James E. Pease

1901 - 1979  (77 years)

• Name	James E. Pease  [1]
  Birth	9 Nov 1901	Midland County, Michigan   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	3 Jul 1979	Hinsdale, Dupage County, Illinois   [2]
  Notes	From Michigan, a centennial history of the state and its people Vol. IV, Michigan Biograpy, pp. 319-320 Transcribed from a scan on Ancestry.com James E. Pease, superintendent of schools at North Muskegon, has been a lifelong resident of Michigan. He was born in Midland County, November 9, 1901, his parents being James Benjamin and Myrtie (Jewel) Pease, the latter a native of Ovid, Michigan. The father, who was born in Ingham County, this State, was long an employee of Dow Chemical Company of Midland. He died in May, 1927, having for six years survived his wife, who passed away in September, 1921. After pursuing his early education in the Mount Pleasant schools until graduated from high school with the class of 1919, James E. Pease attended the Central State Teachers College at Mount Pleasant and is numbered among its alumni of 1924, at which time he was granted a life teacher's certificate, and he received the Bachelor of Arts degree from the same school with the class of 1929, having majored in education. With a special certificated he began teaching in 1921 in a rural school in Isabella County, where he remained through 1923. In the fall of 1924 he went to Grant, Michigan, where he was high school principal and coach for one year and superintendent for four years. In 1930 he came to North Muskegon, where he has since been superintendent of schools. Those who read between the lines will see that his professional record is one of steady progress and he keeps in touch with the trend of the times in educational matters through his connection with the Michigan Educational Association, in which he is one of only sixty life members. He also belongs to the National Educational Association. In the Michigan Education Association he is a member of the representative assembly, representing Muskegon County, and is also on the state program planning commission. In 1936 he was chairman of the Fourth Region of the Michigan Education Association and was president of the Muskegon County District from 1932 to 1935, inclusive. He was elected a member of Omega Chapter of the Phi Delta Kappa. On the first of September, 1925, Mr. Pease married Lois Jane Benkelman, a daughter of Benjamin F. and Minnie Benkelman, both born in Cass City, Michigan, where they now reside. The father was a merchant for many years but has retired from active business. Mr. and Mrs. Pease have had but one child, Lois Jane, who died in infancy. Mr. Pease belongs to the Masonic Fraternity, the Rotary Club, the Lincoln Country Club and the Century Club. He served as president of the North Muskegon Board of Trade for three years, form 1934 to 1936, inclusive, was a member of its board of directors and its vice president in 1937. Politically he maintains an independent course. He had membership in the Community Methodist Episcopal Church of North Muskegon, in which he is serving on the official board. His hobbies are athletics and golf and he was a member of the college teams in his student days. The University of Michigan in August 1937, conferred upon him his Master's degree. Was the Superintendant of Schools in LaGrange, Ill in the late 1940's. He taught in the summers on the faculty of Northwestern University. Volume 22 of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST, published in 1959, reported that Jim, along with a small group of other educators, would be spending the month of October in Russia to study their educational system.
  Person ID	I839	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Family	Lois Jane Benkelman,   b. 18 Jan 1905, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan d. 9 Mar 1989, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	1 Sep 1925
  	They had one child that was stillborn.
  Family ID	F34	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	14 Feb 2009

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 9 Nov 1901 - Midland County, Michigan Death - 3 Jul 1979 - Hinsdale, DuPage County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Benkelman, Benjamin F. Sr. ca 1920's with his children and their spouses Back Row, L to R: Wilmot "Bill" Carpenter, Ben Benkelman, Sr., Ben Benkelman, Jr., Jim Pease, Minnie Benkelman, Eustace Ball, Harold Benkelman in the late 1920's. Front Row, L to R: Mae Benkelman Carpenter, Lois Benkelman Pease, Ruth Benkelman Ball, Isabel Fletcher Benkelman, Avis Smith Benkelman

  
  

• Sources

  [S469] Williams, Dorothy Ball--Family Researcher (dotwfl@comcast.net) 3331 Southwest Villa Place, Palm City, FL 34990 ; based in part on BonnieMargaret Benkelman Jacob's unpublished typescript, THE FAMILY BENKELMAN. [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982.