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People we remember
Biographies are where we share about family & friends to connect with others who remember them.
Pam Marks:
George Lawrence Benning was born to William Joseph Benning (1852 - 1930) and Imogene N. (Millard) Benning (1854 - 1916) in Boone, Iowa. He had 9 siblings: Nelson, Henry, Lois, Cora, Walter Joseph, Grace, Arthur, Mabel and Lloyd. He was the youngest.
George was married twice, first to Mildred Wilson, and his second marriage to Eileen Constance (Tasker) Benning had Marian Joyce (Benning) Kroetch. He also had a daughter, Lois (Benning) Ewen, from his first marriage to Mildred (Wilson) Benning. His second family lived first in Seattle, then Portland, then in Bremerton Washington, a small port town which grew during WW2. He owned the Chevrolet car dealership in Bremerton.
Micky Reed, the owner of the Reed Chevrolet dealership in Bremerton Washington, was on a local river fishing trip and drowned. Micky's widow, Meeka (who I, his granddaughter knew, since she and my grandmother were friends until they died), sold the dealership to George. He called it Reed-Benning dealership as an homage to Micky. Chevrolet didn't like the fact that a woman (oh lordy, a WOMAN!) sold the dealership on her own so they made new rules. The upshot? When George, my grandfather, died, my grandmother couldn't sell the dealership!
He was very active in the business, social and political components of the community. I know that he was a Freemason and a Shriner, and that he had some strong relationships with State politicians. (Note from his granddaughter: George was good friends with Warren Magnuson, first a US Representative and then a US Senator. Evidently, Magnuson used to spend summers at my grandparent's house - I saw a letter of condolence from him to my grandmother when George died, expressing how much he would miss George and referencing the wonderful summers he spent at their house. Also in their social circle? Names that you would recognize today: the Gates' - yes, that Bill Gates family - the Nordstroms , and more. The Seattle/Bremerton community was small then.) George also was instrumental in establishing the Elks Lodge in Bremerton, and was involved with the creation of the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle. George was also a founding member of the Isaac Evans American Legion Post in Seward, Alaska in 1919.
One cool story about George: He had a bit of real estate in Bremerton and rented these homes to his employees. Upon George's death his will stipulated that the deeds to the homes get passed along to the employees.
Also, the story my Mom (George’s daugher) told me about the homes - the people weren't employees but simply people who lived in Bremerton at the time. Since George was a Mason, he was also involved in charitable activities. Mom said that no one (including family) knew that he had bought (I heard 3) houses for people who had problems paying rent and were going to be evicted. (This was probably around the end of the Depression.) He didn't charge the tenants rent and when he died he left the homes to the tenants. However, my sister (who says she has a copy of George's will), notes that there is no record of any homes being deeded.
Daniel Pinna:
"Celebrating Thanksgiving with mom and Lisa. Kathy lived from 9 - 16 years old in Seattle. She had thanksgiving with grandma Nel and grandpa Shirley at noon and then at 5 they drove across Seattle to Magnolia Bluff to celebrate with Aunt Elaine (grandpa’s sister) since she wouldn’t talk or interact with Shirley (her step grandfather). Her father was Hollis and when her mother died they adopted out all of the girls including Elaine."
Randy Rapp:
I only knew Donald Dwight Hoffman 1970-71, when he was my roommate in House C of Kelly Hall at University of Missouri-Rolla. But seeing no other memorial commentary for Don, and as talented and generous as he was, something of his good life should be stated. I was a freshman in Physics, so they lined up another freshman and me to room with Don, a graduate student in Physics and Fellowship awardee. I can picture him at his desk as I write this, intently smoking cigarettes and grinding away for a course in vector and tensor analysis. We were so fortunate to know him. He was not physically large, but Don was like a big brother to many of us, since he already had a degree and more life experience than the rest of us undergrads. He did not push his views on anyone, but he offered kindly advice with a wry sense of humor, when he thought we needed it. We could tell that our teenage behavior often amused him; maybe our behavior reminded him of himself six years earlier. With his white 1964 Chevy Impala convertible and Hurst transmission, he drove us many times--especially out to the Gasconade River to hang out on sand bars on warm weekend days. That winter, a few of us often spent evening time together in his Impala, simply talking and enjoying each other's company, enhanced with the adult beverages that Don generously bought to share. His stories of Army service were especially interesting to me, since I was heading off to West Point in months ahead. Don explained how the enlisted soldiers would play games on officers, often just for something to puncture the boredom on the 101st Airborne field artillery firebase, when they had no fire support mission. It was only recently that I saw documentation showing Don completed his master's studies, so it was good to know of the success we expected for him. His memory remains a happy reflection in my life. It was good to know him, and I was thankful to call him a friend.
Robert Stetson:
Radio Row - As grade-school aged kids in Brooklyn we were allowed to cross just one street when we were playing (walking to school was the exception). However, we reasoned that riding the subway into Manhattan didn't count as crossing streets. Cortland Street had surplus stores with electronics and military stuff. (Surplus insect repellant could be used for great stink-bombs)! It was hard to keep our trip a secret when the two of us returned home carrying an old oscilloscope (not solid state in those days; just tubes).
David Michael:
A Father I never met - My name is David Micheal. My mother's name is Marilyn Ridgeway. I'm 70 now and Charles is my biological Father. I never had the opportunity to met him. I've tried over the years to locate him but all attempts failed. I've carried an emptiness and a slight sense of loss in my heart. If you are related and care to reach out, I would love to talk. God Bless. Email [contact link]
Brian Joiner:
Cherished Caregiver - Maude was a cherished caregiver that took care of just about everyone in my family at one time or another. I knew her as a child and she was always extra sweet to all of the children, unless you jumped on the bed. She was a dear soul with a strong faith in the lord and her life was testimony to that faith.
Randy Day:
Working on my deceased birt father's family tree - My birth Father's legal name was Rufus J. Turner. He and his wife, Viva Dale Turner, were the parents of ten children. My twin sister and I were siblings #9 and 10. At the time of our birth in November 8, 1955, Rufus had left the family and moved to Avon Park, Florida. While there he sent word for us all to come and join him.
However, when we got off the Greyhound bus, he was not there. Later on he did respond to a court order for child support by sending support monies to our oldest sister, and the return address was from somewhere in Texas.
We've traced our ancestry back to England and France on our Mother's side. We also know our Father was full-blooded German. But we have no links or names to any of his parents or ancestors.
If anyone could help me in this quest, I would be very grateful.
Sincerely,
Randy Day
Barbara Waites:
CW4 Howard E. Morton was a son to Joe and Irene Morton. He was a former husband of Barbara Morton Waites. He was a father to James Clifton Farrar, Kimber Leigh Farrar, and Marla Michele Morton. He served in the Army for almost 27 years, and was killed in an Army plane crash on December 1, 1989, at the age of 47. He also served as a Texas Highway Patrolman from 1966 through 1968, before returning to the Army after his younger brother, Billy Wayne Morton, was killed Viet Nam. He was a very handsome man and well liked. He will always be remembered by those who loved him.
Nancy Florence:
Every summer when I was a child, usually in August, Grandma would come visit our house for two weeks and my Aunt Anne and Uncle Bob's house for the other two weeks. We would have a big dinner and invite the whole family from my mothers side too. Then we'd do the same at Uncle Bob's and have a big dinner and invite the whole side of Aunt Anne's family at their place. It was alot of work but fun none the less.
Jessica Moulton:
My Great Grandmother - Consuelo Trevino-Flores was my great grandmother. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was two, but I am eager to learn and share as much as I can about her and my great grandfather, Jose Flores. They were both wonderful people who came from nothing and sacrificed all they had to ensure better lives for their family.
Gale McKiddy:
Melvin's family - Melvin grew up in St. Louis City where he attended school. As a young man he worked for the Conservation Corps in Oregon before he enlisted in the Army. He was among the first troops to enter Hiroshima about one month after the atomic bomb. He had been on the ship The Missouri. Melvin trained as a carpenter and built temporary hospitals for the wounded Japanese and those suffering from radiation illness. After returning home to St. Louis, he married Jean (Spitzmiller) Baldwin and continued his career designing and building beautiful homes. He and Jean had three children, Gale, Connie and Kenneth, and later raised the son named Ricky of his favorite sister, Francis Huffman. The Huffmans moved to Seffner, Florida in 1981 for retirement. Melvin was a Mason, later became a Shriner, and was very active in the St. Louis and Tampa Shrine groups. He and his wife, Jean, were regular volunteers in the burns' unit at the Shriners Hospital in Tampa. In 1993 Melvin was diagnosed with lung cancer and completed extensive radiation therapy. He had not had sufficient breath support to have his lung removed. He was in remission until 1996 when his cancer returned as Leukemia. He died at 70 years old in 1996 and was buried at Florida National Cemetery. Mr. Huffman had a reputation as a skilled woodworker and finish carpenter. His many interests and hobbies included boating, raising fish, photography, building clocks and woodworking.
