Mabel Irene Timmerman Yarrington Benbow

TIMMERMAN KRUEGER YARRINGTON BENBOW

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/18/2010 at 21:47:20

Woodbury County History 1984

Mabel Irene Timmerman Yarrington Benbow
By Muriel C Winterringer Meyer

Mabel Irene Timmerman was born at Watson, Iowa, on Jan 20, 1888, the daughter of Frederick Timmerman and Amelia Krueger. She was raised a Lutheran in the ‘Old Stone Church’ near Watson. She was taught to play the organ there as soon as her feet could reach the pedals.

She came to Oto with her brother, Herman, before 1908. Then, when he started a store in Archer, O’Brien County, Iowa, she went with him to help out. It was there that she met Ed Yarringtron, whom she married 11 April 1909. They farmed several years, two miles south of Archer. Then they homesteaded near Presho, South Dakota. That was not successful, and they only stayed one year, returning to the farm near Archer.

Their daughter, Marvel Maxine Harrington, was born April 1, 1917. Their son was born dead on Dec 1, 1918; just two days later, on Dec 3, 1918. Ed died from influenza. He and the infant son were buried in the same casket.

At this same time, Ed’s sister, Hazel Yarrington Benbow, gave birth to her second son, but he too was born dead and Hazel also died. All four were buried at the same time, because of the close relationship. Hazel’s older boy was Loren George Benbow, his father was John Benbow.

John Benbow married Mabel Timmerman Yarrington on Feb 10, 1921, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The two children were brought up together: Loren George Benbow and Marvel Maxine Yarrington.

John and Mabel bought a lot in Archer and moved Mabel’s house from the farm into Archer. They lived there several years, John being the town’s mechanic. In 1925, John sold out his garage business and the family moved to Santa Cruz, California. They only stayed in California about a year. They then moved to Sioux City, where John went to Barber College. After graduation he worked in the college for a year. They then returned to Archer, where John started his barber shop. Later he became Postmaster at Archer, with Mabel, his assistant.

They were both active in the Methodist Church in Archer, the Masonic and Star Lodge, and the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs. John played the violin and taught both children how to play it too. They all played in the church orchestra. Mabel, had a beautiful alto voice and sang with a group of Archer ladies, who even sang on the radio one time. Mabel quilted many quilts, for no more than $2.50 each, to make money to pay for piano lessons for her daughter, Marvel.

Loren went into the Navy after high school. He had just been married in Chicago on Friday, before the Sunday that Pearl Harbor was attacked. (Dec 7, 1941) Many of the relatives were at the Benbow home in Archer that Sunday, as were Loren and his new bride. I remember when Loren heard about the attack, on the radio, he sent a telegram to his commanding officer. Since the war he has made his home in Chicago.

Marvel wanted to be a nurse, but was too homesick and gave up that plan. She soon married Ross Ballou; they farmed for many years near Archer. They had five children: Gary, Beatrice, Ross, Melinda and Patrick. Ross, Marvel’s husband, died in 1965. Shortly after that, Marvel moved to Primghar and worked for two doctors there. Marvel had two bouts with cancer; the first was breast cancer and fifteen years later another cancer caused her death on May 4, 1981. Besides her children she was survived by ten grandchildren.

John Benbow developed cancer in 1950 and died later that year. Mabel lived alone in Archer until the fall of 1977, when she moved into the Elmwood Apartments in Primghar, to be nearer her daughter, Marvel Ballou. Mabel, herself, had two different bouts with cancer, first bowel cancer and later breast cancer. She died Dec 27, 1979; burial was at Primghar.