Laura Molly Crocker

Notes:

Laura M. Ball, 88, of Cass City, died Monday, January 2, 2006 in Hills & Dales General Hospital. She was born August 24, 1917 at home in Tuscola County to Louis and Clemtina (Merchant) Crocker. She married Grant Wesley Ball July 15, 1938 in Cass City. He died September 18, 1976.

Laura graduated from Cass City High School in 1936. Over the years she was a caregiver to many friends and neighbors. She was a member of Salem United Methodist Church and then Cass City United Methodist Church totaling 72 years and was a member of the UMW. Laura was a member of Hills & Dales General Hospital Auxiliary for over 25 years. She served as a Cub Scout leader when her boys were little. Laura enjoyed working in her flowers, cooking and doing crafts.

Laura is survived by her sons: Wesley (Sharon) Ball of Reese, Donald (Barbara) Ball of Cass City; grandchildren: Mary Ann (David) Vanest, John (Cyndi) Ball, Grant Ball, Donald W. (Wendy) Ball, Douglas (Cathryn) Ball; great grandchildren: Courtney Ann, Collin, Dylan, Braeden, Morgan Jayne, Daymon, Kaitlyn; very dear niece, Beverly (Donald) Hazard; nephew, Richard (Kay) Armstrong; several great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her sister, Julia Armstrong in 1963.

Funeral service held 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 6, 2006 in Cass City United Methodist Church with her grandson, Rev. John Ball of Mayville United Methodist Church officiating. Interment will be in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City. Memorials may be made to Cass City United Methodist Church. Pallbearers for Mrs. Ball: Donald Ball, Douglas Ball, Grant Ball, David Vanest, Brian Hazard and Michael Hazard. Family and friends may share memories, prayers and stories with the family at www.kranzfuneralhome.com.

Visitation: 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, January 4, 2006; 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, January 5, 2006. 10 to 11 p.m. Friday, January 6, 2006 in church

Arrangements by Kranz Funeral Home, Cass City, Michigan Debra L. Kranz - 989-872-2195

http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/139733/Ball-Laura.php

Laura married Grant Wesley Ball on 15 Jul 1938 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. Grant was born on 14 Feb 1917 in Elkland Township, Tuscola County, Michigan; died on 18 Sep 1976 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Volume 23 of the Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, dated September 7, 1963, noted that Mr. and Mrs. Grant Ball (Laura Crocker) were given a surprise party in their home by the E. U. B. "Golden Rule" Sunday School Class July 15 in honor of their silver wedding anniversary.

1. Living
2. Living

Notes:

The Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, Volume 10, dated September 1, 1947, reported that he had sold his milk route and was working as foreman for the Village of Cass City.

Cass City Chronicle
August 29, 1952
Page 4

The daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Crocker and their families enjoyed dinner together Sunday in their parental home in honor of the birthday of Mrs. Grant BALL, when guests were Mr. and Mrs. Norman ARMSTRONG of Bad Axe and Mr. and Mrs. Grant BALL and sons.

Cass City Chronicle
February 10, 1966
Vol. 59, Number 43

Louis Crocker Dies Suddenly at Home

Funeral services for Louis Crocker, 77, were held Sunday at Little's Funeral Home following his death suddenly Thursday, February 3, at his home in Cass City.

Born in Saginaw, July 21, 1888, he was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Crocker. He married Miss Clementina MERCHANT in Saginaw, October 21, 1912, where they made their home following their marriage. They moved to Cass City in 1914, where the settled on a farm, later retiring and moving to Cass City. He was also employed at Farm Produce Company and for the Village of Cass City.

Mr. Crocker attended the Evangelical United Brethren Church of Cass City.

Survivors, beside his wife, are a daughter, Mrs. Grant (Laura) BALL of Cass City and two brothers, George and Benjamin, both of Saginaw. Also surviving are four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A daughter, a sister and two brothers preceded him in death.

Rev. Robert Betts, EUB Church pastor, officiated and interment was in the family lot in Elkland Cemetery.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1920 Census
Michigan, Tuscola County, Novesta Twp
Enumerated 15 Jan 1920
SD 7 ED 195 Sheet 8B
160-168
Crocker, Louis Head M W 31 M Mich Ohio Germany/German Farmer
Crocker, Clementina Wf F W 31 M Mich Mich Canada/English
Crocker, Julia Dtr F W 4 S Mich Mich Mich
Crocker, Laura Dtr F W 2 S Mich Mich Mich

1930 Census
Florida, Volusia County, Daytona Beach
Enumerated 10 Apr 1930
ED 64-30 SD 5 Sheet 5A Stamped 135
211-125-133
Crocker, Louis Head M W 25 Mich Mich Germany None
Crocker, Clemintina M Wf F W 42 M 25 Mich Mich Canada
Crocker, Julia Dtr F W 15 S Mich Mich Mich
Crocker, Laura Dtr F W 12 S Mich Mich Mich
Merchant, Margaret M-in-law F W 74 Wd 24 Canada/English Ireland Canada

1940 Census
Michigan, Sanilac County, Evergreen Twp
Enuemrated 9 Apr 1940
SD 7 ED 76-14 Sheet 3A
6675-430 O 1000
Crocker, Lewis Head M W 52 M No 8 Mich Same house Farmer
Crocker, Clementine Wf F W 52 m No 8 Mich Same house Housekeeper farm home
Merchant, Margaret Mother-in-law F W 82 W No 5 Canada Same Home
Armstrong, Norman Head M W 26 M No 8 Mich Bad Axe Huron Co Mich Truck Driver County Road
Armstrong, Julia Wf F W 25 M No 4 Mich Same House Housekeeper Farm Home
Armstrong, Richard Son M W 1 S Mich

Louis married Clementina Merchant on 21 Oct 1912 in Saginaw County, Michigan. Clementina was born on 15 Jul 1888 in Harbor Beach, Huron County, Michigan; died on 18 Apr 1975 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Cass City Chronicle
Thursday, April 24, 1975
Page Nine

Mrs. Crocker, 86, dies Friday

Mrs. Clementina CROCKER, 86, of Cass City died Friday at the Tuscola County Medical Care Facility following a long illness. She was born July 15, 1888, in Harbor Beach, daughter of the late Edward and Margaret (Cochran) MERCHANT.

She married Louis Crocker October 21, 1912 in Saginaw, where they made their home following their marriage. In 1913, they moved to the Cass City area where they settled on a farm, later retiring and moving to Cass City where she lived until shortly before her death. Her husband died February 3, 1966. Mrs. Crocker was a member of Salem United Methodist church over 50 years.

She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Grant (Laura) BALL of Cass City; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Two brothers and one daughter preceded her in death.

Funeral services were conducted from Little's Funeral Home Monday with Rev. Eldred Kelly, pastor of Salem United Methodist church, and Rev. Ira Wood, pastor of the Armada United Methodist church, officiating.

Interment was in Elkland cemetery.

Notes:

Married:
Volume 23 of the Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, dated September 7, 1963, noted that Mr. and Mrs. Louis Crocker celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and their daughter, Julia, and her husband Norman Armstrong, their silver anniversary with an "Open House" at the E. U. B. Church on October 21, 1962.

Notes:

Drove a carriage for lumberman W.R. Burt of Saginaw, Michigan.

Cass City Chronicle
February 14, 1936
Page 1

Former Cass City Resident Dead

John Crocker, who had been a resident in the vicinity of Cass City for 37 years, died at his home in Saginaw on Tuesday, February 11, at the age of 87 years. Funeral services were conducted in the Cass City Evangelical church by Rev. G.A. Spitler Thursday afternoon and burial was made in Elkland cemetery. Mr. Crocker was born in the state of Ohio. He made his home in Saginaw before coming to Cass City and ten years ago returned to Saginaw where her has since resided. Fifty seven years ago he was united in marriage with Miss Mary BENKELMAN who survives him. Mr. Crocker had been in good health up to the time of his 87th birthday on January 20. Besides the widow, one daugther and five sons are left to mourn his departure. They are Mrs. Julia GIBBS, Fred, Henry and George, all of Saginaw, and Louis and Ben of Cass City. He also leaves fourteen grandchildren. Mr. Crocker was a member of the Cass City Evangelical church during his residence here while in Saginaw he was an attendant of a Methodist church as long as his health and age permitted.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong)

John married Maria "Mary" Dorothea Benkelman on 10 Mar 1879 in Saginaw County, Michigan. Maria (daughter of Johann Friedrich "Fredrick" Benkelman and Rosine M?ller) was born on 23 Feb 1857 in Schneiderhof, Waldhausen Parish, Welzheim, Jagstkreis, W?rttemberg, Germany; died on 23 Mar 1952 in Saginaw County, Michigan; was buried in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

BonnieMargaret Jacobs writes that Mary Dorothea met and married John Webster Crocker in Saginaw, Michigan, where she had moved to work as a Mother's helper.

Cass City Chronicle
Friday, March 28, 1952
Page 6

Mrs. Mary Crocker Dies in Saginaw

Burial services were held Tuesday afternoon at the Salem United Brethren Church for Mrs. Mary D. Crocker, 95, who died at the home of her daughter in Saginaw Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Crocker, the former Mary Dorothy BENKELMAN, was born in Germany February 23, 1857, and moved to Cass City 75 years ago. She married John Crocker in 1877 in Saginaw. Mr. Crocker died in 1936. Mrs. Crocker was spry and active until death came suddenly. She was a resident of Cass City for many years. Mrs. Crocker was a member of the Evangelical Church in Cass City. Funeral services were held Tuesday morning at the Reitz Funeral Home, the Rev. Carol Lundbom officiationg. Mrs. Crocker leaves a daughter, Mrs. John P. GIBBS of Saginaw; four sons, Louis CROCKER of Cass City; Henry, George and Ben of Saginaw; a sister, Mrs. Rose JOOS of Cass City; 16 grandchildren and 15 great great grandchildren. The Rev. S.R. Wurtz officiated at the services in Cass City and burial was in Elkland cemetery.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong)

Notes:

The family register for the family of Friedrich's maternal grandparents, Georg Friedrich St?hle and wife, Anna Maria Leins, shows that Maria Dorothea St?hle was the fifth of their 15 children. She was married at the Schneiderhof on 20 Nov 1822 to Leonhard Benkelmann. Dot Williams, a Benkelman descendant, visited with a specialist in the old German script at the LDS library at Salt Lake City, where they helped her translate the information on the scans of the actual St?hle family register. They indicated that the writing to the right of Maria Dorothea's name, as well as two of her sisters, said they each had an illegitimate child. Maria Dorothea's child was Johann Friedrich, "who was raised as the eldest of the Leonhard Benkelmann family." It was not indicated one way or the other if he was also Leonhard's biological son. Johann Friedrich was born on 6 Feb 1822, approximately 10 months prior to the marriage of Leonard Benkelmann and Dorothea St?hle.

Freidrich apprenticed with Leonhard as a bricklayer and stonemason. (Jacobs, p. 73)

The oldest of the Benkelman children, he was the last to emigrate to America. He was already established as a stone mason in W?rttemberg when his younger siblings began to emigrate. Over the years, he received many letters from members of the family in America, telling him of the opportunities in the new land. Thus he eventually decided to join them. When he left Germany early in 1873, he was travelling with his wife Christine Stadelmaier, daughter Catherine and son-in-law Friedrich Buerk, granddaughter Catherine Buerk, daughter Christine and her husband George Jaus, and daughters Rosine and Mary, along with Fred's mother, Christina Buerk. German Parish records show "Marz 1873 mit Familie nach Nordamerika."

They sailed from Bremen, Germany on the steam ship "Ohio," and arrived in Baltimore on 5 April 1873, as the vessel was powered by steam, their entire journey took only 15 days. The earlier emigrants had traveled in sailing ships, and thus their journeys had been much longer. Friedrich and his family then traveled by train to Saginaw, Michigan where they were met by Adam, who took them by horse and wagon to Cass City. Adam, helped by his brothers, had constructed a building for them on his land where they stayed. Through hard work and frugal living, Friedrich was later able to purchase land a few miles northeast of Cass City, upon which he built his own home and farm.

At a Benkelman/Striffler reunion, Mary Striffler Benkelman recalled that "Uncle Fred was the oldest and Jolliest of the bunch, I can see him yet a large man of straight build, starting to town a distance of three and a half miles, with a basket of eggs perched on his head and a pail in one arm, marching straight as when he served in the German army but in after years when he became old and feeble he would say "When I think I am going to fall I am already lying on the ground." Later in life, Frederick became lame from rheumatism and used crutches to get about.

(Jacobs, pp. 82, 83, 161, as well various correspondence from BonnieMargaretJacobs, and issues of the Striffler-Benkelman Broadcasts)

These are the tombstone inscriptions of he and his wife:

Benkelman, Christina,d. 18 Aug 1897, 74y 3m 25d
Benkelman, Frederick,d. 28 Aug 1897, 75y 7m 22d

http://www.interment.net/data/us/mi/tuscola/casscity/index.htm

A brief mention of his funeral was on the front page of the September 2, 1897 Cass City Enterprise, in the "Home Happenings" column:

"The funeral services of Frederick Benkelman were held at the Evangelical Church on Sunday afternoon, Rev. C.Y. Schneider officiating. As previously mentioned, Mr. Benkelman has been in poor health for some time. He was nearly seventy six years old and has resided in this vicinity for many years."

A copy of his actual Michigan Death Certificate can be viewed here:

http://seekingmichigan.org/

Indexed as Fredrick Benkelman

It was noted under this cause of death that a contributory factor was the death of his wife one week previously. He was shown as 75 years, 7 months, and 22 days of age at the time of his death.

(Research):Census Place:Elkland, Tuscola, Michigan
Source:FHL Film 1254607 National Archives Film T9-0607
Page 96C
RelationSexMarrRaceAgeBirthplace
Fredrick BENKELMAN Self M M W 58 WERTENBERG Occ: Stone Mason Fa: WERTENBURG Mo: WERTENBURG
Christina BENKELMAN Wife F M W 57 WERTENBERG Occ:Keeping House Fa: WERTENBURG Mo: WERTENBURG

Johann married Rosine M?ller on 26 Nov 1850 in Bartenbach, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany. Rosine was born on 18 Aug 1821 in Bartenbach, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany; died on 16 Oct 1858 in Schneiderhof, Waldhausen Parish, Welzheim, Jagstkreis, W?rttemberg, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Parish records copied by BonnieMargaret Jacobs show her as a daughter of Joh. Georg M?ller, a tailor from Bartenbach and his wife, Christein Esenwein. Rosine died in childbirth after delivering her seventh child and only son, who died about two weeks after his mother.