John Vint Bentley & Annie Potter

This is Annie Potter and John Vint Bentley. I never thought to find a picture of them. It was taken on the porch of the home of their son, James Monroe Bentley.

Here is how I came across the picture.

I was in Kentucky a few years ago at Memorial Day. I went to go along with my Wright cousins who have a tradition of meeting on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to visit the graves of their loved ones to clear them off and 'decorate' them. We used to call Memorial Day Decoration Day. On Monday, Memorial Day, I went to McRoberts to attend the Memorial Day services there. It was held in front of the church of Christ building at the Military Memorial for the soldiers from the are who lost their lives in various wars. The VFW post from Pound was doing the honors.

It was pouring rain that day. There was a room at the senior center next to the church which was being used to meet and sign in. I was with my Uncle D. V. . He was talking to folks he knew and I was standing by the sign in. One of the fellows in the VFW group came up to sign in and noticing his name tag said Bentley, I said, "Hello, Cousin". He grinned and we talked a bit. He said his family was from Virginia and he didn't believe we were related. I said, well, if you want to tell me your parents and grandparents, I sure will try to check it out. He just grinned.

After the service, we went in for cake and more chat. Jack Bentley came up to me and asked if I were serious about looking into his family. I said sure, got his parents and grandparents names and his email. I asked if he had any pictures and he said no.

I went to my files and he his grandfather was a son of James Monroe Bentley. I worked on this line and sent Jack a file giving him all the pictures, stories and info I had starting with him.

About a year later he wrote me and said he had lost the file, could I send him another since he wanted to print one. I said, sure, but give me a day or so to check just in case there is something more I can find. And I found this picture. I couldn't believe it. It was on an ancestry file and said it was used at a family reunion. The picture was so good, I just couldn't imagine it being the parents of James Monroe and John Martin because the picture of John Martin and Malinda Addington is awful quality wise. So I wrote the lady and asked her who identified it and how they had come across it.

In the meantime I took the name off the picture and emailed it to Jack and asked if he knew who it was. He wrote back right away -- it was one of his grandparents and it was on his wall. It seems when I asked if he had any family pictures and he said no, he meant none in an album or box, and hadn't thought about what was on his wall. The lady wrote me back and all matched. She said it was taken when they were in Virginia visiting James Monroe and all the Virginia Bentleys had the photo. I guess none of us still in Kentucky had gotten it.

So that is how I got the picture of John Martin and James Monroe Bentley's parents.

James Monroe Bentley

I originally had this photo with a story about John Martin Bentley. I had been given the picture by an aunt who said it was John Martin. Recently, my cousin, Janice, saw the picture and said she thought she had seen it and something wasn't right. She went through her mother, Edna Bentley's pictures and found it along with other pictures that were taken the same day. This is not John Martin Bentley, but his brother, James Monroe Bentley.

In the picture is Otho Bentley and Elbert Bentley, seated. They are nephews of James Monroe.

Standing is Laura Bell Bentley, a sister to Otho and Elbert and niece of James Monroe, James Monroe himself, Mary Webb Bentley wife of James Monroe, Caldonia Bentley Watkins sister of Otho Elbert & Laura and none of us could quite figure out who the last man was though he is very familiar looking.

What happened was Uncle Willie, Otho's son, and his wife, Edna Bentley took Poppy (Otho), Uncle Elbert, Aunt Laura, and Aunt Caldonia to visit their uncle and his great uncle. Here are the other pictures that were taken that day:

Aunt Laura Belle Bentley who married Sherman Bentley and Aunt Edna Bentley who married Willie Bentley. Laura was the daughter of John Martin Bentley and Malinda Addington. Edna was the daughter of Sherman Bentley and Ada Sergent.

James Monroe Bentley and Laura Belle Bentley.

James Monroe Bentley, son of John Vint Bentley and Annie Potter, and his wife, Mary Webb, daughter of Benjamin Webb and Eleander Pace.

James Monroe Bentley and Willie Bentley, son of Otho Bentley.

James Monroe & Mary Webb Bentley

James Monroe Bentley home with visitors on the porch.

Edna Bentley, wife of Willie Bentley, and Willie's aunt, Laura Bentley.

Little Baker Cemetery Updated from April 26, 2008

I originally posted this story on April 26, 2008. I got an email the other day from a cousin who found the story and was able to help identify some of the folks in this cemetery. Her name is Kristie Lana Reynolds Davis. She is a youngin' herself having only been born in 1968, but her father, Joseph Coleman Reynolds, was born in 1892. Kristie is a granddaughter of Joseph Coleman Reynolds and Hortense Lee Friley. She is the great granddaughter of Noah Reynolds and Mary Chaney Stone. I have learned many things from Kristie which are stories for anothe day, but I wanted to add the identifications that she came up with after reading the original blog.





I don't know the name of this cemetery, but I call it the Little Baker Cemetery. It is at Millstone, Kentucky up the left hand fork, past Lucky Fulton's home on the left before you reach the Baker Cemetery. As the paved highway stops you can either follow a small graveled road or go into the creek bed, which is also a road. This cemetery is just as you get onto the graveled road. I took this picture looking back where the paved road was.

You can just barely see the cemetery from the road. My uncle, Jerry Bentley, was with me and we were on a quest to find the cemetery where my great grandfather, Joshua Mullins, was buried. Someone told us that there were 11 cemeteries on Millstone, but we found there were a lot more. This little one caught our eye, so we stopped to look and see who was buried here.

It is a little bit of a steep climb up to the graves, but nothing like where my cousin, Alan Bentley is buried on Payne Gap. Every time I go see Alan's grave, I take pictures and say it is the last time. And then I go again.

This is the grave of Mary Baker. Doesn't sound like a connection, does it? She is the great granddaughter of Thomas & Hannah Bentley. Their daughter Margaret Bentley, sister to Daniel Bentley, married William Yonts. Their son Solomon Yonts married Sarah Elliott. Their daughter was Mary S. "Polly" Yonts. She was born in 1835 in Perry County. She married Elijah Willis Baker, thus becoming Mary Baker. Her death certificate says that she died of interstitial nephritis. Nancy June asked me about causes of death that repeated in the family. Nephritis is one that repeats over and over in the family. Her death certificate also says that she was being buried at the "James Baker" cemetery.

Elijah Willis Baker was the husband of Mary Yonts Baker. He was born in 1832 in Viriginia. His parents were Henry W. Baker and Mary Catherine Privett. He was a Methodist preacher. He died of a fever in 1907.

This is standing inside the fence and at the bottom near the road, looking up. You can see there are only a few graves.

This is the grave of Hellen Baker born in 1905 and died in 1906. I can't find who Hellen's parents were.

Update: Hellen is the daughter of Elijah Willis Baker and Nancy Jane Breeding Combs. Elijah is the son of Bud Baker and Hortense Lee.

This is the grave of Clarence D. Baker who was born on August 17, 1910 and died on August 30, 1910. He was the son of Ed and Jane Bentley Baker. Jane was Surilda Jane Baker, the daughter of John Martin Bentley & Malinda Addington. She was a sister to Otho Bentley.

This is another Clarence D. Baker. He was born in 1887 and died in 1902 at age 15. Elijah Willis Baker and Mary Yonts were his grandparents. His father was Solomon Emery "S. E." or "Bud" Baker. His mother was Hortense Lee Friley. Bud was an attorney. In 1882 he was appointed to a clerkship to the Department of the Interior in Washington, D C. He and Hortense divorced. He remarried in 1894. The children were with him in the 1900 census with his new wife, Helen C. Salyers. Hortense married again in 1901 to Joseph Coleman Reynolds. She had five more children.

....

Thelma Baker was born June 12 1904 and died December 12, 1906. I don't know who her parents are at this time.

.Update: Thelma is the daughter of Elijah Willis Baker and Nancy Jane Breeding Combs. Elijah was the son of Bud Baker and Hortense Lee.

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One thing that struck me and makes me want to know who these people are is them not being forgotten. You can see Aunt Jane's little Clarence hardly lived at all. Yet when I was talking to her grandchildren and great grandchildren and they were sharing pictures, there would be a group picture of Jane's grown children and everyone of them would point to a place in the group and say, "this is where Clarence would be". When I first heard this I thought Clarence must have lived and maybe died a few years before the picture was taken. Instead, he was never in any of the pictures, but his place was still being remembered. I think that is what touches me about genealogy -- remembering those who are no longer here and keeping a place for them in your heart, but, that is another story.

Rachel Bentley Justice 4

Update: I talked with Otho Holcomb on March 11th. He said that Rachel had died sometime in the latter part of last year, maybe October. He said he had been trying to get her on the phone and got no answer. He called her niece's home and she was out of town. The neice's husband said that Rachel had passed away some time back. I still have not found an obituary.



Viola "Red", Ellis, Callie and Rachel

Red and Rachel

Rachel with Tishie's son, Jack.

Rachel with Percie's son, Harry Lee.

Rachel, Red and Malinda.

Rachel and Red quilting at Rachel's home in Florida.



Red and Rachel.

Rachel Bentley Justice 3

These are more of Rachel's pictures -- mostly of her and her siblings.

Her parents were Poppy's brother Elbert Bentley and Sabrina Craft, daughter of Chunk and Polly Ann Caudill. Their children were: Martin, Benjamin, Letitia "Tishie", Polly Ann, Caldonia "Callie", Malinda, Enoch Otho, Rachel Virginia, Percie, Laben, Joseph, Ellis, A. J. and Viola "Red" Bentley.


Rachel and Red at Niagara Falls.

Percie and her husband, Henry Lee Phillips and their granddaughter, Sandra.

Percie and Howard (Rachel's husband) grilling in the rain.

Malinda, Percie, Aunt Wilma, and Red. Rachel took this picture.

Mary Evelyn McElroy Bentley (Uncle D. V's wife) and Rachel on holiday.

Ellis and Red.

Ellis and Nancy June Cole (Aunt Wilma's daughter).

Rachel Bentley Justice 2

These are more pictures of Rachel, her twin sons and her husband Howard Justice.

Rachel Bentley Justice

I talked with Aunt Mary Evelyn today. She said that cousin Rachel Justice had passed away. She was living in southern Ohio near her niece Sabrina's home. They took her to Florida to be buried by her husband, Avery Howard Justice.

I met Rachel about thirteen or fourteen months ago -- sharp as a tack. I am sorry not to have known about it. I would like to have gone to her memorial service.

Rachel was born April 26, 1915. She was the eighth child of fourteen of Elbert Bentley and Sabrina Craft. Elbert was the brother of Otho Bentley. Sabrina was the sister of Lettie Craft, Nancy Alice Hall's mother.

Rachel at 6 months of age.

Update: 3/11/2009 Otho Holcomb said that Rachel had died sometime in the last part of 2008, maybe in October. He had called and couldn't get hold of Rachel. He called to talk to her niece. She was out of town and her husband told him Rachel had passed away.

Edna & Willie

These are pictures of Uncle Willie and Aunt Edna from Can and Ernestene's pictures.

I know the one isn't very good, but I like the view of the house.

Sarah Jane Mullins & Samuel Pee Collier

I was searching for my grandmother Rebecca Hays Mullins Adams death certificate. I look for it off and on, thinking one of these times I will find it. I also was searching for her father's death certificate. Many people have him dying in Wisconsin which makes no sense to me, but I can't find him. I also don't know the last name of his second wife. So at times I just do another search hoping I will come across something that will open up the little mysteries for me.

I was making a census file for Rebecca, well for James, really, I had started with a question in my head about old Booker. I made a second file for the Hays since Rebecca lived with her father and his second wife after James died.

When I added in the census records for the children of James and Rebecca, I got kind of into their daughter, Sarah. She was born January 29, 1866. She married Samuel Pee Collier who the son of William Dee "Willie" Collier and Rebecca Meade. He was a brother to Willis Kirk Collier who was the father of Sadie. So my great aunt Sarah was an aunt by marriage to Sadie Collier.

Samuel and Sarah had 9 children that I am aware of. They married about 1891 and in the 1900 census they were in Millstone with 3 children: Nancy J age 9, Rebecca M, age 7 and John A. age 4. Rebecca had had two other children who died before this census was taken. I don't know their names yet.

In 1910 they were still in Millstone. Samuel P 37, Sarah 43, John A. 14, Martha Ann 9, Willie J. 4, Elijah B 2, and Ollie a baby not even a month old. Also living with them was Jane Short, who was listed as a step daughter. I stopped when I read that and wondered if i had the wrong census. I know there is another Samuel P Collier who was married to Martha Roark. I couldn't find where either Samuel had but one wife. I searched for a while trying to figure out who Jane was, but I didn't figure it out tonight. Maybe Janice will know.

In 1920 the transcribers had them as Calliers, but the writing looked like Collier to me. Samuel was 49, Sarah M. 54, John A. 23, Elijah B. 13. Living with them was their son in law, William M. Craft, 30 and his children Samuel P, 9 and Sabrina, 3. I assume either Nancy or Martha was the wife of William, but I don't have any details on either of the girls so I don't know which one it was. Again, maybe Janice has figured this one out. Lastly, living with them is Elizabeth Ratliff and her son James and daughter Etta. Elizabeth is listed as a servant.

I spent a long time searching for the family in 1930. I tried Collier and Callier and drew a blank. Maybe next search they will pop right out at me, but I couldn't find them.

Samuel died on December 8, 1956 at Millstone and was buried in the Dave Collier cemetery there. Sarah died on March 17, 1945.

This picture came from cousin Janice. It is Samuel P. Collier and her dad, Willie Bentley. I don't have a picture of Sarah or for that matter either of her brothers, John or Booker. I am surely glad to have this one.

Joe Bentley marries a Henrickson

Joe Bentley is the 14th child of Otho Bentley and the 7th child of Nancy Alice Bentley.

He married Alma Eva Henrikson.

Aunt Alma's family goes back to about 1600 when Hakan Ingemarsson was born. He married Ingebord Andersdotter who was born on 1613. They had three known children: Per Kakansson, Inemar Hakansson and Sven Hakansson. I loved the way they did thie names Hakansson -- son of Hakan.

Per Hakansson was born in Bygdea. He married Karin Gummesdotter. They both died in Berg, Malmback, Socken. Their children were Johan, Hakan, Anders, Per, Marten & Kerstin. Te first four children took the last name Persson (son of Per) and the last two Hakansson. Per married a second time to Elin Danielsdotter. Their children were Anders, Johan and Ingemar.

Hakan Persson was born in 1675 in Berg, Socken. He married Sara Mansdotter from Giostorp. Their children were Sven, Maria, Anders, Karin, a second Karin, and a second Maria. They split their last names between Hakanson and Persson.

Sven Hakansson was born in 1715 in Giostorp. He married Ingerid Svensdotter in 1745. Their children were Johannes, Catharina, Maria, Sven Nilssonand a second Sven Svensson. I don't know where the Nilsson came from.

Sven Nilsson was born April 30, 1758 in Langhem, Alvsborg, Sweden. He married Maria Jonasdotter. Their son was Anders Svensson.

Anders married Edela Larsdotter. Their son was Henric Anderson. Henric married Christina Jonsdotter. Their son was Elias Andersson Henrikson.

Elias was born February 13, 1872 in Dunkared, Sweden. In 1893 Elias left Liverpool, Enland on the ship Pavonia. The ship's passenger list said the following:

Line # 12
Name in Full: E W or N Henrikson
Age 21
Sex m
Single
Occupation: carpenter
Able to read: yes
to write: yes
Nationality: Swede
Last residence: Malmo
Seaport for landing in the US: Boston
Final destination in the US: Boston
Whether having a ticket to final destination: yes
By whom was passage paid: self
Whether in possession of money, if so, whether more than $30 and how much is 30 or less: 5 pounds

Whether ever before in the US and if so when and where: no
Whether going to join a relative & if so, what is relatives name & address: brother, J. Edwin, Boston
Ever in prison or almshouse or supported by charity, if yes, state which: no
Whether a polygamist: no
Whether under contract, express or implied, is labor in the US: no
Condition of Helath, mental & physical: good
Deformed or cripples, natura and cause: no

1900 Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts Census

Family 107
Henrikson, Elias, 28, head, Feb 1872, married 8 years Sweden Sweden Sweden
Painter chairs
Alice E. 25, wife, Jun 1874, had 4 children 4 living PA Germany Germany
Herman C. 7, son, Aug 1898
Anna M. J. 5, daughter, Jan 1894
Frederick C. 4, son, Apr 1895
Walter E. 2, son, Sep 1897
Children PA Sweden PA

1910 Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts Census

Family 214
Henrikson, Elias 38, head, marriage 1, 18 years, Sweden Sweden Sweden
arrived in 190, naturalized, Painter, Chair factory
Alice E. 35, wife, marriage 1, had 7 chidren 7 living PA Germany Germany
Herman C. 16, son, PA, Sweden PA, wheel xxxx, Baby carriage factory
Anna M. J. 15, daughter, PA Sweden PA
Frederick C. 14, son, PA Sweden PA
Walter E. 12, son, MA Sweden PA
Eva M. 9, daughter, MA Sweden PA
Vera I. 7, daughter, MA Sweden PA
William C. seven months, son, MA Sweden PA

1920 Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts Census

Family 274
Henrikson, Elias 47, head, immigrated in 1887, naturalized in 1900 Sweden
Sweden Sweden, finisher, chair factory
Alice E. 45, wife, PA Germany Germany
Eva M 19, daughter, MA Sweden PA, illegible
Vera I. 17, daughter MA Sweden PA, illegible
William O. 15, son MA Sweden PA
Robert L 5, son MA Sweden PA

1930 Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts

Family 340
Henrikson, Elias 57, head, 1st married at 20, Sweden Sweden Sweden, chair finisher
chair shop
Alice E. 55, wife, first married at 18, PA Wartenberg Germany, Germany
Robert A. 15, son, MA Sweden Germany

I remembered the pictures of Kris from his vacations in Massachusetts sitting in the huge chair. I had no idea that it was from a chair factory or that his family had been chair makers. There are two other chair makers that I have run across in the family -- Jesse Wright, my great grandfather, and John "Groundhog John" Bentley who made the rocking chair that Joe Hall bought for his daughter, Hazel.

Elias and Alice's son, Walter Edward Henrikson, was born on September 6, 1897 in Gardner. He married Flora M. LeBlanc. Flora was the daughter of Placide LeBlanc and Catherine Robichaud from French Canada. He and Flora married on July 19, 1917.

In 1918 when Walter registered for the draft he was described as medium height and build with black eyes and light hair.

I can't find Walter in the 1920 census.

1930 Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts

80 Barthel Avenue / Family 107
Henrikson, Walter E. 32 MA Sweden PA Molder Foundry
Flora M. 30 MA Canada French Canada French
Walter E. 11 MAMA MA
Catherine E. 7 MA MA MA
Alma E. 6 MA MA MA

Little Alma became the bride of Joe Bentley.