Robert James Benedict

Family reference: 352.253.6

	Born	20 June 1860	Sullivan twp., Grey co., Ontario
	Married	8 Nov 1890	Nellie Eberly at Pierce, Madison co., Nebraska
	Died	20 Nov 1940	Chattanooga, Tennessee

- Family album of photos and documents.

Parents:

• Father: Caleb Benedict
• Mother: Sarah McMullen

Children:

1. Rome Robert Benedict; 1891-1978
2. Anna A. Benedict; 1895-
3. Howard H. Benedict; 1901-1970
4. Bonnie Belle Benedict
5. Creighton Cale Benedict; 1909-1982
6. Chloe Lucille Benedict; 1910-2001

The Parents of Robert

Robert’s Early Years

The descendants of Robert are fortunate in having a first-person autobiography in his own handwriting.

Robert and Nellie

Cousin Jim McLeod Explains All

Eugene Ore.
Jan 21, 1941
Dear Cousin Rome:

Your letter of Jan 13 at hand will endeavor to give you the information asked for.

Cale does not know how old Uncle Bob was or exactly how old he is either. Only knows he was next to Bob but older.

Here is the line-up as near as I can tell. Grandfather was Caleb Benedict. French and Dutch extraction and Canadian. Grandmothers maiden name was Sarah Jane McMullen & was from County Antrim, Ireland. "North"

Offspring of this union was respectively Sarah Jane, Mary Ann, Catherine, and Phoebe. Sons were Dave, Cale and Bob. Granddad and Grandmother separated when Bob was 8 or 9 years old and went to Nebraska.

Mother always told me she had not seen Bob since he was 9 years old and wanted too very badly before she Died in 1928. Mother was Mary Ann. She married Cyrus McLeod of Chesley Ontario a shoemaker who died when I was only about 5 months old. I have one sister Mrs. Lida Smith (sp?) of Roundup. She was married twice and bore a son Cyrus J. Wells of Eugene Oregon where I am at present. He married a woman who had 4 children by a former marriage and 4 more by Cy. Three girls and one boy.

Well I will get back in line now. Aunt Sarah "Jane" had 5 girls as near as I know. Some I have never seen. They were Emma, Annie, Sadie, Isobel and Georgina Tina ["Tina" likely nickname for Georgina].

Emma married a man King Hatton by name and used to live at Peabody Ont. Annie and Sadie were both single the last I knew of them. Isobel was married to a man by name of David MacPherson a civil engineer and was in Bartlesville Oklahoma the last I heard of her.

Tina married David Gardner a salesman and lived in Regina, Sask. Catherine "Kit" married Smedley Benedict a cousin of hers. He was Captain of Boat. They had one daughter "Minnie". She married Archie Campbell and lives in Wallaceburg, Ont or near there at the Snye. He is Hydro-Electro man for the city of Wallaceburg and tends the water supply.

Two sons Peter George Benedict a barber in Calgary Alberta and John, somewhere in California.

Aunt Phoebe (Mrs. Alex Leach) had 12 children 6 boys and 6 girls and they came consecutively. The ones I list are the ones I have known; some had died before I went to Dakota.

Maggie (deceased) married "Jack the Ripper" Steinthorpe and had two girls and a boy.

Oliver married Rosie La Frombois a half-breed. I don't remember how many kids they had but I think it was 5. He was in Grafton N.D. the last I knew of him.

Lucy Annie or "Nin" she prefers to be called, married Bert Fife and lives in Yakima Wash. I don't remember how many children but think it was 3 girls and 1 boy.

Alex Leach married and divorced Mable Thompson of Neches N.D. they had two daughters Corrienne and Viola. They also are married. Al lives in Bremerton, Wash.

Phoebe married Frank Gooderich an Railroad Engineer he was killed in a wreck and then she married his brother Levis. She lives at Post Falls, Idaho. The marriage to Frank brought two girls and one boy.

William "Bill" married Peggy Bellas and lives at B[sp?], Wash they have one daughter.

Elsie lived at Devils Lake N.D. Her name is Mrs. Harold Weaver he is working for the Great Northern R.R. Station agent or something. I think they have two boys.

Harvey in Minneapolis I don't know if he is married or not.

Mary is in Grand Forks so "Win" writes her name is Hutchins and think she has two boys.

(Your Dad was born at Peabody County Grey Ontario I am sure.)

Grandfather died, that is your father's father at my place at Lyner N.D. in 1907 aged about 75.

Grandmother his wife died in Canada of dropsy, the year I can't say. About 55 years old. Uncle Cale tells me.

Yes Rome, if you send the pictures I will try and identify them for you. I have one picture an old tin type of Bob when he was about 20 years old.

Cale says he left a $7.00 a day job in Canada to come down to Montana, as Uncle Bob and he were to have a 3-point re-union. He, Mother and Bob at our place But Uncle Bob didn't come as was expected.

Am sending 3 snaps this time. The one of myself with moustache. I had burnsides and moustache for the Pageant "The Oregon Trail."

It will be held here again this summer in July. It is quite a spectacle and wish you could come for it. Lasts 8 days. It would have been held last year only Salem the capitol was celebrating the Centennial of State-hood I believe it was.

Well Rome hope this is the necessary information you have asked for. I will close hoping to hear from you again in the not-too far distant future.

I remain your cousin Jim. (footnote 1)

Footnotes

1. Original in posession of Robert C. Benedict of South Carolina.

-- SusanBenedict - 02 Apr 2006
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