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William Frederick Benkelman

William Frederick Benkelman

Male 1862 - 1932  (70 years)

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  • Name William Frederick Benkelman  [1, 2, 3, 4
    Born 10 Feb 1862  Bowmansville, Town of Lancaster, Erie County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 3, 4
    Gender Male 
    Died 11 Oct 1932  Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 4, 5
    Buried Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Notes 
    • Cass City Enterprise
      December 18, 1902
      Local Happenings, page 9

      Prof. W. F. Benkelman, of Grayling, is spending a few days with relatives and friends here.


      Cass City Chronicle
      Friday, November 7, 1930
      Page 4

      Week-end guests at the B. F. Benkelman, Sr. home were Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Benkelman and son, Jack, Mr. and Mrs. Willard McKenna and Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Symington, all of Detroit.

      Cass City Chronicle
      Friday, October 14, 1932
      Vol. 27, Number 27

      Early School Supt. Here Died in Detroit Tuesday

      Wm. F. Benkelman, superintendent of schools in Cass City for three years in the "early eighties," passed away unexpectedly in Detroit Tuesday morning after a very short illness. Funeral services were held in Detroit Thursday night and the burial service will be held in Elkland cemetery this (Friday) morning.

      Wm. F. Benkelman was born in Lancaster, N.Y., in 1862, and came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Benkelman, to Cass City at the age of four years. After completing his education in the local school here, he attended North Central College in Napierville, Ill. He was united in marriage with Miss Alice McDougal and they both taught in the Cass City Schools. Mr. Benkelman serving as superintendent for about three years in a period about 1882 to 1885. He was engaged as an instructor in the schools at Grayling and was later employed by the Salling-Hanson Lumber Co., of that city. He afterwards engaged in the lumber business in Owosee (sp?). Mr. Benkleman, for many years, has resided in Detroit. Besides his widow, he leaves one son, John, and two daughters, Mrs. Frances Simington (sic) and Mrs. Helen McKinney (sic), all of Detroit, and three brothers, John A., Samuel G., and Benjamin F. Benkelman, Sr., all of Cass City.

      (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong)
    • (Research):

      Census Listings:

      1930 Census
      Michigan, Wayne County, Detroit, Ward 1 Block 104
      Enumerated April 12, 1930
      ED 82-32 SD 21 Sheet 16B
      256-216-75
      Benkelman, William Hd M W 69 M 25 NY Germany Germany Clerk Auto Facility
      Benkelman, Alice M Wf F W 59 M 18 Canada English Canada English Canada English
      Benkelman, John F Son m W 24 S Mich NY Canada English Asst Advertising Mgr Publishing Co
      Symington, Edwin S Son-in-law M W 42 M@32 Canada English Canada English England English Manager Electricity
      Symington, Frances M Dtr F W 38 M28 Mich Ny Canada English
    Person ID I845  Strong Family Tree
    Last Modified 19 Jan 2021 

    Father Johann Adam Benkelman,   b. 13 Feb 1825, Waldhausen Parish, Welzheim, Jagstkreis, W?rttemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 30 Dec 1897, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years) 
    Mother Anna Catharina Schaufele,   b. 23 Aug 1823, B?rtlingen, G?ppingen, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 23 Dec 1906, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years) 
    Married 24 Feb 1851  B?rtlingen, G?ppingen, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    • Catharina and Adam were married in B?rtlingen.

      On May 16, 2002, Ingolf Vogel noted that "The Kingdom of W?rttemberg was made up of four Kreises - the Neckarkreis, the Schwarzwaldkreis, the Jagstkreis and the Donaukreis. These Kreises were much larger than today's Kreises. Each of them was divided into so-called Ober?mter which are more similar in size to today's Kreises. The Oberamt for B?rtlingen was Kirchheim.. Incidently the Oberamt Kirchheim was the only Oberamt of the Donaukreis west of the Schw?bische Alb (a mountain range). B?rtlingen (today Kreis G?ppingen) has only 745 people listed in it's telephone directory, so it probably doesn't have more than 2000-3000 inhabitants.

      Adam and Catharina were married in February, 1851, and in June, 1851 they were formally released from the Kingdom of W?rttemberg and would be free to emigrate.
    Documents
    B?rtlingen, W?rttemberg Founded 1202
    B?rtlingen, W?rttemberg Founded 1202
    B?rtlingen is a small German village founded in 1202. It is in southwest of Germany in the Schwabish Alps, a few miles outside of G?ppingen. The church on the bottom left of the card is the Evangelische Johanneskirche, the same church in which Catherine and Adam Benkelmann were married before departing for America.
    B?rtlingen, W?rttemberg, Evangelische Johanneskirche, Summer 2006
    B?rtlingen, W?rttemberg, Evangelische Johanneskirche, Summer 2006
    Evangelische Johanneskirche in 2006. This is the same church in which Adam Benkelman and Catherine Schaufele were married in in 1851.
    Family ID F28  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Alice Mary McDougall,   b. Aug 1868, London, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Aug 1933, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 65 years) 
    Married 23 Jul 1886  [4, 7
    • BonnieMargaret Jacobs instead shows the location of their marriage as in Middlesex County, Ontario.
    Children 
     1. Frances M. Benkelman,   b. 10 Sep 1892, Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Mar 1961, Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years)
     2. Helen McDougall Benkelman,   b. 3 May 1896, Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 20 Aug 1976, Livonia, Wayne County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years)
     3. John Frank "Jack" Benkelman,   b. 19 Jul 1905, Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Mar 1989, Troy, Oakland County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years)
    Last Modified 3 Jul 2013 
    Family ID F620  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 10 Feb 1862 - Bowmansville, Town of Lancaster, Erie County, New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 11 Oct 1932 - Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    Benkelman, William Frederick ca 1870's (Thought to be)
    Benkelman, William Frederick ca 1870's (Thought to be)
    This was in a group of tintypes originally belonging to Louisa Benkelman Schwegler. These tintypes appear to be of Louisa and her brothers, all children of Adam and Catherine Benkelman of Cass City. Alvin Benkelman, Jr., a great grandson of of Adam and Catherine, believes this to be a photo of their son William Frederick. This is based on his comparison to other family and group photos owned and labeled by his late father, Alvin Benkelman Sr. However, based on Marjory Schwegler Battel's identificaton of the various Benkelman sons from a group photo taken around the same time period, it is possible that this might instead be Will's younger brother, Ben.

    PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THIS ASSUMPTION
    Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catharina (Schaufele) ca 1878, Family Portrait
    Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catharina (Schaufele) ca 1878, Family Portrait
    TOP ROW: Identified by Marjory Schwegler Battel, granddaughter of Lousia, to be l to r, standing, Sam (age 19), Ben Sr. (age 15), John (age 22), and George (age 27) BOTTOM ROW: from left to right, seated, Will (age 17), Louisa (age 25), Catharine (55) and Adam (53).
    This is likely correct, however several descendants of Ben Sr instead believe he is seated next to his sister, Louisa, and elder brother Will is standing, second on the left.
    It was probably taken near the families farm in Tuscola County, Michigan.
    Benkelman, William Frederick, ca 1890-1900
    Benkelman, William Frederick, ca 1890-1900
    This was in a group of photos originally belonging to Louisa Benkelman Schwegler, labeled William Benkelman. Both Louisa and WIlliam were children of Adam and Catherine Benkelman of Cass City. Wm. F. Benkelman was born in Lancaster, N.Y., in 1862, and came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Benkelman, to Cass City at the age of four years. After completing his education in the local school here, he attended North Central College in Napierville, Ill. He was united in marriage with Miss Alice McDougal and they both taught in the Cass City Schools. Mr. Benkelman serving as superintendent for about three years in a period about 1882 to 1885. He was engaged as an instructor in the schools at Grayling and was later employed by the Salling-Hanson Lumber Co., of that city.
    Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catharina (Schaufele) Children, after 1910
    Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catharina (Schaufele) Children, after 1910
    Top Row, L to R: Louisa Schwegler, John Benkelman, George Benkelman of Denver
    Bottom Row, L to R: Will Benkelman, Ben Benkelman Sr., Sam Benkelman

    Marjory Schwegler Battel indicated that she thought we had the order correct, with the possible exception of Ben Sr and John. However, descendants of both men are sure they are labeled correctly as is.
    Benkelman Brothers ca mid 1920's (Sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman)
    Benkelman Brothers ca mid 1920's (Sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman)
    Alvin Benkelman, through both memory and photo comparison, believes the brothers are standing in the following order, L to R: George, Ben Sr., John, Samuel and William. All five were sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman of Cass City.

    PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THESE ASSUMPTIONS.
    Benkelman Brothers with their wives, mid 1920's (Sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman)
    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.

  • Sources 
    1. [S337] Benkelman, Hilda Jane Stickley THE MEMOIRS OF JOHN A. BENKELMAN (Privately Published, 1966).

    2. [S642] FamilySearch.org, Michigan Births 1867-1902.

    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, October 14, 1932 (Reliability: 3).

    4. [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. 134 (Reliability: 3).

    5. [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982.

    6. [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. 95, 128 (Reliability: 3).

    7. [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982, location of marriage: Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan (Reliability: 3).