesota) were married 12 May 1927. Three years later they were enumerated in the 1930 Census. Frank was a "molder" in a foundry, a position well above that of laborer. In the place normally used for identifying the street, the census says "School Section". It is not clear what this means. They owned their home valued at $1000 and a radio as well. But the page is interesting for other reasons. It shows how people lived in first generation families in the 1930s. On the same census page as Frank and Lucille were three other Bauer families, probably his parents, an aunt/uncle and/or siblings. Or all three. Plus there was another Bauer on the previous page as well as Lucille's parents William and Mary.

In 1940 Lucille's sisters Evelyn and Eleanor were living with the Bauers. They had been for at least five years. Frank and Lucille also had two daughters, ages seven and one. Frank reported he had worked 52 weeks in 1939, earning $1,200. Assuming forty hour weeks this works out to $.60 per hour. Probably not a bad wage for the late years of the Depression.

Lucille passed away in 1944 and was buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Galena. Frank died eighteen years later and was laid beside her

Children: (3)

3.1.....Norma Jean L Bauer (*16.04.1932 Galena IL, +31.08.2007 Savannah, Carroll Cty IL)

Norma Jean Bauer Tyler Click to enlarge

Norma Jean married Virgil Albert Tyler (*16.06.1930), the son of Viril T. and Gladys Tyler. The ceremony was 8 June 1953 in the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Galena. During her life she worked for National Lock and later as an ammunition handler for the Savanna Army Orenance Depot. She was an active volunteer in the schools, Church, the Women of the Moose and Girl Scouts. She had several pasttimes as mentioned in her obituary including hunting and fishing. Norma Jean and Virgil lived most of their years in Savannah, Illinois, a town on the Mississippi River about thirty miles southeast of Galena.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Tim Tyler (*21.02.1956)

From the obituary of Norma Jean we know of Tim and his wife Kathy. In 2007 they were living in Plano, Illinois, a town about seventy miles southwest of Chicago.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Sarah Tyler

2.2.....Ryan Tyler

3.2.....Joyce Bauer (*26.02.1938)

Joyce and Gary Porter married. They too lived in Savanna, Illinois.

3.3.....Melvin Bauer (*20.12.1941 Galena IL, +27.12.2011)

Melvin served in the U.S. Navy. From his obituary we know of his wife Linda McCune. They were married on 8 October 1966 in Sterling, a town of about 15,000 thirty-five miles southeast of Savanna. Melvin was buried with full military honors at the Oak Knoll Memorial Park in Sterling.

Children: (4)

4.1.....daughter

4.2.....step-daughter

4.3.....son

4.4.....son

5.3.....Pauline Stierman (*1908 Illinois)

Pauline is enumerated in the Census years of 1910 and 1930. We have no other information.

Click to enlarge

5.4.....Eleanor E. Stierman (*21.11.1915, +16.03.1971)

In 1930 Eleanor and her sisters Pauline and Evelyn were living with their parents. Both parents passed away in the late 1930s. In 1940 Eleanor and Evelyn, now 24 and 17 years old, had moved in with their older sister 5.2 Lucille (*1903). The 1940 Census, being the last taken during the Great Depression, asked how many weeks the person had worked in the prior year (1939) and their total earnings. Eleanor was a "practical nurse in a private home", worked 18 weeks and earned $168 for the year. Assuming 40 hour weeks she made $.25 per hour.

Neither Eleanor nor Evelyn married. They are buried together in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Galena. Eleanor passed away at the age of 56.

It is interesting to compare the headstones of Eleanor and Evelyn to that of their parents. Their parents used the original (German) spelling of the family name. The daughters and the other children as well had shortened the "nn" to "n" at the end. But the various of the documents on the family use one or the other of the spellings.

5.5.....Evelyn C. Stierman (*18.02.1923 Galena IL, +29.04.2009)

Evelyn died at the age of eighty-six, outliving her sister Eleanor by thirty years.

7.3.....George O. Willy (*14.09.1877 Galena IL, +03.11.1930 Galena IL)

In 1900 at age of twenty-two George O. was single and a clerk in a dry goods store, the same as his father. They probably worked in the same store. George O. was enumerated as "Otto Jr." in the Census. The next year George O. married Emma J. Hauft (*1878, +before 1910) on 1 October. Unfortunately Emma died young, before 1910 when she would have been thirty-two years old. For in the 1910 Census he is enumerated on Line 48 as a thirty-two year old widower, living on Franklin Street in a home which he reportedly owned. His occupation was given as merchant, possibly of groceries.

The marriage of George O. and Helena Koppes (*1877 Bellevue, Iowa, +1962 Galena IL) took place six weeks later on 1 June 1910 in Bellevue, Iowa. Helena "Ella" was the daughter of Mathias and Anna Rosenberg Koppes. Ella's parents were German immigrants. In the death record for Ella it is seen that her sister Margaret Koppes (*1872) also married into the Schömbs/Benz family.

Their first child Arthur H. was born eighteen months later in January 1912. He passed away two and a half weeks after he was born. Their second child was born in 1919 and lived a full life. In 1920 they continued to live in a home at 809 Franklin Street in Galena which they owned, probably the same home George was in for the 1910 Census. The 1920 Census clarifies (it is legible) that George owned a grocery store.

The 1930 Census gives a different house number on Franklin Street, #629. They apparently had moved down the street. It is also possible, but unlikely, that Galena had re-numbered the houses. Their home was valued at $3,500. Living with George and Ella was George's younger sister Emma, age forty-four and single with no occupation shown.

George passed away a few months later in November 1930 at the age of fifty-three. The death record indicates he was retired. If this were true, it was probably because of his health. He was buried in the Saint Mary's Cemetery in Galena.

		Click to enlarge

In 1940 living with Ella were her son Raymond, age 20, and sister-in-law Emma. Ella continued to own the grocery store where she and Raymond worked. Emma kept the house. Ella passed away in 1962 and was buried with George O. in the family plot.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Arthur H. Willy (*09.01.1912 Gelena IL, +26.01.1912 Galena IL)

Arthur died seventeen days after his birth. He is buried with his parents.

2.2.....Raymond H. Willy (*03.05.1919 Galena IL, +21.10.2005 Galena IL)

From the Cemetery information about Raymond we know he married Betty Buening (*17.10.1919 Preston, Grant Cty WI, +28.07.2011 Galena IL), the daughter of Joseph and Jesse Helm Buening. The wedding was 15 December 1942 at St. Mary's Church. Betty had graduated from high school in Galena.

Raymond was a corporal in the U.S. Army during World War II, earning the Bronze Star. Betty and Raymond were the parents of six children.

Children: (6)

6.1.....Mark R. Willy (*13.06.1944)

Married Linda, perhaps lives in Galena.

6.2.....Paul Willy

Married Joyce, perhaps lives in Hudson.

6.3.....Lisa Willy

Married Mr. Buman, perhaps lives in Galena.

6.4.....John Paul Willy (*07.08.1954)

Married Pat, perhaps lives in Galena.

6.5.....Ann Willy (*10.12.1957)

Married Robert Bostic, perhaps lives in Baltimore MD.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Celeste Bostic

2.2.....Jeremiah Bostic

6.6.....Beth Ann Willy (*23.06.1966)

Married Peter Vogt, perhaps lives in San Francisco CA.

7.4.....Otto Alois Willy, Jr. (*17.10.1879 Galena IL, +15.08.1952 IL)

Otto as a teenager began working in his father (Otto S.)'s blacksmith shop, later taking it over. On 29 May 1908 he married Elizabeth McGough at St. Mary's Church. Like all able-bodied American males Otto registered for the draft in 1918 for World War I. From the front of the card we see Otto and Elizabeth lived at 317 Franklin Street in Galena. From the back that he was of medium height and build with blue eyes.

He registered again as required for World War II in 1942. They were still living at 317 Franklin Street. The blacksmith shop address was 217 N. Commerce Street and the name General Blacksmithing. He continued to run the business until about 1950 when he shut it down and went to work for the Dellabella Implement Company.

Otto was also a foreman of the Galena Fire Department Engine Company No. 2, as well as active in the Knights of Columbus and the Holy Name Society of St. Michaels. Otto died of a heart attack in 1952. We have neither birth nor death information for Elizabeth.

The Census information of 1920, 1930 and 1940 gives little additional information. In 1940 Elizabeth's sister Margaret, who had never married, lived with them.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Joseph D.O. Willy (*1918 Galena IL)

Other than the Census years of 1920, 1930 and 1940 we have no information about Joseph D.O..

7.5.....Edward Prosper Willy (*1882, +1955 Illinois)

Edward Prosper was the fifth child of Otto S. and Mary Willy. As an 18 year old Edward P. was living at home at 207 Third Street in Galena in 1900. He worked as a day laborer. Ten years later, at age 27, he worked as a grocery store "salesman".

In 1913 Edward and Laura Eganhouse (*1889 Iowa, +22.03.1946 Gelena IL) were married. The ceremony was 24 June in Bellevue, Jackson Cty Iowa. Laura was the daughter of George and Thecla Enning Eganhouse. The next year their first child Carl Edward was born, followed by their daughter Ruth Helen in 1918.

In the 1920 Census shows they were living on Fourth Street in Bellevue, the hometown of Laura. The family carries over from one census page to the top of the next. Edward continued working in the grocery. But sometime in the 1920's they moved from Iowa back to Galena in Illlinois. For in the 1930 Census they are living in a home which they own at 300 Adams Street.

During the 1930's Edward was committed to the East Moline State Hospital, a mental health institution. The hospital changed names over the years and was finally closed in 1979. He appears as an "inmate" in the 1940 Census. In the same Census Laura, his wife, continued living in their home on Adams Street. Her mother Thecla Eganhouse lived with Laura. Both of Edward and Laura's children were out of the house.

No more is known about either Edward nor Laura until their deaths. Laura passed away 22 March 1946 in Galena. Edward followed her nine years later in 1955. It is not known where he died. Based upon their headstones (Laura's and Edward's), they appear to be buried together in Saint Mary's Cemetery.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Carl Edward Willy (*09.09.1914, +27.09.1985 Jefferson City, Jefferson Cty Tennessee)

From their cemetery records we know of the marriage of Carl Edward and Augusta C Gerlich (*18.12.1912, *31.01.2005 Lodi, Wisconsin). The marriage ceremony was on 30 May 1936 in Jacksonville, Morgan County IL. Augusta was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Peters Gerlich.

In 1940 they lived in a home which they rented at 614 South Prairie Street in Jacksopnville. They had a two year old daughter Mary. Both Carl and Augusta had completed high school. Carl is enumerated as an engineer with the electric company. It was reported he had worked forty-six weeks in 1939, earning $1,200 for the year.

Carl died in 1985 in Jefferson City, Jefferson County Tennessee. Augusta followed Carl in death twenty years later. They are buried together in the Willy family plot in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Galena.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Mary Patricia Willy (*08.11.1937)

From the obituary of Augusta (*1912, +2005) we know of a daughter Mary Patricia. Mary was wed to James Haberli from Lodi, Wisconsin. There also is a public record from the year 2007 indicating that Mary lived in Lodi and listing possible relatives, perhaps children (Kelly, Lori, Ann and Patty). Finally there is a search result from website GenealogyBank giving a long list of people who possibly/probably are related. The list includes Willys, Haberlis and others. Further research will have to be done to determine the relationships of the people on this list. But it potentially gives several other names of members of the Elisabetha Schömbs (*1789) family.

2.2.....Carl Willy (*about 1940)

Again we know of Carl, the son, from the obituary of his mother Augusta. Given that Augusta was born in 1912 and assuming Mary Patricia was the first born child in 1937, Carl was probably born in about 1940.

2.2.....Ruth Helen Willy (*27.07.1918 Bellevue, Jackson Cty IA)

The last record for Ruth Helen is from the 1940 Census. She was at the time a twenty-one year old student at the St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa. She appears in the listing immediately below a Florence Oldenburg, also from Galena. Perhaps they were best of friends.

7.6.....Emma Willy (*1885 Illinois)

Emma lived in the family home until at least 1921 when her father Otto S. passed away. At the time she was thirty-six years old and perhaps not employed. No occupation was shown in any of the Censuses (1900, 1910 and 1920). We know nothing of Emma after 1921.

7.7.....Joseph Willy (*about 1888, +about 1888)

Otto's obituary says a son Joseph had died as an infant. Since Emma was born in 1885, perhaps Joseph was born no later than 1888.

7.3.....Pauline Willy (*23.09.1852 Galena IL, +10.05.1929 Galena IL)

Pauline and Henry C. Armbruster (*03.08.1831 Hausach, Baden, Germany, +28.04.1910 Galena IL) married on 20 June 1893 in Galena. It was the second marriage for Henry. We know much about Henry from the book Jo Daviess County Biographies, published in 1889. The book includes a story about Henry's father who, in the early 1800's, was pressed into service by Napoleon as he swept through Germany to attack Russia.

Henry emigrated from Germany in 1849, landing in the port of New Orleasn, Louisiana. From there he went to Cincinnati OH, Wheeling WV and Keokuk IA before arriving in Galena in May 1850. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1867. Henry had been a carpenter by trade. This then led him into the undertaking business (making coffins?), which is what he did in Galena. In the biography there is reference to his first wife Mary Elizabeth Cawton (*1838 England, +1892) whom he married in 1854. Henry and Mary Elizabeth had four children who are listed below but not descendants of Zacharias Schömbs.

Elizabeth Armbruster (*11.08.1855, +12.12.1860)

Nellie Louise Armbruster (*03.09.1857 Galena IL, +05.02.1932 Waterloo, Black Hawk Cty, Iowa)

Mary "Mamie" F. Armbruster (*02.05.1861, +11.03.1885)

Harry/Henry C. Armbruster (*22.10.1863, +22.02.1890)

Mary Elizabeth Cawton Armbruster passed away in 1892 at the age of fifty-four and was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Galena. Henry and Pauline Willy were then married about eighteen months later. Henry was 62 years old, Pauline 41. They had no children together. In 1900 they were living in their home which Henry owned free of a mortgage. Living with them was Pauline's younger brother 7.7 Frank X. (*1865) who was a musician and teacher of music.

Ten years later their address is given as 114 Bench Street. This was probably the same home where they were living in 1900 but the 1900 census records do not provode an address. Henry was retired. Brother-in-law Frank, age 40, continued to live with them. There was also another lodger by the name of Harry Weiner, age 23, in the house.

Thirteen days after the Census was taken, on 28 April 1810, Henry passed away. He was seventy-eight years old. The balance of Pauline's life could not have been good. In 1919 her brother Frank who continued to live in the home with her murdered their next door neighbor and spent the rest of his life in prison. The story is told below at 7.7 Frank. In the 1920 Census Pauline is living alone in the home at age 67. She is a widow. Her next door neighbor Minnie Fitch, age 33 and the mother of three, is also a widow. Pauline passed away in 1929. She and Henry are buried together in Section 6, Lot 18 in St. Mary's Cemetery.

7.4.....Joseph Willy (*14.05.1856, +01.09.1926 Minneapolis MN)

Several in the family chose to pursue careers as musicians and entertainers. Joseph was one. In 1880 he and brother August (*1858) were boarders in Leadville, Lake County, Colorago. They were both enumerated as musicians. Leadville was a booming mining town in the Rocky Mountains at the time.

But he changed careers for in 1900 he was a blacksmith in Mineapolis, Minnesota. In 1910 he was still in Minneapolis and single. Joseph died in 1926 at the age of seventy. He was buried in the Venegar Hill Cemetery in Galena.

7.5.....August Philipp Willy (*14.09.1858, Illinois, +31.12.1938 Huntington Park, Los Angeles Cty CA)

As mentioned above in the story of Joseph Willy (*1856), August went to Leadville, Colorado with Joseph. They were both musicians, undoubtedly playing in the saloons of the mining town. August was twenty-two years old at the time so they perhaps had not been there for long in 1880. But unlike Joseph who left Leadville and moved to Minnesota, August settled down.

In 1883 August and Martha Hinks (*July 1868 England, +04.06.1923 Los Angeles CA) were married. Martha was the first child of "T" and "M" Hinks. The three had emigrated from England. Martha's siblings were all born in the United States. Her father "M" was a miner per the 1880 Census. It is interesting that the census taker only put down the initial of the first name, except for her brother Thomas. This was very unusual. Perhaps her father's name was also Thomas Hinks.

August and Martha appear in the 1900 Census. They are renting a home at 216 East Second Street in Leadville. August reported that he had been unemployed for zero weeks in 1899 and was still a musician. The Census taker put that Martha had been the mother of ten children, only four of whom were still living in 1900. This was very surprising. It appears to have been in error, however, as the same information was captured in the 1910 Census. Here it says that Martha had been the mother of six, all of whom were still living. This is probably correct. By 1910 August had given up entertaining and now owned a shoemaker shop. Their residence was at 213 Tenth Street, a home which they owned.

In 1920 they lived in the same home. Four of their children had moved out. Gus, age 16, and Carl, age 10, remained with their parents.

Soon after 1920 August and Martha left Leadville and moved to Southern California. Martha passed away in Los Angeles in 1923 at fifty-five years of age. August lived another fifteen years, departing on New Year's Eve 1938 in Huntington Park CA, about five miles due south of city center Los Angeles. August Phillip was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. It is assumed that his wife Martha is there with him.

Children: (6)

6.1.....Lucile Frances "Lulu" Willy (*04.09.1884 Colorado, +16.05.1960 Redding, Shasta Cty CA)

Lucille Frances "Lulu" Willy Click to enlarge

Lulu did not marry. In 1910 she was working as a clerk in a candy store and living with her parents. She was twenty-five years old. By 1920 she had moved out of the family home. In 1930 she was one of about 50 people living in a boarding house at 441 South Hartford Avenue in Los Angeles CA. Her occupation was enumerated as a typist at the "steam railroad". She was 45 years old, single and owned a radio. She paid rent of $35 per month.

But as the Depression wore on she lost her job. In the 1940 Census she indicated that her employer was still the railroad but that she had not worked in 1939 and had no income. She was then boarding in a much smaller house at 1349 West 5th Street in Los Angeles.

Sometime after 1940 she seems to have moved to Northern California, for she passed away in 1960 and is buried in the Saint Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Redding, Shasta County CA.

6.2.....Josephine R. Willy (*05.11.1888 Colorado, +31.01.1969 Los Angeles CA)

At age twenty-one Josephine was single, living at home and worked as a hair dresser in a salon in Leadville. Four years later she and John Thomas Connors (*1889 Nebraska) were married. The Justice of the Peace conducting the ceremony was a Stephen Connors, likely the father or perhaps uncle of John.

When the 1920 Census was taken they rented a home at 210 8th Street in Leadville. John was 31 years old and a foreman at a smelter. Josephine, also 31, did not work. By 1930 John and Josephine had followed Josephine's family to Los Angeles. Their first child was born in 1927. In 1930 they owned their home at 6527 S. Arlington in Los Angeles. It was valued at $5,500. John was an accountant at the railroad. He was not a veteran of World War I.

In 1940 they were in the same home. John Jr. was enumerated as "Jack", age 12. He continued at the railway in the same job, earning $1600 in 1939 for 52 weeks work.

Josephine died on 31 January 1969 in Los Angeles. We do not have death information for John Sr., nor do we have burial information for either.

Children: (1)

1.1.....John Thomas Connors Jr. (*Oct 1927 Los Angeles CA)

In 1940 Jack was twelve years old and the only child. It is assumed there were no siblings in his future.

On 3 March 1951 Jack and Donna E. Quayle (*1932 CA) were married by a Baptist minister in Van Nuys CA, just north of Los Angeles. Donna was the daughter of Willard and Catherine Reynolds Quayle. Willard had been born in Minnesota and Catherine in California.

6.3.....Frank Joseph Willy (*20.05.1891 Leadville CO, +10.10.1952 Boise ID)

Frank was born in Leadville, as were all his siblings. In 1910 he was eighteen years old, single and living in his parents home. He worked as a teamster at a grocery company. Three years later on 19 May 1913 Frank married Ida M. Acheson (*19.05.1894 Colorado, +September 1977 Boise ID).

With the United States entry into World War I Frank registered for the Draft in June 1917. He claimed exemption from the Draft, being married with two children under two years of age. He, working as a clerk at Colorada Bakery Company, was the sole support of his family. He was twenty-six years old. He wrote his address as 126 West 39th Street. The backside of the card describes him as of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. It is likely that he received the exemption but we do not know that.

By 1920 their daughters were 5 and 3. Frank worked as a "clockman" (timekeeper) in a smelter. They owned their home at 126 West Third Street. But in the next couple of years Frank's family (parents and siblings) all moved out of Leadville and heading to Southern California. Frank and Ida also decided to move but they went to Boise in Ada County, Idaho. Their first son was born in Boise in 1924.

By 1930 Frank owned a restaurant in Boise but the Great Depression was beginning. From the obituary of Frank's daughter Doris below we know he was involved in Geb's Waffle Cafe on Main Street. Whether this was the restaurant he owned is not know. They owned their home at 2501 Idaho Street which was valued at $4000 in the Census. They had five children and also a niece Sarahelen (?) Hicks, age 20, living with them. Sarahelen was probably a relative on Ida's side. As the Depression slowly ended in the 1940's Frank worked at a service station and was probably the owner. The next Census page enumerates their two youngest children. The value of their home was reduced to $3000, showing the effect of the Depression on real estate values.

When the U.S. entered World War II all American males under the age of 65 were again required to register for the Draft. Frank was fifty years old. He was working in a warehousing job at Gowen Field, today the Boise Airport.

Frank passed away ten years later on 10 October 1952 at the age of sixty-one. Ida lived another twenty-five years, dying at the age of eighty-three. They are buried together in the Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Marie Willy (*25.03.1914 Leadville CO, +07.03.1979 Idaho)

In about 1936 she and James L. Wroten (*01.12.1913 Idaho, +18.05.1986 Meridian, Ada ID) married. Their only child was born in 1938. James was a truck driver by profession as seen in the 1940 Census. In 1939 James had worked every week and earned $960 for the year or roughly $.50/hour. James had completed schooling through the eighth grade, fairly common at the time. Marie had graduated from high school. Their son Jimmie was two years old. They lived at 2419 Idaho Street in Boise in a home which they owned and was valued at $2200. They lived a block away from Marie's parents who were at 2501 Idaho.

We know from his gravestone that James served in the U.S. Army in World War II. At some point Marie and James moved from Boise to Meridian, a small town just west of Boise. Marie died in 1979 and was buried in Morris Hill Cemetery James followed her seven years later and was buried next to Marie.

Children: (1)

1.1.....James "Jimmie" J. Wroten Jr., (*1938 Idaho)

James Jr., or Jimmie, married. We know this from cemetery records. Jimmie married Patricia Rae Niece (*19.04.1939 Boise ID, 08.02.1971 Boise ID), the daughter of Ray Wallace Niece (*1911, +2007). Patricia passed away at the age of thirty-two. Her father thirty-six years later! Patricia was buried in Cloverdale Memorial Park in Boise.

We have no further information about Jimmie, nor do we know if they had children.

5.2.....Doris Frances Willy (*13.06.1916 Leadville CO, +26.10.2013 Boise ID)

Doris, in 1930, was fourteen and in high school. Following graduation she and a friend moved to San Francisco but after a while she returned to Boise. In 1940 Doris was twenty-three, living at home and working as a typist in an unemployment compensation office. She had worked the entire year in 1939, earning $1080 or about $.50 per hour. She became romantically involved with Ray Crowder (*16.03.1913 Boise ID, +13.08.1986 Boise ID) and they married on 22 February 1942 in Boise. Doris and Ray were passionate about flying and partly earned their living during World War II flying supplies and men into a remote mine in Idaho, to which they had moved.

Through her life Doris picked up several nicknames, among them "Little Grandma", "Shorty" and my favorite "Wee Willy". She was 4'11 3/4" tall. Her obituary below is a good read.

Doris Willy Crowder	Obituary Part 1 Click to enlarge	Obituary Part 2 Click to enlarge

Ray died at age seventy-three and was buried in the Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise. Doris lived another twenty-seven years, passing away at the age of 97. They are buried together.

The information about Doris and Ray's descendants is limited and comes mostly from her obituary. Their three children were probably born in the late '30's to late '40's. There is a good chance that some of the grandchildren or great-grandchildren below have been assigned to the wrong parents. When contact is made with the families, this can be corrected.

Children: (3)

3.1.....Carolee Crowder (*18.01.1943)

Carolee married Jeffrey Tollefson, a professor in mathematics at the University of Connecticut. Jeffrey was the son of Clayton and Verla Alma Young Tollefson. In 2012 Jeffrey and Carolee were living in Storrs, Connecticut. She is in WhitePages at 860-429-3445.

Children: (4)

4.1.....Christine Tollefson

Christy probably married a man by the name of Collins,

4.2.....Kelly Tollefson

Kelly married Larry Cusick.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Ranger Cusick

2.2.....Wyatt Cusick

4.3.....Niki Tollefson

Niki and Bryan Flock were married.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Sam Flock

2.2.....Gracie Flock

4.4.....Angie Tollefson

Angie married Ryan Faler.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Madison Faler

2.2.....Sydney Faler

3.2.....Ray Crowder (*14.10.1945)

Ray Crowder and Mary Betsy married.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Tony Crowder

Tony's wife is Sarah.

3.3.....Karen L. Crowder (*26.09.1952)

Karen and Dan Hansen Click to enlarge

Karen Crowder married Daniel B. Hansen. They own and operate the KD Bar Ranch in Caldwell, Idaho. They specialize in breeding, training and selling cutting horses. For those not familiar with this sport, the horses are trained to separate cattle (or more likely calves) from a herd. Visit their website at www.kdranches.com.

They also, however, have about 500 head of cattle - black angus, with their calves every year. So they have plenty of "cuttees" to be cut out. Plenty of practicing material!

Karen and Dan are both very accomplished rodeo riders. They met when they were if different high schools but riding in rodeos. In 2018 Pamela and Jim Schembs went to a rodeo in Nyssa, Idaho where Karen participated in the barrel racing as well as pole bending competitions. Here Karen is, finishing in first place in the adult pole bending (video not yet working) with a time of 20.631 seconds. She finished third in the barrel racing event. Dan, also age 65, has retired from rodeo.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Burke Hansen

Burke married Teresa.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Ali Hansen

2.2.....Landon Hansen

2.2.....Cordell Hansen

Cordell and Karen married.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Collin Hansen

2.2.....Kayla Hansen

5.3.....Frank Willy (*1924 Boise ID, +14.07.1947 Idaho)

Frank Jr. died young at the age of twenty-three. He was a sargeant in the U.S. Army Air Corp. He is buried close to his parents in the Morris Hill Cemetery.

5.4.....Lois Elizabeth Willy (*28.09.1926 Boise ID, +07.04.2008 ID)

Lois married William Joseph Hebert (*21.06.1916 +09.11.2006 ID) in Boise on 7 September 1951. William was the son of William Sr. and Margaret Grabeldinger Hebert.

William passed away in 2006 at the age of ninety. Lois followed him two years later. They are buried together in the Morris Hill Cemetery. On the genealogy.com website there is a obituary for Lois giving all of the living descendants of her parents. It is presented in pages one and two and is helpful in identifying and/or confirming some of the family members.

Children: (5)

5.1.....Tammy Hebert

Tammy and Greg Smith married.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Austin Smith

2.2.....Jared Smith

5.2.....Jody Hebert

Jody and Felipe Clark married.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Kaitlin Clark

2.2.....Ross Clark

5.3.....Michael Thomas Hebert (*25.04.1959 Boise, +30.09.2014)

Mike following high school went to Alaska where he worked on the pipeline for several years. Ultimately he returned to Boise to be close to family and friends. But he had multiple health problems ending in death from cancer. Mike did not marry. He is buried with the family in Morris Hill Cemetery.

Michael Thomas Hebert	Obituary Part 1 Click to enlarge	Obituary Part 2 Click to enlarge

5.4.....Jeff Hebert (*11.07.1963)

Jeff and Michelle married.

5.5.....William F. "Willy" Hebert (*7.03.1955)

Married Becki.

Several other grandchildren of Lois and Bill Hebert are not yet attached to their parents:

Megan Sienicki

Jennifer Hebert

Jake Hebert

Matthew Hebert

Christina Hebert

Sophia Hebert

Nicholas Hebert

5.5.....Raymond Willy (*16.02.1930 Boise ID, +03.01.1998)

Ray married twice. His first wife was Patricia Park Bertram (*1930 ID) whom he wed on 12 December 1953 in Boise. Patricia was the daughter of William C. and Thelma Shear Bertram. The marriage was short-lived, as they divorced in 1955. Soon thereafter Ray and Imogene Lee Gowing (*14.08.1932 Portland OR, +16.02.2007 Boise ID) were married. The ceremony was on 9 April 1955.

Ray's second marriage with Imogene, however, did not endure. They had two children together but eventually divorced. Imogene lived her last two decades with her partner Richard Roberts. Again geneologybank.com provided information on Imogene's relatives.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Frank Ray Willy (*4.11.1955)

Frank and his wife Lee-Ann probably live in Eastern Washington.

2.2.....Teresa Willy (*24.09.1957)

Teresa married Jerry Troy. They live in Boise.

Ray has five grandchildren through Teresa and Frank.

6.4.....Harry Thomas Willy (*06.01.1893 Leadville CO, +24.01.1956 San Diego CA)

Harry Willy and Estelle Crawford (*04.10.1895 California, +03.12.1987 Vista, San Diego Cty CA) married three days before Christmas 1915 in a ceremony conducted by a Catholic priest in Leadville. Two years later Harry registered for the armed services draft. They were living at 130 East 11th in Leadville. The registration identifies that Harry had a disabled right arm. He worked as a bookkeeper at Colorado Bakery company. He was of medium height and build with blue eyes and light colored hair.

In the 1930 Census Harry and Estelle were living in Los Angeles. Their address was 1085 Euclid Avenue where they were renting. Harry worked in the ticketing office of a steamship company, Estelle in a garment factory. Also living with Harry and Estelle were Harry's younger brother August with his wife and their first child. The Census form indicates $20 monthly rent for each family. They were probably sharing a $40 obligation.

By 1940 Harry and Estelle had moved to a home at 1949 West 66th Street which they owned. The house had a value of $4000. They had been married twenty-five years and had no children. Estelle had been educated through high school, Harry through the eighth grade.

Harry passed away in 1956 and was buried in Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, San Diego County CA. Estelle followed him thirty-one years later. She was ninety-two years old and joined him in Eternal Hills.

6.5.....August P. Willy (*03.06.1903 Colorado, +30.11.1968 Los Angeles CA)

August married Julia A. Bond (*1903 Massachusetts). There is no other information about Julia or the wedding.

As mentioned above, August and Julia were living in Los Angeles in 1930. Their address was 1085 1/2 Euclid Street which they rented. His brother Harry and Harry's family lived at 1085 Euclid. It perhaps was a duplex which they shared. August worked as an assembler at a wallbed factory, Julia as a sewer at a mattress factory. They had been married for eight years. Their daughter Lucille was five.

Ten years later as the Great Depression had taken its toll on the world they still lived at the same home but they now had purchased it. Brother Harry and his family had moved away. Their new neighbors at 1085 were the Bonds. August was a freelance musician. In 1939 he had worked twenty weeks and his earnings for the year were $600. Julia did not work. Their two daughters were sixteen and eight years old.

August passed away in 1968 in Los Angeles.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Lucille Willy (*10.04.1924 Los Angeles CA, +28.10.1994 Los Angeles CA)

Lucille married Victor J. Mansour (*30.08.1924 Ohio, +23.05.2004). The Find-A-Grave record is clearly wrong. It says that Victor's wife was Sadie Mansour. The problem is that Sadie is 35 years older than Victor. Sadie Mansour was the mother of Victor, not his wife. This can be seen in the 1940 Census when Sadie was fifty and Victor fifteen. The original Census page shows that Victor's parents, John and Sadie Mansour, were immigrants from Syria. John was a baker. Also note the Mansour's address - 1051 Euclid. They lived a few doors down the street from the Willys. Victor is buried with his mother in Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia. Reading the memorial stone suggests this - "beloved mother" and "beloved son".

Going back in history we have the enlistment record for Victor when he registered for the draft in World War II. The date was 14 April 1943. He had completed three years of high school and was single. In two weeks Victor turned nineteen. Lucille and Victor married probably in about 1950. Their first child was born in 1954.

Lucille passed away in 1994 and was also buried in Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia. From the Find-A-Grave photograph it appears she was possibly cremated.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Victor Mansour (*03.05.1954 Los Angeles CA, +10.11.2007 Patton, San Bernardino, California)

Son Victor was born in 1954 in Los Angeles. It is from this birth record we are able to tie the father Victor Mansour to his wife by the name of Willy.

2.2.....Zoe Ann Willy (*10.09.1931 Los Angeles CA, +21.04.1997 Santa Clara CA)

Zoe Ann Willy

"Zoe Ann" as she seems to have been called, attended the Mar-Ken School, a small private school for her high school years, graduating with a degree in English in 1948 at the age of sixteen. The school was in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley. The school speaks to the fact that her parents Lucille and Victor must have been living reasonably comfortably. One of Zoe Ann's passions became music and playing the trumpet. In fact at the graduation ceremony Zoe Ann played a trumpet solo from the 2nd movement of Haydn's Concerto for Trumpet. The graduation was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel! For those readers unfamilliar with Los Angeles soon after the end of World War II, the Beverly Hills Hotel was very upscale! It still is today. Zoe Ann also liked ice skating and horseback riding. One can learn more about this part of her life by reading from the high school yearbooks parts one, two and three. Also the story of the Mar-Ken School itself is an interesting glimpse into life in the late 1940s in Los Angeles.

Following high school Zoe and Ronald Roy Still (*28.09.1930 Nevada, +12.03.1974 Santa Clara CA) were married. Ron was the son of Clellan and Marcella Peters Still.

At some point the family seems to have moved from Los Angeles to Santa Clara on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula. Both Zoe and Ron died there. Unfortunately the marriage ended in divorce in 1970. It is not known whether there were children from the marriage.

6.6.....Carl Willy (*1910 Leadville CO)

We have no birth record for Carl. From the 1910 Census we first see him at the age of 0 years. The family was living in Leadville. In 1920 he is ten years old. Soon thereafter the family moved to Southern California. We have no record of Carl after the 1902 Census.

7.6.....Annie E. Willy (*16.04.1861 Galena IL, +12.05.1889 Galena IL)

Annie passed away at age 28 after several years of ill health as reported in her obituary. She had been a public school teacher but had to stop due to her health. She did not marry and was buried with her parents in the Vinegar Hill Cemetery. Her gravestone is equally deteriorated with age and difficult to read.

7.7.....Frank X. Willy (*09.05.1865 Galena IL, +23.10.1927 Lockport, Will Cty IL)

Starting before 1900 Frank lived with his sister Pauline and her husband Henry Armbruster in Galena. This appears in both 1900 and 1910. He was a bachelor, musician and music teacher. Pauline and and her husband Henry had no children.

To lay the story out one needs to start in 1910. Henry passed away, as shown above in the paragraph about 7.3 Pauline above. Their home was at 114 Bench Street in Peoria. By 1919 and for several years prior their neighbors at 112 Bench Street were the Earl Fitch family. The homes were separated by a narrow alleyway, which Pauline, age 67, used frequently. The Fitch's did not. Frank Willy, age 54, was a music teacher, giving lessons on the violin, clarinet and coronet in the home. Frank had been in poor health for many years, was not strong and could do no hard work.

Pauline and Frank had a very poor relationship with the Fitchs. Two issues were constant problems. One was Pauline's use of the alleyway, which bothered Earl Fitch greatly. The other was the noise coming from the Fitch house and yard interrupting Frank's music lessons. Earl Fitch was 39 years old, athletic and strong. On 19 June 1919 Pauline was using the alleyway. Earl Fitch approached her and pushed her violently into the storm porch. Frank heard her scream, got his revolver and went outside where he confronted Fitch. In the ensuing argument and struggle the gun fired several times mortally wounding Fitch.

In "People v. Willy" Frank was tried and convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He was incarcerated in the Illinois State Penitentiary in Joliet Township, Will County. He is enumerated in the 1920 Census as an inmate in the Penitentiary. The Illinois State Death Records indicate he died in Lockport where the Penitentiary was located. He was buried with other family members in the St. Mary's Cemetery in Galena.

A detailed account of the trial is available in the North Eastern Reporter, a legal journal of trial proceedings. "People v. Willy" begins on page 861. I am neither a criminal lawyer nor a judge. It is surprising, however, in reading the account that the charges were not reduced to second degree murder or manslaughter, based upon the evidence.

8.8.....Jacob Bentz (*19.06.1825 Undenheim, +before Sep 1865)

Jacob, the youngest child of Elisabeth and Valentin Benz, emigrated with the family on roughly his 18th birthday. They undoubtedly left Undenheim before the 18th of June in order to meet the ship Metamora of Alexandria for their sailing to Amerika. They arrived in New York City on 26 July. The birthday celebration was likely at sea.

Nine years later Jacob and Mary Powers (*) were married in Jo Daviess County IL. This ceremony was on 19 September 1852. It it not known where or with whom Jacob was living in 1850. He was not in the home of his parents. Nor have we found a census record for 1860 for Jacob and Mary, nor Mary in 1870 with her children. They had two children by 1860. Presumably they were living near the other family members in Jo Daviess County.

The U.S. Civil War began a year later. It is believed Jacob enlisted in the Union Army and was a corporal in the Illinois Regiment. His Pension Record indicates a date of 13 February 1864. The significance of this date is unclear. It is possibly his date of death for in September 1865 his father Valentine Senior gave his oral will on his deathbed. Jacob was deceased at the time and Valentine Senior wanted to be sure Jacob's share went to Jacob's two children, Benjamin and Annie.

We also have no information about Mary Powers other than the marriage record above.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Benjamin F. Bentz (*22.10.1853 Galena IL, +24.05.1933 Evanston, Cook Cty IL)

The story of Benjamin begins in 1878 with his marriage, as we have no contemporaneous records made of his life before that time. His birthdate comes from his death record. He was twenty-four years old when he married Lillian J. Howard (*July 1860 New York). The ceremony was on 26 February 1878 in White Pigeon, St. Joseph County, Michigan. White Pigeon is a small town barely into Michigan from Indiana and northeast of Elkhart, Indiana. Lillian was eighteen years of age. The original marriage record is a little more challenging to decipher. But it is clear that his occupation was entered as a "druggist" in Middlebury. Also that Lillian gave a Middlebury address. The witnesses were J.K. Bottorff and J.L. Davis, both of St. Joseph County, Michigan.

Two years later they were enumerated in the 1880 Census. They were living in the town of Middlebury in Elkhart County, Indiana. Middlebury is another small town about fifteen miles due south from White Pigeon MI. In 2010 the population of White Pigeon was 1500; of Middlebury 3400. From the original Census page we see their first child Inez, age one. It is interesting that the occupation of Benjamin was left blank.

The successive Census pages from 1900 and 1910 give his occupation as "traveling salesman" and "salesman, medicine" respectively. The 1920 Census page is illegible and in the 1930 Census he, at age 76, was retired. His career clearly had to do with medicine. The transcriptions for 1900, 1910 and 1920 present some of the information more clearly. But some of the more interesting information does not get transcribed, e.g. occupation and address. For this the best source, if they are still working on familysearch.org, is to go to the LiveLinks at the bottom of this page.

From 1900 through the 1920 Census they lived in Concorde Township in Elkhard IN. The addresses changed from 810 Pigeon Street (?) to #334 East Beardsley Avenue, which then owned, and finally to 6225 Second Street which they rented.

By 1930, when Benjamin was 76 and Lillian 60, they moved in with their daughter Inez and her husband Joseph Bottorff in Evanston, Illinois north of Chicago. Benjamin lived a full life, passing away at the age of seventy-nine in 1933. A the time of his death their address was 526 Greenwood Blvd, Evanston, Cook Cty IL.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Inez Ione Bentz (*August 1878 Indiana, +January 1966 Polk Cty, Florida)

Like for her parents, the early records for Inez Ione are missing. Much of the early information is gleaned from her death record and Census records. As seen above the 1880 Census says Inez was one year old, therefore born in either 1879 or 1878. Perhaps the Census can be relied upon for a one year old. The 1900 Census recorded the month and year of birth for each person, the only census to do so. The 1900 Census indicates Inez was born in August 1878. The 1880 Census was taken in June. Inez would have been one year old, if the correct birth month/year was August 1878.

Inez was married 12 October 1897 in St. Joseph County, Indiana to Joseph Livy Bottorff (*10.06.1875 Indiana, +1952 Pinellas Cty, Florida) by De Louy Burke, rector of the St. James Church. Joseph was in various financial positions throughout his career.

For a number of years Inez and Joseph lived in Elkhart, Indiana. In 1900 Joseph was a bank teller. They lived at 107 S. Second Street in a home which according to the Census they owned. Ten years later they were renting at 116 Division. Joseph was an auditor at Markenter Company (?).

Prior to 1918 Inez and Joseph had moved to Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago. He was forty-three years old when he registered for the World War I draft. He was an assistant treasurer at the Shotwell Manufacturing Company on West Adams Street in Chicago. Joseph was of medium height and build with brown eyes and hair. In the 1920 Census he was enumerated as an auditor. They lived at 807 Monticello Street in a home which they owned free of a mortgage. They had been married 23 years. Their first and only child Albert J. was three years old.

By 1930 they had moved to 526 Greenwood. Joseph had moved from audit to becoming credit manager an a machine manufacturing company, probably the same company he had worked for in 1920. On Greenwood their home was valued at $50,000, a substantial home for the day and one of the more expensive in the neighborhood. The house was obviously large, for in addition to Inez's parents living with them they also had three boarders, some of whom may also have been their relatives.

They continued living in their Greenwood home but by 1940 Joseph had changed jobs again. He now worked for a public accounting firm. And living in the home at 526 Greenwood with Joseph and Inez were four boarders plus their son Albert J. with his wife Nadine. Joseph is enumerated on Line 8 of the Census, Albert J. on Line 14.

Prior to 1952 Joseph had retired and he and Inez decided to more to a warmer climate. He passed away in 1952 at the age of seventy-seven in Pinellas County, Florida. Pinellas is just north of Tampa on the Gulf Coast. He was buried in the Royal Palm Cemetery in Saint Petersburg FL.

Inez followed Joseph twenty-seven years later, dying in 1966. They are buried together.

If one wants to refer to the transcriptions of the Census data, the Links are 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940.

Children: (1)

1.1.....Albert J. Bottorff (*13.12.1916 Chicago IL, +13.08.1980 Pinellas Cty, Florida)

As mentioned above in 1940 Albert J. Bottorff and his wife Nadine Ryan (*1920 Nebraska) were living in the home of Albert's parents in Evanston. His occupation was a musician in an orchestra. Albert's surname is smudged but still legible. He is shown on Line 14 of the Census page. The transcription is easily read.

When Albert's parents Joseph and Inez moved to Florida, son Albert followed them. For in 1950 there is a marriage license and record of Albert and Nadine marrying again. This is curious. It is possible they had not married until 1950. It is probably more likely that in 1950 they decided to renew their vows. Note that the 1950 marriage record gives Nadine's last name as "Bottorff". Presumably her maiden name would have been entered in 1950 if this was their first marriage. Unfortunately, however, the marriage was not successful for in 1958 Albert and Nadine divorced. The date the divorce was final was March 1958. At the end of the first week of April 1958 Albert re-married. His new wife was Margaret Williams. But Albert's second marriage fell apart almost immediately, for in 1960 Albert and Margaret divorced

2.2.....Frank Howard Bentz (*14.08.1880 Middlebury IN, +12.08.1955)

The second child of Benjamin (*1853) and Lillian Howard (*1860) Bentz was Frank Howard Bentz, born two years after his sister Inez. At age twenty-six Frank married Bernice Kelly (*10.07.1884 Elkhart IN, +24.10.1948 Fort Wayne IN). The date was 20 July 1906 in Elkhart IN. Berenice was the daughter of John and Emma Snyder Kelly. She was twenty-two at the time they were married. Frank was a druggist by profession, Bernice an artist. The spelling of Bernice's given name is somewhat of a mystery. Was it "Bernice" or "Berenice"? The marriage application spells it "Bernice" on the first line. But then "Berenice in the remaining spaces, of which there are several. Even the signature is "Berenice". However some of the other information on the application is strange, if Bernice in fact filled out the form. For example her birthplace is unknown. And the handwriting and signatures on the application appears to all be from the same hand. The "B" in Frank Bentz looks identical to the "B" in Bernice Kelly. The application appears to have been filled out and signed by a third party.

Their gravestone spells her name "Bernice" and so do we.

In 1910 Frank and Bernice were living in a boarding house at 3368 Reading Road in Cincinnati, Ohio. Living with them was Bernice's mother Emma Kelly, a widow. There were eleven families in the boarding house.

When Frank registered for the Draft in 1918 he was thirty-eight years old, medium height, slender build. He named his employer at the Fort Wayne Drug Company in Fort Wayne IN. They were living at #2 Jean Court in Lima.

By 1920 they were living in Lima, a city in Allen County in the northwest part of Ohio. They with their two young sons lived on West Elm Street in a home which they owned. Their neighbors were mostly business owners, managers and professionals. Frank's occupation appears to be a pharmaceutical salesman covering a territory. We do not have a record of them in the 1930 Census.

They lived in Elkhart, Indiana in 1940 in the home of Bernice's brother John H. Kelly at 413 Franklin Street. Also living in the home was Bernice's sister Ruth T. Kelly, age sixty-one, who had not married. Frank (on Line 22) was fifty-nine years old and a drug salesman. John Kelly (Line 20) was a cashier at the bank. John Bentz, their twenty-four year old son, was an assistant cashier at the bank. Two years later Frank was required to again register for the draft with the outbreak of World War II. He was fifty-eight. Their phone number was Anthony 4806. They were living at 2019 1/2 Cresent Avenue in Fort Wayne IN.

Bernice passed away at the age of sixty-four in 1948. She was buried in the Lindenwood Cemetery in Allen County, Indiana.

Frank married again two years later. His second wife was Elizabeth Head Mcatee (*15.02.1893 Middlefield Center NY). She too had been previously married and was fifty-seven years old. Frank was seventy. The marriage application gives his birth year as 1885 and age sixty-five. This information is in error based upon many other documents.

Frank died in 1955, two days before his seventy-fifth birthday. He was buried with Bernice in Lindenwood Cemetery.

Children: (2)

2.1.....Frank Howard Bentz (*31.10.1912 Lima OH, +04.09.1989 Illinois)

Frank Junior married Mary E. (*1915 Michigan, +) in the late 1930s. In 1940 they lived at 211 1/2 North West Street in Michawaka Township, St. Joseph County IN. Frank was a tobacco salesman, Mary a bookkeeper at a rubber manufacturing company.

We have no information about children at this time. Frank passed away in 1989 and is buried in the Olive Cemetery, Wakarusa, Elkhart County IN. We have no further information about Mary.

2.2.....John David Bentz (*01.09.1915 Shawnee Twp, Allen OH, +10.07.1980)

John and Maryan Bentz

John David and Maryan L. Helser (*30.03.1919 Elkhart IN, +28.12.2016 Elkhart IN) married in Elkhart on 14 June 1940.

We have no information about their lives or if they had children. John passed away in 1980 and was buried in the Rice Cemetery in Elkhart. He was buried with Nelson R. (*1914) and Margaret E. (*1917) Sorg, presumably relatives of Maryan's. Maryan passed away 28 December 2016 at the age of ninety-seven (!) and was buried in the same plot.

2.2.....Annie Bentz (*?)

We only know of Annie Bentz from the last wishes of Valentine Benz, Senior (*1787, +1865). On more than one occasion Valentine Senior instructed his son 8.1 Valentine Jr. (*1810) and his daughter 8.3 Magdalena (*1813) that the portion of his estate which would have gone to his son 8.8 Jacob (*1825, +before 1865), were he still living, should go to Jacob's two children 2.1 Benjamin (*1853) and 2.2 Annie. The birthyear of Annie is not known but perhaps because she is mentioned after her brother Benjamin she was born after him.

8.??.....Conrad Bentz (*19.06.1825 Undenheim)

There is a birth record of a Conrad Benz born on 19 June 1825 in Undenheim. This is the same birthdate as 8.8 Jacob Bentz just above. We have no other records for a Conrad. Whether Jacob was a twin and Conrad passed away or the birth record for Conrad was in error and there was just Jacob born on 19 June is not known. In addition, the surname of Conrad in the birth record is "Berger". Why would it not have been Benz?

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