Minor J. Bennett-Katherine Elsie (Katie)Schrepfer 1884-1964

BENNETT-SCHREPFER-GEESEKA-WEISENBERGER-WOODRICK-

Posted By: Dee Ann Smith (email)
Date: 1/17/2010 at 16:46:45

The following family information was written by said Katherine Elsie nee:Schrepfer Bennett aka Katie to her daughter Elsie nee: Bennett Weisenberger:

After our marriage in April 1884 near Bonaparte, Iowa, we (Minor and Katherine) lived in Van Buren County, Iowa. Following our marriage, except for 6 months, we lived in Hillsboro, Henry Co., Iowa four (4) years till 1910.

Our first child, Alice Adeline Bennett Geeseka (Mrs. Otto) was born January 4, 1907. Two more children were born in Henry County: 2) Regena Gretchen Bennett Lynch, Reid (Mrs. Ross Walter) b. July 12, 1908, and 3) George James Bennett, b. June 5, 1910 married Mary Ellen Fenton in Kansas.

Then we moved to Donnellson, Lee County, Iowa March 1, 1911. We farmed there and lived on the Christ Schook place for 17 years. During those years, Elsie Sarah Bennett Weisenberger (Mrs. Earl) was born on March 30, 1915; Raymond Ore Bennett was born March 14, 1917 and Delia Caroline Bennett Woodrick (Mrs. Otto) was born November 10, 1919. It was also during 1919 that our home burned down, little was saved. A new house was built for us. September 1, 1924 Noah Sylvester Bennett, our 7th child was born at Argyle Co. Iowa.

On December 4, 1927 we packed up and moved to Brooklyn, Mississippi in Forest County. We shipped our furniture and household items, one team of mules, some cows and chickens in a railroad car. Katherine Elsie's brother, Louis Fredrick Schrepfer made his home with the Bennetts and made the move along with them. Louis, nephew George and niece Elsie also rode in the box car along with the stock and furniture to Mississippi where the family lived in a log house about three months.

By March 24th, 1928 the family was traveling to Scott City, Scott County, Kansas, a 5 day trip for the rest of the family in auto and truck. By April 13, 1928, I (Katherine Elsie) had delivered twin sons: Wilber "Dick" Lee Bennett and Walter "Bob" Scott Bennett. At that time we lived on the J.W. Lough ranch south west of Scott City.

In the fall of 1931, on Nov. 22nd, we were traveling by the south route through New Mexico and California to Oregon. We arrived at Medford, Oregon on December 4, 1931, staying one month and then moving on north to Junction City, Oregon. By January 1, 1932, I (Katherine Elsie) realized I could not stand the damp Oregon climate.

Due to this issue, the family, all but Regena and husband, Ross, came back to Kansas in July 1934. Daughter Elsie followed the family back to Kansas in August of 1932. The family settled on a farm 1/2 mile south and 1/4 mile west of Shallow Water, Kansas which was south about 8 miles from Scott City, Kansas.

Above notes were written by Katherine Elsie Bennett to her daughter Elsie Sarah Weisenberger.

Katherine developed diabetes in her later years of life and going blind during the last eight years of her life, dying January 7, 1952 at her home in Shallow Water. She had a Lutheran funeral service and was buried on January 10, 1952 in the Scott County Cemetery, 1 mile west 1/2 mile South of Scott City, Kansas.

Husband Minor J. Bennett was born in April 21, 1884 in Bonaparte, Iowa. In the 1910 Census Minor at the age of 26 is listed as being a proprietor of a feed mill in Salem township, Henry County, Iowa. At the age of 9 years, had broken the shin bone of his leg and had to have a steel plate placed there so it would heal.

Although Minor J. suffered with his leg, it did not prevent him from running cattle, growing crops, stacking hay, doing some carpentry work, and butchering meat for family use. He endured over the years raising his family to maturity. He and younger sons ran a milk dairy on the farm in the 1950's delivering bottled milk to customers in Shallow Water and the Scott City area. It was a high light in Dee Ann’s life to watch the milk being separated, cooled, placed into bottles, and capped in the milk house following the milking. If she was lucky, the family might allow her to cap bottles or place them in the cooling tank. The Bennett’s milked twice a day, sterilized and bottled the milk. There was always plenty of work to be done once the clean up began. Often times Dee Ann was allowed to ride the delivery wagon with Minor and one of his sons. If on a Saturday, occasionally Dee Ann would be able, thinking it a great privilege, to take the bottled milk from the wagon to customer doors.

The milking process led to other fun, chores, and adventures. Often times we were allowed to ride the cows from the pasture to the barn or we might take time out and jump from the top of the hay stack landing in the pile of hay at the bottom. On one such day, when it came my turn to jump, I was having such fun that I forgot to notice a hay hook lying in the hay below. I ran and jumped and my knee landed on the point of the hay hook. The sudden pain helped me to immediately realize that I had an open wound that was gushing blood. The other kids at the hay stack helped me to the house where my mother cleaned the wound, slapped some salve on the wound and bandaged it. Soon we resumed our play without another thought of the wound. Butter making was another family event in the Bennett household. Many a day when we arrived at the Bennett home, we were given a quart canning jar filled with cow’s cream and instructed how to shake it to make butter. It was such a fascination that we did not think it a chore but rather an exciting experience. We knew that when the butter appeared in our jar, we would be eating a warm slice of freshly baked bread slathered with the butter we had created.

She also remembers that butchering was considered a family affair and that her first experience made her nauseated as she witnessed the cow being shot with a rifle in the skull and pulled up by its hind legs and sliced open (gutted). With an ever sensitive nose, the smells were almost more than Dee Ann could bear. She must have turned color as the men of the family finally sent Dee Ann to the house to bring out buckets of water to wash the internal gut cavity. During her absence, they had removed the animal organs from every ones site. The animal would then lose its outer hide and be left to hang and cool wrapped in a clean white sheet. This pretty much a day-long event and all were tired at the end of it.

In the early 60’s, Minor suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheel chair. He moved to an apartment in the yard of his daughter Elsie and was there until his death November 21, 1964. His funeral was in Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Scott City. Burial was November 24th, 1964 in the Scott County Cemetery, Scott City, Kansas. Minor J. Bennett was the third son of George Wesley "Wes" Bennett and Sarah Ann Miller of Bonaparte, Iowa.

The last section was memories written by Dee Ann Smith, friend and family member having known the family from the age of 7 years (some 59 years). (Permission given to add to Iowa History)