Paul Preston Bien

1894 - 1955  (60 years)

• Name	Paul Preston Bien  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Birth	4 May 1894	Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Death	27 Apr 1955	Houston, Harris County, Texas   [1, 3, 5]
  Burial	South Park Cemetery, Houston, Harris County, Texas   [3]
  Notes	When he completed his draft registration for World War I, he was working as a farmer in Kalamazoo for Mrs. Jennie Cavender. He listed his location of birth as Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan. He was shown as medium heighth, medium build, with brown eyes and hair. At the time of the 1920 census, he was a lodger in a boarding home in Ward Six, the 12th District, Detroit, with his occupation listed as Real Estate Salesman. In 1930, census records still show him as a boarder in Detroit, with his occupation as Retail Auto Salesman, and shown as a veteran of the World War. He was living in the 21st Ward, in the home of Elvin and Orpha Freeman, and incorrectly indexed as Paul BIEM. He was single at the time of both enumerations. The Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, Volume 10, dated September 1, 1947, reported that Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bien and two daughters of Houston, Texas visited relatives in Detroit, Lansing and Cass City. Paul has been away seventeen years. Art Peck's book published a brief obituary, which appears to have been published in Cass City. "Paul Bien, 60, former resident (Cass City) died April 27 (1955 penciled in) in Houston, Texas after two weeks illness caused by a heart attack. Mr. Bien left Detroit 25 years ago to make his home in Houston and is survived by his wife; two daughters; a step-son and two brothers, J. Stanley Bien of Lansing and Wm. Bien of East Syracuse, N.Y." Name: Paul Preston Bien Death Date: 27 Apr 1955 Death Place: Houston, Harris, Texas Gender: Male Race: Death Age: 60 years 11 months 23 days Estimated Birth Date: 1895 Birth Date: Birthplace: Bay Port, Michigan Marital Status: Spouse's Name: Father's Name: William H. Bien Father's Birthplace: Ontario, Canada Mother's Name: Salene Striffer Mother's Birthplace: Cass City, Michigan Occupation: Salesman, Radio School Place of Residence: Cemetery: Burial Place: Burial Date: Additional Relatives: Film Number: 2114388 Digital Film Number: 4165531 Image Number: 1840 Reference Number: 18453 Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976 (Medical):See attached sources. [3]
  Person ID	I4583	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	William H. Bien,   b. Bef 1867, Ontario, Canada d. Abt 1895, Huron County, Michigan (Age ~ 28 years)
  Mother	Salome Striffler,   b. 19 Sep 1866, Elkland Township, Tuscola County, Michigan d. 26 Jan 1922, Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan (Age 55 years)
  Marriage	25 Nov 1891	Kilmanagh, Huron County, Michigan   [6]
  Photos		Bien, Salome (Striffler) and sons, Stanley (b. 1892), Paul (b. 1894) and William (b. 1895) Salome Striffler was born in 1866, on the parental farm near Cass City. She was united in marriage with Wm. Bien in Kilmanagh, Mich in 1891. This happy union was of short duration, for Mr. Bien preceded his wife in death 26 years ago. Three sons came to bless the home for whom their mother toiled and sacrificed these many years to make possible their education and welfare and whose privilege it became, in her later days, for them to reciprocate their love and devotion in caring for her.
  Family ID	F2480	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Helena B. Shaneyfelt,   b. Abt 1902, Maryland d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	22 Jun 1920	Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan   [7]
  	Groom's Name: Paul P. Bien Groom's Race: Groom's Age: 26 years Groom's Birth Date: 1894 Groom's Birthplace: Michigan Bride's Name: Helena B. Shaneyfelt Bride's Race: Bride's Age: 18 years Bride's Birth Date: 1902 Bride's Birthplace: Maryland Marriage Type: Marriage Date: 22 Jun 1920 Marriage Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan Groom's Father: Wm Groom's Mother: Salome Striffler Bride's Father: Wm Bride's Mother: Mary Leacock Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife: Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband: Film Number: 2342741 Frame Number: Digital Folder Number: 4032480 Image Number: 115 Reference Number: item 9 p 651 rn 196820 Collection: Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925
  Family ID	F11103	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2010

  
  

  Family 2	Anna Sue O'Brien,   b. Abt 1909, Houston, Harris County, Texas d. 2 Sep 1947, Lafayette, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana (Age ~ 38 years)
  Marriage	Bef 1936
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Photos		Bien, Anna (O'Brien) and Paul ca 1933, Houston, Texas This photo Christmas Card was sent to George and Cora Striffler of Cass City, Michigan. The front of the card was signed by Paul and Ann. On the back was written, Houston, Texas, Xmas 1933.
  Family ID	F9519	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2010

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 4 May 1894 - Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan Marriage - 22 Jun 1920 - Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Death - 27 Apr 1955 - Houston, Harris County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Striffler Reunion Photo, bet. 1908-1910 Members of the John Striffler and Mary Benkelman family, around 1908-1910 Standing in the Back row, l to r, UNKNOWN woman in black, Esther Striffler Kaiser, Rudolph Kaiser, Cora Horn Striffler, George Albert Striffler holding his son Irvine, Pastor Schweitzer, Mattie Striffler, Archie Mark, Billy Bien Seated in the Middle row, l to r, Salome Striffler Bien, Paul Bien, the wife of Pastor Schweitzer, Mary Mark Buehrly, Aunt Lena Benkelman Schwegler (sister of Mary), Martha Mark Darling, Emeline Striffler Mark Front row, l to r, Mary Rommel Striffler (sister-in-law of John), Christian Striffler (brother of John), John Striffler, Mary Benkelman Striffler, Leonhard Benkelman (brother of Mary), Louisa Benkelman Stiffler (sister of Mary and widow of Jacob) Seated on ground, l to r, Alma Mark Krahling Seegar, Stanley Bien, Lena Mark Schwegler PLEASE HELP US IDENTIFY THE UNKNOWN WOMAN IN THIS PHOTO
  		Striffler, Uncle John's Farm The family gathered at Uncle John's farm to harvest a particularly large pine tree on March 8, 1905. The tree was 112 feet tall and 4 feet, 7 inches in diameter. Written on the back of the photo, in handwriting not familiar to Maggie Battel Bethel who received the photo from her grandmother's collection, are the names Fred Schaf, Albert Striffler, David Striffler, Solomon Striffler, Uncle John Striffler, younger boys Stanley, Paul and Will Bien, and Frank Striffler (l to r). Several unknown men are pictured as well. PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU CAN HELP US BETTER IDENTIFY EACH PERSON PICTURED. Please also note that Uncle John had two nephews names Solomon, one the son of his brother Jacob and the other the son of his brother Christian. It is not known positively WHICH Solomon Striffler was present at this event.
  		Striffler, Uncle John Descendants A snapshot identified by Lena Mark Schwegler as "Some of John Striffler's descendants" Her granddaughter, Maggie Battel Bethel, has identified most everyone after comparision to other family photos labeled by her mother and grandmother. Back row, l to r, Mattie Striffler, Emeline Striffler Mark, Mary Ida Thompson Striffler, UNKNOWN, Aunt Lena Benkelman Schwegler, Archie Mark, Esther Striffler Kaiser, David Striffler, UNKNOWN, George Albert Striffler, UNKNOWN, Stanley Bien Front: Paul Bien, Salome Bien, William Bien PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU HAVE CORRECTIONS OR CAN IDENTIFY ANY OF THE UNKNOWN INDIVIDUALS.
  		Bien Brothers with their Uncle Sally Bien Kiley believes this is a photo of: L to R: William Bien, Dave Striffler, Stanley Bien and her father, Paul Bien

  
  

• Sources

  [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982. [S487] Ancestry.com - U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. [S33] FamilySearch.org, Texas Deaths, 1890-1976, (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/). [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. 157 (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 18, September 5, 1955 (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/, February 3, 1922 (Reliability: 3). [S783] FamilySearch.org, Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925.