Hardy Benson and family

This is Isaac Benson's brother, Hardy Benson, his wife Nancy and their kids.
Hardy was born in Arkansas in 1860. He married Nancy Bowser in 1883. I believe they had 7 kids, all born in Texas: Olive, Millford, Lillie, Isaac Hardy, Rosa, Charlie and Minnie Ruth.
Hardy died in 1904. He is buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Dallas County.

On the 1910 Census, Nancy and her kids are living next to Isaac, Sabrina and their family. However, the head of household is listed as Nancy's son, Millford. By the 1920 Census, they seem to have a whole Benson compound and are living on "Benson Tap Road."

Nancy died in 1929. However, she is not buried with Hardy. I found her death certificate but I still haven't found where she was buried.

Here are a few pictures of some of their kids. One is a snapshot, the rest almost look like engagement photos.

This is labeled "cousin Hardy and his wife." I believe his name is Isaac Hardy Benson (b. 1890) and the wife is Mary Bayless (b. 1896). They married in Dallas County in 1913 and had 5 kids.

Charlie Benson (b.1896) and his wife Mae Haynes (b. 1902 d. 1988)

Lillie Benson (b. 1888) and her husband. His last name is Miller, don't know his first name.

Rosa Benson (b. 1894 d.1976) and her husband Robert Lee McFadden (b.1887 d.1954) They were married in Dallas County in 1910. They had one son, Cecil McFadden.

Benson Family Bible

Isaac Benson's family Bible.

Inside is stamped "Hull & Tipton Booksellers & Stationers Harrison Ark."


As you can see it is pretty bad shape. The below pages have come out completely.

Isaac Benson

My great grandfather, Isaac Benson was born 1853 in Tennessee to William Rodman Benson and Jane ______. When he was about 3 years old, he, his parents and at least one sister, Margaret, moved to Arkansas. Over the next six years, Jane had three more boys; Jackson, Hardy and William.

In 1871, Isaac's Mother died. Jane is buried at Zion Hill Cemetery near Green Forest, Arkansas. In 1872 William Benson (Isaac's Dad) married Nancy Johnson. They had three kids, Rosa, Milfred and Lottie. William died in 1876 and is also buried in Zion Hill.

In 1876, Isaac married Sabrina Florence Arney. Between 1877 and 1888 they had six children. In 1890, Isaac bought 40 acres of land in Carroll County. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/

Around 1892, Isaac and Sabrina move to Rowlett, Texas. The story is that all the kids walked except the one boy who had a very dark complexion because Sabrina thought the Indians would believe they had stolen him.

Either Isaac's brother Hardy and his family come with them or shortly thereafter. At some point, Sabrina's Father, Henry and step-mother, Minerva Baker, also come to Texas. In 1894, Isaac and Sabrina have one more baby.

Isaac, Sabrina and their kids, probably taken around 1895.

Isaac standing in front of what I believe is his house in Rowlett. No idea who the lady is standing on the porch.

I cannot figure out where in Tennessee Isaac was born. I have not been able to find anything else out about William Rodman and his wife Jane.

Veterans Day

Veterans Day started as Armistice Day after World War I. This is my grandfather's letter home written the next day.

In 1954, November 11 became the day to honor all veterans. Here are my veterans:

Vietnam my cousin

Korea my Dad

World War II my Dad and Uncle, my Father-in-law and his brother. A cousin who was taken prisoner and received Combat Infantry Badge

World War I my grandfather, and my grandmother's brother (who possibly served his tour in Africa)

Civil War
Benjamin Griffith 140 Reg’t Indiana Infantry enlisted September 15, 1864
John Leachman 54th Kentucky
Charles Brooks 155 Illinois Infantry enlisted February 15, 1865
John H. Cate 3rd Tennessee Infantry enlisted February 1862, captured London, Kentucky August 1862
Elijah Cate (John’s son) 3rd Tennessee Infantry enlisted January 1863 died May 1863
Andrew DeShields 2 Reg’t Missouri Infantry enlisted August 7, 1862

Revolutionary War

Richard Lewis
Joseph Spangler

Seems like William Rodman Benson and Henry Arney should have served in the Civil War based on their ages and locations. They were both in Arkansas, although Henry went to Illinois and then came back after the war. There are also lots of Shamblin from Tennesse that served in the Civil War so probably some of those are related somehow.

Dog rides a horse

I always thought this picture was pretty funny! My dog wouldn't do that in a million years.


My great uncle, Jonathon Benson (1890-1950)

And so it begins

I began researching my Family Tree around 2003. I heard the best way to start was by getting your grandparents birth, death and marriage records. So, I did that and that got me started. I then found I could get a login from my local library and go on Heritage Quest and look at the Census records. So far, I have found a few cousins through Rootsweb.com that were also researching.

I also come from pretty descent line of pack rats so I have my Great Aunt's scrapbook full of mostly Leachman obits and a few news stories. My Aunt had a trunk with two old albums of pictures labeled mostly Bensons and Arneys. And then several boxes of unlabeled pictures. I have an album my Great Grandfather had. Most of the pictures are unlabeled but have the photographer's city state. I believe most of these are Leachmans and Griffiths maybe a few Lewis' and Huckleberrys thrown in for good measure.

After I started finding a few things, I had too much paper floating around so I put everything in notebooks. Then I decided I needed a "title" for my genealogy. I have red hair and green eyes and am very fair. ( I take offense to the term pale; that implies you are sick and I am not.) So I settled on "But ... you look Irish." Trust me, I get that alot. So far I have come back to Switzerland on a few lines so maybe I am predominately Swiss. Or maybe I am just Heinz 57 with red hair and green eyes. The Barbie pictured is Princess of Ireland that I bought a Target for $20.00 (Don't you just love Target?) She is the first Barbie I ever saw with green eyes and red hair, and not red like a crayon.

I will try to post a few of the more interesting ( well, to me anyway) finds. Thanks for dropping by. And as my great aunt used to say, "Don't wait til I'm dead to come see me again!"

Amy