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Paul Preston Bien

Male 1894 - 1955  (60 years)


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  • Name Paul Preston Bien  [1, 2, 3, 4
    Birth 4 May 1894  Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3
    Gender Male 
    Death 27 Apr 1955  Houston, Harris County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 3, 5
    Burial South Park Cemetery, Houston, Harris County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  [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 Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Abt 1895, Huron County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 28 years) 
    Mother Salome Striffler,   b. 19 Sep 1866, Elkland Township, Tuscola County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Jan 1922, Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 55 years) 
    Marriage 25 Nov 1891  Kilmanagh, Huron County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Photos
    Bien, Salome (Striffler) and sons, Stanley (b. 1892), Paul (b. 1894) and William (b. 1895)
    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 Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown 
    Marriage 22 Jun 1920  Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  [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 Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Sep 1947, Lafayette, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 38 years) 
    Marriage Bef 1936 
    Children 
     1. Living
     2. Living
    Photos
    Bien, Anna (O'Brien) and Paul ca 1933, Houston, Texas
    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
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 4 May 1894 - Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 22 Jun 1920 - Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 27 Apr 1955 - Houston, Harris County, Texas Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    Striffler Reunion Photo, bet. 1908-1910
    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
    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
    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
    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 
    1. [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982.

    2. [S487] Ancestry.com - U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.

    3. [S33] FamilySearch.org, Texas Deaths, 1890-1976, (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/).

    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. 157 (Reliability: 3).

    5. [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).

    6. [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).

    7. [S783] FamilySearch.org, Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925.