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Ruth Benkelman

Ruth Benkelman

Female 1894 - 1972  (77 years)

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  • Name Ruth Benkelman  [1, 2, 3
    Birth 26 Jul 1894  St. Francis, Cheyenne County, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3
    Gender Female 
    Death 31 May 1972  Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3
    Notes 
    • Attended college at Mt. Pleasant Normal (now Central Michigan) and was a teacher. Met her husband at a church social in Berwyn, Illinois.

      Volume 25 of the STIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST, published September 6, 1965, reported that "Mr. and Mrs. E.T. Ball (Ruth Benkelman) and Mrs. Wilmot Carpenter (Mae Benkelman) entertained Mr. and Mrs. F.A. Smiley (Margaret Striffler) and Mr. and Mrs. Amos Weaver (Laura Striffler) at their trailers in Pinellas Park, Florida, last winter. This is an annual event for them.

      Cass City Chronicle
      Thursday, June 15, 1972
      Page Thirteen

      Hold Rites in Florida for Mrs. Ruth Ball

      Funeral services were held Saturday, June 3, for Mrs. Ruth Ball, 77, or Clearwater, Fla., who died the previous week. Burial was in Memorial Park Cemetery, Clearwater.

      She was born in St. Francis, Kansas, to the late Ben F. and Minnie Benkelman, Sr. She spent her childhood in Cass City until her marriage to Eustis (sic) T. BALL.

      Surviving are her husband, a daughter, Mrs. Dorothy WILLIAMS of Palm Beach, Fla.; two brothers, Harold L. of Caseville and Ben F. Jr. of St. Petersburg, Fla.; two sisters, Mrs. Mae CARPENTER of Clearwater and Mrs. Lois PEASE of La Grange, Ill., also three grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
    Person ID I33  Strong Family Tree
    Last Modified 17 Aug 2014 

    Father Benjamin Franklin Benkelman, Sr.,   b. 24 Sep 1863, Bowmansville, Town of Lancaster, Erie County, New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Sep 1952, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 88 years) 
    Mother Wilhelmina "Minnie" Johanna Friederika Jesse,   b. 27 Sep 1865, Sherman Township, St. Joseph County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 18 Jun 1961, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 95 years) 
    Marriage 26 Dec 1892  St. Francis, Cheyenne County, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 5, 6
    Photos
    Benkelman General Store (Ben F. Benkelman, Sr. Proprietor), Cass City, Michigan, ca 1901-1924
    Benkelman General Store (Ben F. Benkelman, Sr. Proprietor), Cass City, Michigan, ca 1901-1924
    After retiring from ranching, Ben Benkelman Sr. owned and operated a dry goods store in his hometown of Cass City for approximately twenty years. Ben Sr. is standing in the background of this photo. In the foreground is Mr. Philo S. Rice, who clerked at the Benkelman store for 19 years, and was proprietor of his own grocery store for nearly six years thereafter. He was born on Stuben, NY on 5 Dec 1863, and died in Cass City on 8 Oct 1928, leaving behind his widow, Carrie Fancher Rice and two children, Mrs. A. C. Atwell of Cass City and Roy F. Rice of Los Angeles. (Cass City Chronicle, 12 Oct 1928, page 1).
    Benkelman General Store (Ben F. Benkelman, Sr. Proprietor), Cass City, Michigan ca 1920's
    Benkelman General Store (Ben F. Benkelman, Sr. Proprietor), Cass City, Michigan ca 1920's
    The interior of Ben Benkelman's general store in Cass City, with store clerk Philo S. Rice standing on the left. The lady to the right is unknown. PLEASE EMAIL US IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY HER.
    Benkelman, Benjamin F. Sr. ca 1913 and Minnie (Jesse) Family of Cass City, Michigan
    Benkelman, Benjamin F. Sr. ca 1913 and Minnie (Jesse) Family of Cass City, Michigan
    Back, L to R: Ruth, Mae, Harold "Sime" and Ben, Jr.
    Front, L to R: Ben, Sr., Lois, Minnie
    Benkelman, Benjamin F. Sr. ca 1917 and Minnie (Jesse) Family of Cass City, Michigan
    Benkelman, Benjamin F. Sr. ca 1917 and Minnie (Jesse) Family of Cass City, Michigan
    Standing (L To R): Ruth, Mae, Harold, Ben Jr., Lois
    Seated (L to R): Ben Sr. and his wife, Minnie
    Benkelman Home (Ben and Minnie Family), Cass City, Michigan, sometime after 1901
    Benkelman Home (Ben and Minnie Family), Cass City, Michigan, sometime after 1901
    The home of Ben and Minnie Benkelman family of at 1454 Maple Street, Cass City, Michigan.
    Documents
    Jesse, Minnie 1892 Marriage to Benjamin Benkelman,Sr.
    Jesse, Minnie 1892 Marriage to Benjamin Benkelman,Sr.
    Copy of Marriage License as filed in 1892 in Cheyenne County, Kansas in 1892
    Family ID F16  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Eustace Thwaites Ball,   b. 13 Nov 1899, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 May 1989, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 89 years) 
    Marriage 26 Jul 1924  Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Children 
     1. Living
    Family ID F30  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Jun 2013 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 26 Jul 1894 - St. Francis, Cheyenne County, Kansas Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 26 Jul 1924 - Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 31 May 1972 - Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    _Benkelman, Ruth
    _Benkelman, Ruth
    Wife of Eustace Ball. After Ruth died, her widowed sister, Mae, was married to him as his second wife.
    B. 1894 Kansas D. 1972, Florida
    Benkelman Family Sod Hut (Ben and Minnie Family), Cheyenne County, Kansas 
ca 1902
    Benkelman Family Sod Hut (Ben and Minnie Family), Cheyenne County, Kansas ca 1902
    (L to R): Harold "Sime" on horseback, Ben Benkelman holding the hand of his son Ben Jr., Minnie Benkelman nee Jesse, and daughters Ruth and Mae. This picture was taken in Kansas shortly before the family moved to Ben's home town of Cass City, Michigan where he opened a general store. After spending twenty years as a cowboy and rancher at the Kansas/Nebraska/Colorado border, Ben was again ready for the comforts of civilization.
    Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catherine (Schaufele) Descendants ca 1912 Family Reunion
    Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catherine (Schaufele) Descendants ca 1912 Family Reunion
    Back, Standing, l to r: Mae Benkelman, Kate Schwegler, John Benkelman Sr., Ester Ackerman Benkelman, Minnie Jesse Benkelman, Joe Benkelman, Augusta Krehl Benkelman, Dorus Benkelman, Will Schwegler, Ward Benkelman, Ben Schwegler, Sam Benkelman

    Middle Row, kneeling, l to r: Alvin Benkelman, Harold Benkelman, Ruth Benkelman, Marie Benkelman (standing), Lena Benkelman Schwegler, Barbara Rommel Benkelman, Louisa Benkelman Schwegler

    Bottom Row, seated, l to r: Bertha Benkelman, Glen Benkelman, Ida Benkelman, Lottie Benkelman, Ben Benkelman Sr. behind his nephew John Donald Benkelman, Lois Benkelman, Ben Benkelman Jr., Alice Ross Schwegler with her baby Edward William Schwegler, and ,facing left, Mary Striffler Benkelman (Mrs. Sam)

    (Legend Courtesy of Bonnie-Margaret Benkelman Jacobs)
    Cass City (Michigan) Classmates, ca 1912?
    Cass City (Michigan) Classmates, ca 1912?
    This is a class photo from the scrapbook of Lois Benkelman of Cass City. It is thought to be a photo of Lois with classmates. Lois was a graduate of Cass City High School in 1922, but this photo was taken some eight to ten years earlier. It was a photo postcard, addressed to Miss Ruth Benkelman of Cass City, Lois's older sister. It is possible this might instead be a photo Ruth (a 1913 graduate) taken some years earlier still. Ruth's daughter, however, is confident that this is her Aunt Lois and not her mother. Lois is standing on the far right, with a white ribbon tied in the back of her hair.

    PLEASE HELP US IDENTIFY HER UNKNOWN CLASSMATES.
    Benkelman, Ruth, Cass City High School Graduating Class of 1913
    Benkelman, Ruth, Cass City High School Graduating Class of 1913
    Ruth is the first girl seated on the left. Also seated, third from the left is Eugene "Chick" SCHWADERER. Other members of the Cass City High School graduating class of 1913, listed alphabetically since the order in which they are shown is currently unknown, were: Marie BROOKER, Cecil BROWN, Mary BURT, Edna COLWELL, Irvin COOK, Jessie DUNCANSON, Ethel ENGLEHART, Blanche FROST, Edith HALL, Belle LIVINGSTON, and Edith McPEIRSON.

    PLEASE HELP US IDENTIFY THE CORRECT ORDER IN WHICH THESE CLASSMATES ARE SHOWN, PUTTING A NAME WITH EACH FACE.
    Benkelman, Benjamin F. Sr. ca 1920's with his children and their spouses
    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
    At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
    Jesse, Minnie ca 1960, with her children on her 95th birthday
    Jesse, Minnie ca 1960, with her children on her 95th birthday
    L to R: Ben Jr standing behind his sisters Lois and Ruth, Minnie, Mae and Sime

    The paintings behind the group were all done by Minnie herself, who took up painting as a hobby shortly after her 87th birthday.

  • Sources 
    1. [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.

    2. [S333] Ancestry.com - U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-Current [database online], (Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration Death Master File contains information on millions of deceased individuals with United States social security numbers whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. Birth years for the individuals listed range from 1875 to last year. Information in these records includes name, birth date, death date, and last known residence.).

    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, June 15, 1972 Page Thirteen (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S452] State of Kansas, Cheyenne County, Marriage License.

    5. [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/, September 15, 1962 (Reliability: 3).

    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. 134, instead shows location of marriage as Wano, Kansas (Reliability: 3).