Maria Magdalena "Aunt Lena" Benkelman

Notes:

Lena was just eight years old when she left for America with her mother and three of her sisters to America. Tragically, her mother died on the long journey. German Parish records simply show "nach Amerika Ausgewandert."

On the Oberant Welzheim Emmigrants list, 1818-1891, She is listed as Magdalena, g. d. 31t. August 1845 ledig, and travelling in a party headed by her mother, Maria Dorothea, the widow of Johann Leonhard Benkelmann, a farmer of Schneiderhof.

BonnieMargaret's full source citation was: Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg, "Verzeichnis der Auswanderung aus dem Oberamt Welzheim 1818-1891" F 214 B?schel 91 Fortlaufende Number 42 [or possibly 47] ).

Upon her arrival to the United states, she first lived in Lancaster, New York. BonnieMargaret Jacobs writes that she may have moved to Wisconsion at the same time her older sisters Dora and Catharina did, around 1859. She married George Deverney, a union army soldier, in 1864. According to pension records, after the war George and Lena moved to Columbia County, Wisconsin, near Marsala, which is where her brother Johannes Benkelmann lived with his wife Sarah.

By the time of the 1870 federal census, Lena was living in the home of her brother John in Marcellon, Wisconsin. She was shown as Mary Divina (Deverney), but her husband was not present in the home. George Deverney was said to have died a few months after this census (7 August 1870), so perhaps he was hospitalized, or already dead? Sometime after Lena was widowed, she moved from Wisconsin to Colorado live with her brother George, in Denver, Colorado. She can be found in his home at the time of the 1880 census.

Mary M[agdelena] Deverney filed for a widows pension in Kansas, application number 424528, Certificate number 315555 on June 5, 1890. In 1891, she moved to Cass City, where she spent her remaining years.

BonnieMargaret also writes that Lena was the only woman listed as a claim holder in the early land records of Cheyenne County, Kansas.

Bonnie writes that "When beloved Aunt Lena re-joined the family in Cass City in 1891, Sam and John (Benkelman) build for her the first home she'd ever really had that was her own. Since she was orphaned at age 8, she'd spent her life with one or another of her brothers and sisters. At age 46, she finally had a home of her own. She married Johannes Schwegler, a widower, also from near B?rtlingen.

After Catherine Benkelman was widowed from Adam, she moved in with Lena, and they remained close companions for the rest of her life.


Cass City Chronicle
Cass City, Michigan

"Thirty-five years ago: January 24, 1896"
(Published on Friday, January 23, 1931)

At the Evangelical church, the following Sunday School officers have been elected for the ensuing year: Supt., Mrs. Lena SCHWEGLER; ass't supt., Mrs. Mary BENKELMAN; sec., J. MAIER; treas., Adam BENKELMAN; librarian, Miss Lillie Striffler; ass't librarian, Miss Maud MAIER; organist, Miss Martha STRIFFLER; ass't organist, Oscar LENZNER.

Cass City Chronicle
November 8, 1901

Local Mentions

A farewell party was given at Mrs. J. Schwegler's Monday evening in honor of her brother, Leonard and his niece Miss Cora Benkelman, who left for their respective homes in Manitowoc and Portage, Wisconisn, Tuesday.

Cass City Chronicle
June 24, 1904, page 4

Mrs. M. Schwegler and Miss Esther Striffler went to Elkton Thursday to attend the Evangelical campmeeting which is being held there this week.

Cass City Chronicle
Friday, September 29, 1916

Mrs. M.M. Schwegler left Tuesday for Portage, Wisconsin to visit her brother, John Benkelman, who is in feeble health. Mrs. Schwegler is expected to remain there two weeks.


OBITUARY
Cass City Chronicle
Friday, January 29, 1926

Aunt Lena Schwegler Answers Summons-
Funeral Services of Respected Citizen were held Monday-

Mrs. M.M. Schwegler passed away at her home on East Main Street on Friday morning, January 22, after an illness of two weeks with heart trouble. She was 80 years of age and is the last of a family of 10, five brothers and four sisters preceding her in death.

Mary Magdalena Benkelman was born in Wurttemberg, Germany, on August 24, 1845*. She sailed for America with her mother and two small sisters when she was eight years of age. They were 58 days enroute during which time the mother was buried at sea, leaving three little girls to complete the journey alone.

[*BonnieMargaret Jacob's writes (p. 150) that "Lena always celebrated August 24 as her birthday, and would have loved the joke if she'd known it. Her actual birthdate, as recorded in Waldhausen parish, was August 31, 1845. As the last of 16 children, one can imagine that the entire family just threw in the towel on keeping track of birthdates.]

Miss Benkelman spent her youth in New York State. From there she went to Wisconsin, and later to Denver, Colorado and Kansas.

She came to Michigan in 1891 and the same year was united in marriage with John Schwegler. Mr. Schwegler passed away in 1901.

Mrs. Schwegler was greatly interested in the temperance movement and for many years was a very active member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union at Cass City. She was also a member of the the Woman's Missionary Society of the Evangelical church.

Mrs. Schwegler had an unusually large number of friends, and young as well as older people were made happy in her presence. The joy of her life was to be able to help others and many a person has been made happier by her expressions of love and friendship. She was called "Aunt Lena" outside of the kinship as well as by her nephews and nieces, and held in great respect by all who knew her.

Funeral services were held at the Evangelical church Monday afternoon and were conducted by Rev. C. F. Smith, the pastor, and Rev. C.L. Pohly of Sebewaing, a former pastor at Cass City. Interment was made in Elkland Cemetery.

Friends from out of town at the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Craw, of Caro, Mrs. Clyde Fox, Mrs. Haist and George Klump, all of Saginaw.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong)



(Research):Census Information:

Census Information:

1870 Federal Census
Wisconsin, Columbia County, Marcellon, P.O. Randolph
Enumerated 1 June 1870
Page 21, Stamped 213
166-172
Benkelman, John 34 M W Farmer $1000 $428 Wertemburg
Benkelman, Sarah 36 F W Keeping House Pennsylvania
Benkelman, Franklin 6 M W At home Iowa
Benkelman, Minnie A 4 At Home Wisconsin
Divina, Mary 25 F W At Home Wertemburg


1880 Census

Census Place:Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado Source:FHL Film 125
4088 National Archives Film T9-0088
Page 25 RelationSexMarrRaceAgeBirthplace
John G. BENKELMAN Self M M W 49 WURTEMBERG Occ: Live Stock Dealer Fa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG
Christina BENKELMAN Wife F M W 48 WURTEMBERG Occ: Keeps House Fa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG
George W. BENKELMAN Son M S W 17 CO Occ: School Fa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG
Charles A. BENKELMAN Son M S W 14 CO Occ: Schoo lFa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG
Henry J. BENKELMAN Son M S W 12 CO Occ: School Fa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG George A. BENKEMAN Other M M W 28 NY Occ: Cattle Dealer Fa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG
Barbara BENKEMAN Other F M W 27 WURTEMBERG Occ: None Fa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG
Mary DEVERNES Other F S Wd 36 WURTEMBERG Occ: Seamstress Fa: WURTEMBERG Mo: WURTEMBERG

1900 Census
Michigan, Tuscola, Elkland Twp, Cass City Village
Enumerated 6 Jun 1900 by A.C. Gillis
SD 8 ED 111 Sheet 3B
61-61
John Schwaglurs Hd W M Aug 1834 65 M 8 Germany Germany Germany 1853 47 Na Day Laborer
Mary
Jun? Mary M Wife W F Aug 1845 54 N 8 Germany Germany Germany 1853 47

Maria married George Deverney on 12 Feb 1864 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. George was born in 1840 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; died on 7 Aug 1870 in Wisconsin. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Maria married Johannes "John" Schwegler in Feb 1892 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. Johannes (son of Johannes Schw?gler and Christina Steiner) was born on 27 Aug 1834 in B?rtlingen, G?ppingen, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany; died on 13 Feb 1901 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]