Lorraine Bessie "Smitty" Smith

1931 - 2012  (81 years)

• Name	Lorraine Bessie "Smitty" Smith  [1, 2]
  Nickname	Smitty
  Born	12 Feb 1931	Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan   [2]
  Gender	Female
  Died	15 Jun 2012	Caseville, Huron County, Michigan   [2]
  Buried	22 Jun 2012	Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [2]
  Notes	LORRAINE SMITH BENKELMAN Lorraine Benkelman died with her family by her side June 15, 2012 in her home in Caseville from complications of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. She was 81. Born in Kalamazoo February 12, 1931 to Clarence W. and Cora Page Smith she was raised in Kalamazoo and studied business at Michigan State University for two years before marrying Robert F. Benkelman September 30, 1950. They lived in East Lansing and Bay City before settling in the Thumb in 1962, when Mr. Benkelman founded the Tuscola Broadcasting Company. After several years as a homemaker, Mrs. Benkelman joined her husband in the administration of the radio station, WKYO in Caro, where she used her accounting training and business sense to help run the enterprise. In retirement, she and her husband owned a home near Tampa, FL but they returned to Caseville year-round in 2004. Mrs. Benkelman loved entertaining and spending time with her friends in the Thumb, who knew her as "Smitty". She also enjoyed researching family histories and other topics on the Internet. She was naturally computer-savvy, often helping her friends with computer setups and fixing their Internet connections. Her husband preceded her in death September 22, 2006 as did her sister, Carole Ann Penturf in 1992 and a grandson, Keith Brooks in 2006. She is survived by three daughters: Carole (Kevin Larke) Benkelman of St. Johns, Catherine (Charles) Brooks of Sheridan, AR and Susan (Kenneth Fireman) Benkelman of Bethesda, MD; grandchildren: Jason Tetreau, Carrie Tetreau, Andrew Larke, Steven (Amber) Brooks, Eric Brooks, Catherine Fireman, Alexandra Fireman; and a great granddaughter, Faith Brooks. Graveside service will be held 1:00 p.m., Friday, June 22, 2012 at her graveside in Elkland Township Cemetery. Interment will be in ElklandTownshipCemetery, CassCity. Memorials may be made to Rawson Memorial Library. Family and friends may share memories, prayers and stories with the family at www.kranzfuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Kranz Funeral Home, Cass City, Michigan Debra L. Kranz, 989-872-2195
  Person ID	I6351	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	1 Jan 2021

  
  

  Father	Clarence William Smith,   b. 5 Nov 1902, Park Falls, Price County, Wisconsin ,   d. 25 Dec 1986, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana  (Age 84 years)
  Mother	Cora Susan Page,   b. 26 Aug 1904, Allegan County, Michigan ,   d. 1 Mar 2001, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana  (Age 96 years)
  Married	1 Oct 1927
  Family ID	F9714	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Robert Fletcher Benkelman,   b. 1 Oct 1926, Sandusky, Sanilac County, Michigan ,   d. 22 Sep 2006, Saginaw County, Michigan  (Age 79 years)
  Married	30 Sep 1950	Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan   [1, 3]
  	Cass City Chronicle October 6, 1950 Page 6 Miss Smith and Robert Benkelman Wedding Saturday Miss Lorraine Smith of Kalamazoo became the bride of Robert F. Benkelman Saturday evening at eight o'clock in a ceremony at the First Congregational Church at Kalamazoo. Dr. William A. Keith, church pastor, conducted the rites. Mrs. Benkelman, who wore a Sophie original of ice blue satin, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence W. Smith of Cambridge Drive, Kalamazoo. The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold L. Benkelman of Cass City. Among 200 guests who attended the ceremony were 35 relatives and friends of the groom from Cass City. The maid of honor was Miss Carmen Magnuson of Lapeer. Miss Carole Ann Smith, the bride's sister, and Miss Marjorie Stern were bridesmaids. James McCoy of Port Austin served as best man. The ushers were Charles Auten, Kenneth Price and Dale Kettlewell, all of Cass City. Satin rickrack braid trimmed the mandarin collar and hipline of the bride's gown. The dress was cut with an off-the-shoulder neckline, short sleeves, a sheer yoke and a long train. An ice-blue half hat secured the three quarter length bridal veil. She carried a shower bouquet of white carnations and ivy. The attendants' pink and white bouquets were similar to the bride's. The maid of honor wore a pink gown with a lace bodice, a bouffant marquisette satin stole. The skirt and a bridesmaids' dresses were pastel blue. The candlelit church was decorated with white chrysanthemums. gladioli and palms. Miss Shirley Janssen, of Rockford, Ill., a Michigan State College student, was voca1 soloist and Mrs. Lincoln Dupon played the organ selections. Following the reception in the parlors of the church, the couple left for a short trip. Mrs. Benkelman wore a black ensemble trimmed in black velvet, black velvet accessories and a gold-colored topper. The couple will live in Lansing. The bride, a graduate of State High School in Kalamazoo, attended Michigan State College. Her husband, who was graduated from Cass City High School, received a B.A. degree in speech, dramatics and radio from MSC. (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, Fall 2007) Bob and Smitty purchased the former home of George Albert Striffler in Cass City when their daughters were young. His mother was a Benkelman and father a Striffler. And he left an attic full of "rubbish" mainly old clothing and photos, letters, and news clippings. Bob and Smitty scanned and shared many of the photos and letters with interested family members, and with BonnieMargaret Jacobs when she was reseaching her 1981 book about the Benkelman family. She jokingly referred to them as the "keepers of the gold lined laundry basket."
  Children	1. Carole Jean Benkelman,   b. 26 Oct 1951, Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan ,   d. 19 Jan 2023, Saint Johns, Clinton County, Michigan  (Age 71 years)   2. Living   3. Living
  Photos		Benkelman, Robert F. wedding to Lorraine Smith Miss Lorraine Smith of Kalamazoo became the bride of Robert F. Benkelman Saturday evening, September 30, 1950, at eight o'clock in a ceremony at the First Congregational Church at Kalamazoo. The couple will live in Lansing. The bride, a graduate of State High School in Kalamazoo, attended Michigan State College. Her husband, who was graduated from Cass City High School, received a B.A. degree in speech, dramatics and radio from MSC. l to r: Clarence and Cora Smith, Lorraine Smith and Robert Benkelman, Isabel and Harold "Sime" Benkelman
  		Striffler Home (George and Cora), 6593 Houghton St, Cass City, Michigan The Cass City Home of George and Cora Striffler. George was a prominent merchant in the early years of the village. The home was later owned by the family of Robert and Lorraine Benkelman. In a 1915 article from HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, it was noted that "Mr. Striffler has recently completed in Cass City a handsome and thoroughly modern house of twelve rooms, the same being the family home and one of the most attractive in the village, even as it is one of the most hospitable,a center of much of the social activity of the community. An appreciable part of the timber utilized in the erection of this building was taken from land owned by Mr. Striffler and is of growth that has been made since the disastrous forest fires which swept this section in 1871. Mr. Striffler himself found satisfaction in assisting in the sawing of the logs into the lumber and shingles for his fine new residence." In 1964, Robert Fletcher Benkelman and his wife Lorraine purchased the home, and lived in it with their family through 1970.
  Last Modified	9 Jun 2013
  Family ID	F611	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 12 Feb 1931 - Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan Married - 30 Sep 1950 - Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan Died - 15 Jun 2012 - Caseville, Huron County, Michigan Buried - 22 Jun 2012 - 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		_Smith, Lorraine Wife of Robert Fletcher Benkelman B. 1931 Michigan
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		Benkelman, Robert Fletcher ca 1995, with his wife Lorraine (Smith) Bob and Smitty at Christmas, ca 1995
  		Benkelman, BonnieMargaret ca 1998 with cousins l to r: Lorraine Smith "Smitty" Benkelman, Bonnie (Benkelman) McLemore: BonnieMargaret (Benkelman)Jacobs; Dot (Ball) Williams; June (Gilbert) Striffler with her husband Russell; and Bob Benkelman, Smitty's husband. BonnieMargaret, who spent many years researching the Benkelman family, arranged a 1998 reunion of cousins in at her Florida home, in order to compare family photos and stories.
  		Benkelman, Lorraine Smith "Smitty" ca 2007, Benkelman Centennial Farm Wife of Robert Fletcher Benkelman B. 1931 Michigan

  
  

• Sources

  [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/, October 6, 1950 (Reliability: 3). [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), # 92110363 (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 14, September 3, 1951. (Reliability: 3).