For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 662
BERT C. BENHAM....Bert C. Benham, assistant cashier of the First Trust & Savings Bank, of Muscatine, Iowa, was born in this city, December 5, 1871, and has always made his home here except several years in early life, when the family resided in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a son of Milford and Ann ( Smith ) Benham, who were residents of Versailles, the county seat of Ripley county, Indiana.Milford Benham was born near Versailles, November 5, 1835, and for years was the proprietor and editor of the Versailles Despatch, a newspaper of that city. Later he became the proprietor of a drug store at the same place. He removed to Muscatine, April 15, 1865, and has made this city his home. For several years he engaged in farming in Wilton township, in addition to conducting his agricultural implement business in this city. He always was interested in public affairs and served for years on the city council as well as a member of and president of the city board of education. His wife was also born at Versailles, Indiana, March 3, 1838, and there made her home until failing health required a change of climate when the family removed to their new home in Iowa. She was a woman of many excellent qualities, devoted to her home and family, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. She departed this life March 5, 1904, aged sixty-six years and two days.
James Benham, the paternal grandfather, was of a Virginia family, born February 26, 1810, and always resided on his home farm at Benham, Indiana. He was married to Miss Mary Elless, who was born February 19, 1816, and they spent their entire lifetime at the old family home. Mrs. Benham was one of the oldest settlers of that county, having gone with her parents from Kentucky on horseback, and in the fall of the year having been driven back to Kentucky by an Indian raid in the central part of the state. She returned to Indiana in the spring of 1819 and lived on the same farm till her death July 2, 1909. They had thirteen children of which Milford was the oldest.
The maternal grandfather of our subject was John Wesley Smith, a native of Duchess county, New York, born on the Hudson, October 1, 1806. He was from an old New York family who settled at Versailles and took lots at the original platting of that county seat, and there lived until his early death November 17, 1853. He was proprietor of the drug and general store there during his entire lifetime. He was married to Mary McCleary Kennedy, who was born in Gerard county, Tennessee, March 7, 1810, and whose father removed to Indiana when the tide of immagration set in to the north. She was the daughter of Robert Kennedy, whose father and family were driven from Ireland after one of the late uprisings of the English rule. She died at Muscatine, Iowa, November 20,1889. The following children of her family grew to maturity : Captain Robert Kennedy Smith, of the Twenty-Second Indiana Infantry, who was killed leading his company in the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, October 8, 1862 ; Ann Smith, deceasd, who was the mother of the subject of this sketch ; and Dr. Cal. W. Smith, a physician now residing in Muscatine.
To Milford and Ann Benham six children were born, of whom Louis and William died in early life. Four are now living, namely : R. F., of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume ; J. M. Benham, of Muscatine ; Bert C. and Ettie M., now Mrs. C. S. Guthrie.
Bert C. Benham was educated in the public schools and was graduated from the high school, June 7, 1889. He began his business career by assisting his father in the implement business until appointed deputy in the county auditor's office, where he served for five years or until elected auditor by the board of supervisors in June, 1894. That fall he became candidate for state auditor on the democratic ticket but failed of election as the entire ticket was defeated at the polls. He was elected city clerk March 16, 1896, and re-electd and served several terms in that position, resigning in the fall of 1902 to accept a position with the old Cook, Musser & Company Bank. In June, 1904, he was appointed teller of the Muscatine Savings Bank and is now acting as asistant cashier of the First Trust & Savings Bank of this city.
On October 3, 1894, Mr. Benham was united in marriage to Miss Emma R. Richard, a teacher in the city school. She was born in Muscatine, March 6, 1872, and was graduated from the Muscatine High School in 1908, the year following her husband and with whom she was a lifelong schoolmate. She is a daughter of W. H. H. and Elizabeth ( Schmidt ) Richard. Three children were born to them : Owen F., now of Oakland, California ; Charles F., of Denver ; and Emma R. To Mr. and Mrs. Benham one child was born, Ann Elizabeth Benham, on February 10, 1907, now in the fifth year of her age.
Mr. Benham is a member of the Iowa Lodge, No.2, A. F. & A. M.; Washington Chapter No. 4, R. A. M.; and of Webb Council, No. 18, R. & S. M. He and his wife are members of the Eastern Star and also of the Trinity Episcopal church at Muscatine, of which latter Mr. Benham is a member of the vestry. He has spent practically his entire life in this city and has shown an aptitude for accounting, which he has chosen as a life work and in which he has been successful.
Back to Biographical Index Page