John Stanley Bien

1892 - 1967  (74 years)

• Name	John Stanley Bien  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Birth	8 Dec 1892	Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Death	5 Dec 1967	Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan   [1, 4, 6]
  Burial	8 Dec 1967	Deepdale Memorial Park, Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan   [4]
  Notes	When he completed his registration card for World War I, John S. Bien was shown as age 24, being born December 8, 1892 in Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan. His occupation was shown as teaching, but he was not employed at the time of the registration, and was a resident of Cass City. He was single, tall, medium build, with brown eyes and black hair, and it was noted that he had a "poor knee." He signed the application as John Stanley Bien. According to the 1920 census enumeration, J. Stanley Bien was Principal of the School for the Blind in Lansing, Michigan. He was living at the school, listed as age 27, born in Michigan, with his father born in Canada(English) and his mother born in Michigan. His occupation was listed as both Principal/Teacher. Stanley was shown as married to Ruth, age 26, who was born in England to English parents. At the time of that census, they had a one year old daughter, Ruth Jane, born in Michigan. On January 7, 1949, it was front page headline news in Cass City that "J. Stanley Bien Is New Purchasing Director for State: Former Cass City Young Many Has Responsible Position at Lansing." The article noted that Bien has graduated from Cass City High School in 1911, and served as acting director of the purchasing department since the resignation in the last summer of Eugene Cumpp. He was to be in the highest classification of civil servants, with a starting salary of $9,180 annual. He was born Dec. 8, 1892, on a farm in Windsor Township, Huron County, between Pigeon and Bay Port, Bien when with his mother, Miss Salome Striffler, to her parental home near Cass City after the death of his father, WIlliam, in 1895. John Striffler, well known Elkland Township farmer, was his maternal grandfather. Bien worked in the vicinity of Cass City after he was graduated until the fall of 1914 when he entered Battle Creek College affiliated with Battle Creek Sanitarium, but was forced to give up his physical culture course because of a football injury. He transferred to Western Michigan College where he finished in 1916. He was principal of the Michigan School for the Blind from 1917 to 1922. In 1937, he re-entered state employment. serving four years as procurement supervisor for the State Highway Department. In 1941, he was transferred to the State Administrative Board as assistant to the secretary and sided in the organization of the Purchasing Division under civil service. He became deputy director in 1946." His obituary was published in the Cass City Chronicle on Thursday, December 14, 1967, page 6. Former area man dies downstate J. Stanley Bien of 225 Strathmore, Lansing, died Tuesday, Dec. 5, in a Lansing hospital. He was born near Cass City and lived in the area until after he graduated from Cass City High School. Bien had completed 46 years of service with the State of Michigan. At the time of his retirement in 1953 he was state purchashing director. Early in his career he was principal of the Michigan School for the Blind. He was active in church and community affairs as a member of the Central Methodist church and the Men's Club, Capital Lodge S. O. No. 66 F&AM, and the Hi-Twelve Club, all of Lansing. Mr. Bien was the first recipient of hte Homer Hauger award in 1956 from the National Association of Purchasing Agents for outstanding contributions to the purchasing profession. He was past president of the Central Michigan Purchasing association and of the National Association of Purchasing Agents. Surviving are his wife, Ruth M. of Lansing; two daughters, Mrs. Robert Block of Lansing and Mrs. Emerson W. Peet of Atlanta, and six grandchildren. Services were ehld at the Estes-Deadley Colonial Chapel at 2:30 p.m. Friday, December 8, with burial in Deepdale Memorial Park. (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, Summer 2007) (Research): Census Listings: 1920 Census Michigan, Ingham County, Lansing, School for the Blind Enumerated 21 Jan 1920 SD 5 ED 97 Sheet 21 A Ward 4 Stamped 21 Bien, J. Stanley Principal M W 27 M Mich Canada Eng Mich Principal Teacher Bien, Ruth Wife F W 26 M Un Un England English England English England English Teacher Bien, Ruth Jane Dtr F W ?? S Mich Mich England 1930 Census Michigan, Ingham, Lansing City, Ward 7, 4th precinct Enumerated April 9, 1930 ED 33-47 SD 12/13 Sheets 9B and 10A Stamped 233 Shiawasee Street 837-146-202 Bien, J. Stanley Hd R$35 M W 37 M@23 Mich Mich Mich Selecting Manager Wholesale Paper Bien, Ruth R Wf F W 36 M@22 England England England/English Bien, Ruth Jane Dtr F W 11 S Mich Mich England Bien, Sally Ann Dtr F W 3 2/12 Mich Mich England
  Person ID	I5157	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   [7]
  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	Ruth ???,   b. Abt 1894, England, United Kingdom d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	20 Jan 1917  [8]
  	Volume 27 of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST, dated September 4, 1967, reported that Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Bien of Lansing, Michigan, marked 50 years of marriage January 20, 1967, and had planned to celebrate the occasion with an open house in the Central Methodist Church when scool would be out and their children and grandchildren would be able to be with them. Since Stanley was ill as a result of an auto accident, the affair was cancelled. However, they were guests of honor at a dinner given by their church. Their children are Mrs. Robert Bock of of Lansing and Mrs. Emerson Peet of Atlanta, Georgia. The Peet family viisted their parents in June.
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Family ID	F9798	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Sep 2008

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 8 Dec 1892 - Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan Death - 5 Dec 1967 - Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Bien, J. Stanley ca 1893 Stanley, the eldest child of William Bien and Salome Striffler, as in infant
  		Bien, J. Stanley ca 1900's A postcard of Stan Bien, as a teenager, from the collection of Lena Mark Schwegler
  		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
  		Bien, J. Stanley ca 1910's The eldest son of William H. Bien and Salome Striffler
  		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. [S564] 1930 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com. database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002., (Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. Containing records for approximately 123 million Americans, the 1930 United States Federal Census is the largest census released to date and is the most recent census available for public access. The census gives us a glimpse into the lives of Americans in 1930, and contains information about a household?s family members and occupants including: birthplaces, occupations, immigration, citizenship, and military service. The names of those listed in the census are linked to actual images of the 1930 Census.), Michigan, Ingham, Lansing City, Ward 7, 4th precinct Enumerated April 9, 1930 ED 33-47 SD 12/13 Sheets 9B and 10A Stamped 233 Shiawasee Street 837-146-202 (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/, Thursday, December 14, 1967, page 6. (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. 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 28, September 2, 1968 (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). [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.), Vol. 27, September 4, 1967 (Reliability: 3).