Mary Striffler

1860 - 1952  (91 years)

• Name	Mary Striffler  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Born	8 Dec 1860	Madison, Monroe County, Missouri   [1, 2, 3, 5]
  Gender	Female
  Died	5 Aug 1952	Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [1, 3, 5, 6]
  Buried	Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [3]
  Notes	Cass City Chronicle Cass City, Michigan Friday, January 23, 1931 "Thirty-five years ago: January 24, 1896" At the Evangelical church, the following Sunday School officers have been elected for the ensuing year: Supt., Mrs. Lena SCHWEGLER; ass't supt., Mrs. Mary BENKELMAN; sec., J. MAIER; treas., Adam BENKELMAN; librarian, Miss Lillie Striffler; ass't librarian, Miss Maud MAIER; organist, Miss Martha STRIFFLER; ass't organist, Oscar LENZNER. Cass City Chronicle August 8, 1952, page 1 Mrs. Benkelman, Pioneer Resident, Buried Thursday Cass City lost a respected member of its community Thursday morning when Mrs. Mary Benkelman, 91, died at her home here after a period of declining health. A pioneer resident of this community, Mrs. Benkelman had spent over three-quarters of a century in Cass City and Elkland Township. The daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Striffler, she was born Dec. 8, 1860 in Madison, Mo., and with her father and sister, the late Mrs. Jacob MEIER, came to Elkland Township in 1875. Mrs. Benkelman married Samuel G. Benkelman Nov. 28, 1888. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1988 and Mr. Benkelman died in 1940. Mrs. Benkelman was one of the founders of the Woman's Study Club in Cass City and served as president of the organization in 1910 and 1927. She was a member of the Adult Ladies's Class of the Methodist Church. Funeral services were held Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Douglas Funeral Home. Rev. F.W. Porter, pastor of the Methodist Church, officiated and burial was in Elkland Cemetery. Surviving are two sons, Joseph and Ward Benkelman of Cass City, a niece, Miss Laura MAIER, and a nephew, Fred MAIER. (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong)
  Person ID	I12012	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Joseph Striffler,   b. 18 Sep 1825, Kirberg, Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine, Imperial Territory Of Alsace-Lorraine, Elsa?-Lothringen, Germany ,   d. 25 Feb 1902, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Rosina Margaretha Ballbach,   b. 12 Jan 1935, W?rttemberg, Germany ,   d. 17 Apr 1874, Lee County, Iowa
  Married	Abt 1854	New York   [7]
  Family ID	F8093	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Samuel G. Benkelman,   b. 26 Aug 1857, Bowmansville, Town of Lancaster, Erie County, New York ,   d. 22 Dec 1940, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  (Age 83 years)
  Married	28 Nov 1888  [1, 4, 5]
  	Lorraine Smith Benkelman transcribed the following letters from Salome to her brother, George Albert November 29, 1888 Today is Sam and Mary's wedding day. Rev. N. Wienderlich performs the ceremony. I was not invited....
  Children	1. Joseph A. Benkelman,   b. 5 Oct 1889, Elkland Township, Tuscola County, Michigan ,   d. 11 Jun 1968, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  (Age 78 years)   2. Ward William Benkelman,   b. 15 Feb 1894, Elkland Township, Tuscola County, Michigan ,   d. 3 Feb 1989, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  (Age 94 years)
  Last Modified	3 Jul 2013
  Family ID	F619	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 8 Dec 1860 - Madison, Monroe County, Missouri Died - 5 Aug 1952 - Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Buried - - Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Striffler, Mary, UNKNOWN, and Augusta Krehl This is thought to be a photo of Mary Striffler (left), with her foster sister, Augusta Krehl. Mary and Augusta were married to brothers, Samuel and John Benkelman. The woman in the center of the photo is not known. It could possibly be their sister, Fannie Stiffler Maier, but based on comparisons to other photos, this is unlikely. Mary was identified through comparison to other known photos. Augusta was positively identified by her son, Alvin C. Benkelman Sr. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU CAN CONFIRM THIS IS MARY STRIFFLER BENKELMAN AND/OR IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY THE UNKNOWN WOMAN IN THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO.
  		Striffler, Mary ca 1880's with Emeline Stiffler Cousins Mary (l) and Emeline Striffler (r) pose in formal attire
  		Striffler, Mary Wife of Samuel Benkelman J. F. Clarkson, Artist, Caro, Michigan
  		Striffler, Mary Wife of Samuel Benkelman b. 1860 d. 1952, Michigan
  		Benkelman, Samuel G with daughter Bertha and wife Mary This photo of Sam with his daughter, Bertha, appears to have been shortly after he married his second wife, Mary Striffler, ca 1888, Cass City, Michigan.
  		Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catherine (Schaufele) Descendants ca 1912 Family Reunion Back, Standing, l to r: Mae Benkelman, Kate Schwegler, John Benkelman Sr., Ester Ackerman Benkelman, Minnie Jesse Benkelman, Joe Benkelman, Augusta Krehl Benkelman, Dorus Benkelman, Will Schwegler, Ward Benkelman, Ben Schwegler, Sam Benkelman Middle Row, kneeling, l to r: Alvin Benkelman, Harold Benkelman, Ruth Benkelman, Marie Benkelman (standing), Lena Benkelman Schwegler, Barbara Rommel Benkelman, Louisa Benkelman Schwegler Bottom Row, seated, l to r: Bertha Benkelman, Glen Benkelman, Ida Benkelman, Lottie Benkelman, Ben Benkelman Sr. behind his nephew John Donald Benkelman, Lois Benkelman, Ben Benkelman Jr., Alice Ross Schwegler with her baby Edward William Schwegler, and ,facing left, Mary Striffler Benkelman (Mrs. Sam) (Legend Courtesy of Bonnie-Margaret Benkelman Jacobs)
  		Benkelman Brothers with their wives, mid 1920's (Sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman) Front Row, L to R: Possibly Alice McDougall Benkelman, Mary Striffler Benkelman, Augusta Krehl Benkelman, Possibly Barbara Rommel Benkelman, Minnie Jesse Benkelman and Samuel Benkelman Back Row, L To R: Thought to be George, William, John, and Ben Sr. PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THESE ASSUMPTIONS.
  		Striffler, Mary and Fannie, ca 1930's Cass City Daughters of Joseph Striffler and Rosina Ballbach
  		Benkelman, Samuel ca 1937, with his wife, Mary (Striffler), and other friends and family Sam and Mary at the annual Striffler-Benkelman Reunion, September 1937 L to R: John A. Benkelman, UNKNOWN, Mary (Striffler) Benkelman, Samuel G. Benkelman, Ben Benkelman, Sr. PLEASE HELP US IDENTIFY THE UNKNOWN YOUNGER MAN.
  		Benkelman, Samuel with his wife, Mary (Striffler), Berry Picking, July 1938 This photo of Samuel Benkelman and his wife Mary was taken a few years prior to Sam's death. It was labeled, apparently in error, "Sam (80 yrs) and Lydia (77 yrs) Benkelman berry picking, July 1938" Lydia was Sam's first wife, and predeceased him by many years.
  		Benkelman, John Adam ca 1951 with Mary Striffler Benkelman, his sister-in-law This photo was likely taken at the 1951 Striffler-Benkelman reunion, where "awards were made to John A. Benkelman, 95, the oldest man present; to Mrs. S. G. Benkelman, 90, the oldest woman in attendance." (Cass City Chronicle, September 7, 1951, page one).

  
  

  Documents

  Striffler-Benkelman Annual Labor Day Family Reunion, 1936 Newspaper article In the mid 1850's, in Erie County, New York, two sons of Jacob & Otilla Striffler married two Benkelman sisters. Shortly after their marriages, the couples moved to the Michigan frontier, many of their brothers and sisters following them. The two families remained intertwined for subsequent generations. At a reunion of the Henry Striffler family in 1930 it was decided to enlarge the scope of the reunion to include descendants of Henry, Jacob, Joseph, Christian, John and Susan Striffler. Members and "in laws" of these families first gathered at the Assembly grounds in Sebewaing for a reunion in 1932. As the Benkelman-Striffler family had remained very close over the years, all branches of the Benkelman family were invited to their Sixth Reunion, and since that time it remained a joint event. This articles from the 1936 "Cass City Chronicle" details one of the earliest joint reunions. Attended by over 170 family members, the reunion was held on the John Striffler homestead northeast of Cass City, with attendees travelling from Ontario, Ohio and many places in Michigan. President W.D. STRIFFLER presided at a business meeting in 1936, and Harry HUNT, Mrs. S.G BENKELMAN (the former Mary Striffler), and Mrs. Ben SCHWEGLER (the former Joanna Mark) were elected officers for the ensuing year. The first volume of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST was published for the September 1936 reunion.

  
  

• Sources

  [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982. [S207] 1870 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2003., (United States. Ninth Census of the United States, 1870. Washington, D.C. National Archives and Records Administration. M593, RG29, 1,761 rolls. Minnesota. Minnesota Census Schedules for 1870. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T132, RG29, 13 rolls. This database is an index to individuals enumerated in the 1870 United States Federal Census, the Ninth Census of the United States. Census takers recorded many details including each person's name, age at last birthday, sex, color; birthplace, occupation, and more. No relationships were shown between members of a household. Additionally, the names of those listed on the population schedule are linked to actual images of the 1870 Federal Census.), Iowa, Lee County, Franklin Twp, P.O. Franklin Center Enumerated July 1870 27-27 (Reliability: 3). [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, August 8, 1952, page 1 (Reliability: 3). [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, Friday, December 27, 1940 (Reliability: 3). [S1610] Jacobs, BonnieMargaret McDonald "The Family Benkelman" Unpublished Manuscript, 276 pages, October 1981 Version, (Copy owned by Barney Benkelman, Helena, Montana; which he xeroxed and sent to Melinda McLemore Strong in San Antonio, Texas), p. 133 (Reliability: 3). [S595] Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, (Family Publication, published sporadically to record family milestones in connection with the annual Striffler-Benkelman Family Reunions, with Vol. 1, Number 1, published Sept. 7, 1936. Issues on file at the Rawson Memorial Library in Cass City, Michigan include Vol. 5 (1941), Vol. 7 (1944) and Volumes 8 (1945) through Vol. 28 (1968). Issues published from 1961 through 1964 were not assigned volume numbers, and 1963 appears to be missing. Xeroxes of the existing issues were also made by Melinda McLemore Strong in 2007. According to a article published by the Cass City Chronicle on August 6, 1981, commemorating the Fiftieth and Final Striffler-Benkelman Reunion, the final issue of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST appears to have been Volume 28, published in 1968.), Volume 15, Sept. 1, 1952. (Reliability: 3). [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, Tri-County Chronicle Cass City, Mich., Friday, February 28, 1902 Vol. 3 No 41 Page 1 (Reliability: 3).