http://www.fepl.ca/localhistory/files/original/233527346ebf6cb23c8693335da1edcc.pdf 8d758730a60d0baf71e293c8acaecfa1 PDF Text Text Gnlal of ,Arms Jhienner �Benner Family Tree L (, a ,..--111 t./ �!I First Generation: L o. v D 1 �::i,ci( Great great grandparents; crune from Holland settled in Gettysburg, Pa. Second Generation: Great grandparents; left Gettysburg, Pa. and became one of the first families in Bertie Township, Welland County on the Niagara Peninsula iii Ontario, Canada., Born: 1812,Died: Feb. 11, 1880 SophiaBenner Born:l818 Children: Third Generation: 1�5$'0 . William H., J�hilip j J / 1 :-<.· · . ..Y e1 :f017/Vl"Y. Mcrrv . J ·-J Grandparents William H. Benner , 0 ,,,:: . 7 'f) \1��1- 10 , . /h f·[J � :t tlr .·It JacobBenner � 1 1.., c t'J� frc·clr1<.>\ I �? , 111 .·? ' • � • � " � I ' · 1 :Lh1�r's.r1,//iJ.1 -·- Born: Jan. 31, 1837,Died: Sep. 4, 1895 Anna (Goulding) Benner Born: Apr. J 7, 1837, Died: Oct. 29, 1899 Children: William A. and Edward A.T(Twins), George L., Jesse W., Mary, Annie M. :z.. 3 4 s'� ) l:.. 1' J f-win;, 11.f . Fourth Generation: ' UV\,';.)' ' Parents William A. Benner Born: Jun. 11, 1864, Died: Jul. 5, 1901 Annie (Spedding) Benner Born: Oct. 22, 1866, Died: Apr. 27, 1958 Children: Walter E., Roy E., William C., Floyd E. Fifth Generation: Floyd E.Benner Born: Aug. 22, 1895, Died: Edith (Culmer) Benner Born: Jun. 10, 1901, Died: Roy E.Benner, Sr. Born: 4-15-1888, Died: 1980, 92 yrs. Children: Floyd E. Jr., Richard'A. Elizabeth Drysdale Glen Born: 10-20-1893, Died: 1950, 57 yrs. Children: Roy E. Jr., and Bruce Melvin . 1 9.:; / Sixth Generation: Roy E.Benner, Jr. Marjorie Gamble Born: 4-12-1921 Born: 5-5-1920 Children: Beverly Elizabeth, Born: 8-25-1951. Kevin Roy,Born: 3-1-1954, married Sandy Giancola, Born: 7-19-??, no children. Sheree Lyn, Born: 3-29-1957, married Ku Castano, Born: 3-22-1952, no children. �Benner Geri Simmons Born: 4-26-1928 Born: 4-4-1926 Children: Gregory,Born: 7-31-1954, married Suzanne Van Wie, Born: 12-21-1950, no children. Ronald, Born: 9-14-1956, married Leslie VanLoan, Born: 2-10-1957. Children: Ronald, Jr., Born: 9-14-1977, Kathleen, Born : 12-18-1979, B rian, Born: 9- 25-1984. Patricia, Born: 10-22-1958, married Donald Schneggenburger, Born: 1-25-1957. Children: Andrew, Born: 7-26-1987, Todd, Born: 9-14-1990, Ryan, Born : 7-23- 1992. Paul, Born: 10-25-1965 marr ied Lynn Militello, Born: 3-31-1969, no children. Floyd E. Benner Jr. Born: Jan. 23, 1930 �Noel (Taylor) Benner Born: Dec. 18, 1929 Children: Keith A., Eric A. Scott A. Richard A. Benner Born: Sep. 24, 1934 23, 1938 Patricia (Hostennan) Benner Born: Nov. Children: Richard A. Jr., Mark, Edith, Christopher, Jody Ancestors of the Benner Family The authenticity of this narration of our family descendants is not completely reliable at the beginning, as much of this information is handed down hearsay. But there has to be a beginning the same as the Bible had a beginning with Adam and Eve. . c;:e ... 1'!'14l( Many years back the Benners came from :HoliMr at a time in all probability, when Holland had possession of considerable territory on the Eastern seaboard. Before New York was named by the British after the Duke of York, and before it was surrendered by the Dutch, it was called New Amsterdam. The Benners settled in the vicinity of Gettysburg, Pa. during the war between England and the United States some migrated to Canada, which became a British possession. They crossed over from the American side which is now known as Black Rock, to the Canadian side of Niagara River, and landed at a point on what is now Niagara Falls Boulevard at Frenchman's Creek, about five miles North of the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie. They had a son, Jacob B. Benner, who became the great, great grandfather of Floyd E. Benner, Sr. At Black Rock, flat bottom rowboats were rented out to migrants to cross the river to Canada. It was necessary to dismantle household goods and farm equipment for the passage. Many crossings of arduous rowing against the strong currents of the river were made. They also had to transport their farm and garden seed and smaller possessions. On the last trip, the cattle and horses forded the river tied to the rear of the boat, while smaller animals and poultry were bolind and carried in the boat. They were one of the first families to settle on the Niagara Peninsula in Bertie Township, Welland County, Canada. The interior was infested with Indians and wild animals. The first night they were encamped along the creek with plenty of pasture and water for the livestock. The next day, as there were only paths leading into the woods, they used the cattle and horses for transporting their equipment and supplies. They estatrushed a camp about a mile into the woods.. This necessitated someone guarding both camps while the rest moved the supplies inland, to prevent pilferage by wild animals and marauding Indians. They built a fire and camped for the night. Next morning, after traveling about a mile through the woods, they came to an open stretch of about three miles. As there was no forage in the woods they brought the livestock out first, so they could graze. Having settled the animals, they resumed hauling the remainder of the supplies. The next day, finding the soil very rich, and the location being ideal away from the woods, they decided to make their homestead here. The Crown granted only a right of occupation, until after the conflict, when they could return to the United States. Later, however, those who wanted to stay were given full title to the land. Fortunately it was April when they arrived, providing an opportunity to plant their fields and seeds, which gave them a bountiful harvest in the fall. Now they tackled the next big job of building their home. They cut down suitable trees which were hewn with a big broadax, squaring off two sides, then knocking them together. After the home was completed with a big stone fireplace for warmth and cooking, a barn and storage buildings were constructed. Next a root cellar with stone walls, a fitted log ceiling, and an entrance at one end, was built. This was mounded over with ground and sod to control the eXtreme temperatures. They dug a well and struck good �cake or buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup. Lunch was in good supply. Supper consisted of meat, and potatoes, several different vegetables, homemade bread, relishes, preserves, and pie, cake or canned fruit. We always put down a big supply of food for winter use. Mother used to can about 400 quarts of fruits, preserves, jellies, relishes, and vegetables. We also stored dried com which was dried for days in a rack over the stove in the summer kitchen. We would take a load of wheat to the mills in Ridgeway, seven miles from home and return with the winters supply of flour for baking and bran for the livestock. Bushels and bushels of potatoes and apples were stored in the cellar along with root vegetables and other fruits. We always had a couple of barrels of sauerkraut, two barrels of salt pork and a filkin of headcheese. In the fall we would load up a double wagon box of windfall apples for cider and vinegar. I would start before daybreak and drive to the Stevensville mill, seven miles from home. Many farmers arrived during the night and when I got there it was a long line-up. I had a lunch for myself and nosebags of oats for the horses. The cider was pressed out of the apples between layers of straw and burlap. You dumped your apples into a big hopper and rolled off your three empty barrels. Later, a hand operated elevator brought up the three barrels filled with cider. You rolled the barrels into your wagon (bungs up) and started home, arriving there about 2:00 in the morning. The next day we gathered several bushels of applesauce apples and that night the family gathered into the summer kitchen. We peeled (with a machine) and cored and quartered several washtubs full of apples. Next morning, before daylight, we hung a fifty gallon copper kettle on a pole supported on two crotches. We built a fire under the kettle and all day added wood to the fire. Cider, which had been boiled almost to syrup the day before, was put into the kettle and this was continually stirred until late in the evening, when we had delicious apple butter filling two fifteen gallon crocks for our winter supply. Later came the butchering season. We usually butchered about six hogs, which after slaughtering had to be scalded to remove the hair, then hung on long poles where they were cut open and disemboweled. In the workshop they were prepared for the winter. Hams and shoulders for the smokehouse, pork sausage, bacon, headcheese, and several kinds of lard were rendered out. We also slaughtered beef in the winter for table use. We took lard, eggs, butter, poultry, apples, potatoes, and other products to the store. Some of these we exchanged for kerosene (used in the lamps and lanterns) and other household needs. We killed and dressed over a hundred turkeys, and several chickens and ducks, which we sold to the butchers at Christmas time. We had about fifty hives of bees, for which my father built the hives. In the winters he constructed the frames and waxed on the combing for the following summer and swarming of the bees. If we were up in the field harvesting and saw a white sheet hanging in the old cherry tree, it was hung there by mother to inform us the bees were swarming. We would go back to the house and don heavy clothing, gloves, and a wide brimmed hat with netting over it to prevent the bees from stinging us. The bees swarm and when the queen lands on a limb the others all gather in a bunch around her in a mass the size of a water pail. We lay a white sheet on the ground under the tree and placed a beehive on this with the front tilted so the bees a pail to a clothes pole, slipped this over the cluster of bees, and dumped it in front of the hive, then threw the sheet over and around it. The bees would enter the hive and if they liked it they stayed. If not, they flew off to the woods and built their nest in a hollow tree. would go in easily. We attached Our mothers, with their many chores of making clothing for the family, washing dishes, baking, churning, cleaning house, cooking, attending garden, separating the milk and cream, making cottage cheese and smearcase, canning, preparing provisions for winter, getting produce ready for the market, and in their spare time knitting socks and mittens, cutting and sewing strips for rag rugs, preparing goose feathers for pillows and ticking, quilting quilts for the bed. They found little time for loafing or leisure. �j down to Frenchman's Creek in early morning, with frost on the ground. Our hand wagon would be loaded with a bottle of water, lunch, and apples. The net was piled on top. At sundown we returned with a load of pickerel pike, wet tired, muddy, and hungry. We had our chores to do, fish to clean, then supper and to bed. Spring evenings we walked out to Lake Erie (four miles) with a lantern to attract the fish and speared fish. This was always a big catch. In winter we had a steep snowbank near the house. We would make a sleigh track, pour water in to freeze, then ride down this, across a ten acre field of ice, turn around, and hold up a blanket. The wind took us back to go again. Fields flooded in winter and became a glare of ice. Neighbors would come with a pole and lantern, punch a hole into the ice for the pole, and attach the lantern. We skated on the ice at night and played games. Each week some neighbor would take their turn at their home entertaining the visiting neighbors. Men and women played euchre and pedro, or exchanged the latest gossip while the teenagers and children played old games like postoffice. At Christmas time we tacked up a list of what we wanted Santa to bring, but we got only one or two small items. My brother Bill and I used to go down to watch the races at Fort Erie Racetrack. We also watched the auto races when Christie and Barney Oldfield were there. In 1910 we saw Beachy make the first plane flights in the area, sitting on the center edge of the wing with his feet hanging down when he took off. The engine hung in the rear of the plane. My brother built a runner in the front fork of his motorcycle in place of the wheel, added a sleigh side car, and rode it through the snow all winter. He also built a long bobsled which we rode down the Fort Erie hill. About 11 :00 we hauled it the two miles back home. Today there are many changes in all walks of life. But as we go through life we adjust to the changes, both mentally and physically. Floyd E. Benner Sr., Postlog 11/11/64 1965 Walter Benner, living in Fort Erie, had three children: Earl (living in Fort Erie), Gordon (in California), and Robert (deceased). Robert had three children. Roy E. Benner, Sr. (Born 1888, Died 1980), Married Elizabeth Drysdale Glen, (Born 1893, Died 1950) lived in Kenmore, had two children: Roy Edward Jr., married Marjorie E. Gamble (Living in Florida) Children: 25-1951. Kevin Roy, Born married Ku Castano, Born: 3-1-54, married 3-22-1952. Sandy Giancola, Born: � f) Beverly Elizabeth, Born 8- 7-19- , Sheree Lyn, Born 3-29-57, Bruce married Geri Simmons (living in Buffalo) Children: Greg, Born 7-31-54, married Suzanne Van v Wie, Born 12-21-1950. Ronald, Born: 9-14-1956, married Leslie VanLoan, Born: 2-10-1957. Children: Ronald, Jr., Born: 22-1958, 9-14-1977, Kathleen, Born: 12-18-1979, Brian, Born: 9-25-1984. Patricia, Born: 10- married Donald Schneggenburger, Born: Todd, Born: 9-14-1990, Ryan, 1-25-1957. Children: Andrew, Born: 7-26-1987, Born: 7-23-1992. Paul, Born: 10-25-1965 married Lynn Militello, Born: 3-31-1969, no children. William Benner, living in Buffalo, had one son William Jr. (Living near his father). He has two children. Floyd Benner, living in Buffalo, had two children: Floyd Jr. (Living in Ohio) and Richard (living in Florida)). Floyd Jr. Has three children and Richard has four. At this writing in 1965 my father's sister is still living in Buffalo, is nearly 90 years old, and has over 100 children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. �./ ,I FloydE. Benner Sr. Postlog Feb. 1971 by F.E. Benner Jr. It's been fun typing this again as I get a real joy out of reading it Today Floyd Sr. Lives in Florida, near my brother Dick. He (Dick) and his wife Pat now have five children (4 sons and one daughter). I and my wife Noel live in Wilmington, Del. We have three sons. Perhaps someday I or someone else may find the time and patience to add to this brief history. What a story it could make if, perchance, it were maintained for a hundred years. That's not so very long you know. r �/ /� (. :/ place of the wheel, added a sleigh side car, and rode it through the snow all winter. He also built a long bobsled which we rode down the Fort Erie hill. About 11 :00 we hauled it the two miles back home. Today there are many changes in all walks of life. But as we go through life we adjust to the changes, both mentally and physically. Floyd E. Benner Sr., 11/11/64 Postlog 1965 Walter Benner, living in Fort Erie, had three children: Earl (living in Fort Erie), Gordon (in California), and Robert (deceased). Robert had three children. \,.Roy E. Benner, Sr. (Born 1888, Died 1980), Married Elizabeth Drysdale Glen, (Born 1893, Died 1950),/tf_�:' i lived in Kenmore, had two children: Roy Edward Jr., Married Marjorie E. Gamble (Living in Florida) Three children, Beverly Elizabeth, Born 8-25-1951. Kevin Roy, Born 3-1.Sf Sheree Lyn, Born 3-29- /� S 'T Greg, Born 7-31-54, married Susan Marie Bruce married Geri (living in Buffalo), had four children: Viau, Born 12-21-1950. Patty, married Schneggenburger, Ron and Paul. William Benner, living in Buffalo, had one son William Jr. (Living near his father). He has two children. Floyd Benner, living in Buffalo, had two children: Floyd Jr. (Living in Ohio) and Richard (living in . , Florida)). Floyd Jr. Has three children and Richard has four. At this writing in 1965 my father's sister is still living in Buffalo, is nearly children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. 90 years old, and has over 100 Floyd E. Benner Sr. Postlog Feb. 1971 by F.E. Benner Jr. v It's been fun typing this again as I get a real joy out of reading it. Today Floyd Sr. Lives in Florida, near (4 sons and one daughter). I and my my brother Dick. He (Dick) and his wife Pat now have five children wife Noel live in Wtilmington, Del. We have three sons. Perhaps someday I or someone else may find the time and patience to add to this brief history. What a story it could make if, perchance, it were maintained for a hundred years. That's not so very long you know. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louis McDermott Collection Subject The topic of the resource Local history, Fort Erie and surrounding area. Description An account of the resource A collection of historical documents, photos, news clippings, letters, and writings, assembled by local historian, Louis McDermott, and donated to the Fort Erie Public Library. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Louis McDermott Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived FEPL-LH -Louis McDermott Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Included in this collection are writings, historical documents, news clippings, images, maps, and more. They were written and compiled by Louis McDermott into a series of binders. The digital collection has been scanned from these physical copies. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fort Erie Public Library and Louis McDermott Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Benner Coat of Arms Description An account of the resource Listed here is the Benner Coat of Arms. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Louis McDermott Collection Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Undated Fort Erie Louis Mcdermott Collection undated