Leona Bennett (1905 - 1997): Our Family History

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1905 - 1997 (91 years)

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Name Leona Bennett

Birth 11 Oct 1905 Meadow, Millard, Utah, United States

Gender Female

Census 1920 Meadow, Millard, Utah, United States

Ln	Hhold	Given	Surname	Relation	Gender	Race	BirthDate	Age	Status	BirthPlace	BirthPlace of Father	BirthPlace of Mother	Immigration Year
Image														Transcript
22	37	William	Bennett	Head	Male	White	abt 1870	50	Married	Utah	England	England
23	37	Elizabeth	Bennett	Wife	Female	White	abt 1870	50	Married	Utah	England	England
24	37	Sterling	Bennett	Son	Male	White	abt 1898	22	Single	Utah	Utah	Utah
25	37	Howard	Bennett	Son	Male	White	abt 1899	21	Single	Utah	Utah	Utah
26	37	Geneva	Bennett	Daughter	Female	White	abt 1902	18	Single	Utah	Utah	Utah
27	37	Arvilla	Bennett	Daughter	Female	White	abt 1904	16	Single	Utah	Utah	Utah
28	37	Leona	Bennett	Daughter	Female	White	abt 1906	14	Single	Utah	Utah	Utah
29	37	Vaun	Bennett	Son	Male	White	abt 1912	8	Single	Utah	Utah	Utah
30	37	Edna	Bennett	Daughter	Female	White	abt 1914	6	Single	Utah	Utah	Utah
31	37	Eizabeth	Bushnell	Mother-in-law	Female	White	abt 1839	81	Widowed	England	England	England	1852

Roll: T625_186 Transcript ID is dbid=6061&iid=4391982_00632

Initiatory (LDS) 21 Nov 1928 SLAKE

FamilySearch ID KWC6-LR1

Death 25 Aug 1997 Logan, Cache, Utah, United States

Burial 28 Aug 1997 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Headstones Submit Headstone Photo

Person ID I4824 mytree

Last Modified 25 Feb 2024

Father	William Hyrum Bennett, b. 27 Oct 1869, Payson, Utah, Utah, United States d. 24 Apr 1947, Fillmore, Millard, Utah, United States (Age 77 years)
Mother	Elizabeth Brockbank Bushnell, b. 11 Apr 1869, Meadow, Millard, Utah, United States d. 26 Jun 1934, Meadow, Millard, Utah, United States (Age 65 years)
Marriage	21 Nov 1894	Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States
Family ID	F3207	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Nephi Besendorfer, b. 1 Aug 1904, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States d. 24 Aug 1944, Nyssa, Malheur, Oregon, United States (Age 40 years)

Marriage 21 Nov 1928 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Notes

Marriage: Utah, Select Marriages, 1887-1966

Children

+	1. Living
	2. Son Besendorfer, b. Aug 1931, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States d. 1931, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
	3. Daughter Besendorfer, b. Mar 1932, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States d. 1932, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
	4. William Nephi Besendorfer, b. 23 Oct 1933, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States d. 29 Apr 1987, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 53 years)
	5. Maradene Besendorfer, b. 26 Jun 1939, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States d. 3 Oct 2020 (Age 81 years)
	6. Living

Family ID F3322 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 21 Apr 2024

Event Map

	Birth - 11 Oct 1905 - Meadow, Millard, Utah, United States
	Census - 1920 - Meadow, Millard, Utah, United States
	Initiatory (LDS) - 21 Nov 1928 - SLAKE
	Marriage - 21 Nov 1928 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
	Death - 25 Aug 1997 - Logan, Cache, Utah, United States
	Burial - 28 Aug 1997 - Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

= Link to Google Earth

Photos » Slide Show		Bennett, William Hyrum Family Geneva - Arvilla - Leona - Edna bck Wm Hyrum - Sterling - Howard - Vaun Bennett
		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
		Bennett, Sterling - Vaun - Leona - Edna
		Bennett, Leona b1905 - Portrait

Headstones

Besendorfer, Nephi b1904 - Bennett, Leona b1905

Notes

Death: U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014

The hearts of John and Elizabeth (Brockbank) Bushnell were made happy wi t h the birth of their seventh child, their first daughter. They named h e r Elizabeth. She was born in Meadow, Millard county, Utah, 11 Apr 1869 . S he lived under pioneer conditions knowing and experiencing plenty o f har d work and the hardships that went with pioneer life. Her family wa s on e of the first six families to settle in Meadow. She received her ea rly e ducation in the little log one-room school down on the square whic h late r became the tithing yard. The subjects given were reading, writin g, an d arithmetic, then a little history and geography in the upper grad es. Sh e later attended the Millard Stake Academy in Fillmore, Utah and u pon gra duation, helped her family in the sheep business.
Elizabeth adored her father, mother and family. She was of a happy natu r e and could always see the beautiful side of life but was saddened by t h e death of her older brother Isaac. When she was 13 years of age her fa th er passed away leaving her very sad indeed. She grew into a beautiful , gr acious young woman. She was blessed with many lovely talents. A beau tifu l singing voice, a wonderful speaking voice and a marvelous memory f or me morizing very long readings. With these talents she gave much to t o other s by singing and giving readings on the different programs of th e day, en tertaining people in church and gatherings of all kinds.
She was always active in Church, serving as a counselor in Relief Socie t y and a visiting teacher as long as she lived. She was also presiden t o f the Primary for many years and a teacher in most auxiliary organiza tion s. She was chorister for many years as well, always efficient and de penda ble in all she was called to do.
Elizabeth fell in love with and at age 25 married William Hyrum Bennet t , in the Manti LDS Temple on 21 Nov 1894. William was the third son o f Jo hn Bell and Mary (Senior) Bennett of Payson, Utah. He had come to Me ado w to live with and help his Uncle, Hyrum Bell Bennett, who lived neig hbor s to Elizabeth.
This young couple lived a farming life and became the parents of eight c h ildren. Noble, their first born, lived only two weeks. This was a rea l he artbreak for them. Then came along Sterling John. During this same t ime , Utah became the 45th state in the USA. With statehood came an end t o mo st of the problems connected with polygamy.
On 24 Jul 1898 the Bennetts were blessed with another son, Howard Joshu a . He was their “holiday boy”. This small family witnessed the new centu r y begin with all its promise while they still lived the pioneer life wi t h a “two seater” outhouse, coal oil lamps which were washed and prime d on ce a week, flat irons heated on the old stove, and a big copper boil er t o “boil the wash” and “bottle the food”.
Next came three little girls, Geneva, Arvilla, and Leona, to the delig h t of everyone. Also the horseless carriage came along to the amazemen t o f everyone. William and Elizabeth never did own a car.
In 1911, they added another boy, Vaun Mainwaring, and exactly 18 year s t o the day their first baby was born, they added a last little girl, E dna . With seven lively children, Saturday nights at the Bennetts’ wer e a mar athon of baths in the large tub in the kitchen. The tub, filled w ith wate r heated on the stove, was placed in the center of a ring of cha irs. A qu ilt was placed over all so the bather had privacy. Lots of goo d natured f un accompanied this Saturday night ritual.
By 1917 came the terrible “first world war”. Life was never quite the sa m e again. Sterling John, Oldest of the Bennett boys was drafted and pu t th rough basic training. A few weeks before he was to be shipped overse as, t he war ended. He returned to Meadow by bus. What a joyous reunion.
William and the boys were hunters and with luck and skill they provid e d a variety of meat for what had become a large family. William also ma in tained an apple orchard and Elizabeth grew an annual vegetable garden . Th ey stored apples and potatoes in “the pit” for winter use and alon g wit h the regular benefits of their farm such as milk, eggs, chicken, s alt cu red ham, etc., they did not go hungry. Also, they fared well throu gh th e “great flu epidemic of 1918".
Holidays and birthdays were special times for the Bennetts’. The whole t o wn celebrated the 4th and 24th of July, with a parade, games, picnics a n d dancing. The Relief Society made and sold ice cream cones. Elizabet h ma de her unique “raisin pie”, a great favorite of William’s, on specia l occ asions, and her famous fruit cakes for Christmas. They attended th e tow n winter plays in which most family members participated at one tim e or a nother.
These wonderful parents ruled their home with patience, love, understand i ng and faith in god, always showing an abundance of love to friends an d n eighbors and willing to help anyone in need. They were affectionatel y kno wn as Uncle Will and Aunt Bee.
Elizabeth was an excellent cook with a talent for putting things togeth e r to make them nourishing and tasty. She sewed almost everything she a n d her family wore and helped many of her friends, family members and ne ig hbors. She was very ambitious, never wasting time even when she was il l . She would crotchet or piece quilts to keep her hands busy. For many y ea rs, hobos and Indians came through Meadow looking for a “handout”. The y a lways stopped at Elizabeth’s door. She always sent them away with a m eal , either under their belt (if William was home) or in their hand if h e wa s not. One day she inquired of a hobo, why he had come a full bloc k off m ain street to her home to ask for food. He told her that there we re sign s on main street directing fellows like himself to persons who wo uld giv e good food to those in need.
Elizabeth came in contact with diphtheria and had a very bad case of i t . She always believed that the power of prayer and faith saved her lif e . She never was really well after that but did a beautiful job of taki n g care of her family. She and her fine husband cared for her widowed pi on eer mother for many years in their home, showing the greatest kindnes s an d love until her death.
With early Twenty’s, electricity came to Meadow. Such a modern miracle . N ow the family owned and enjoyed a radio as well as a daily newspaper . I n 1920, Howard was wed. The fledglings were beginning to leave the ne st . By the “crash of 29", five of their seven living children, had marri e d and left home.
The “great depression” that followed was not too unkind, although Willi a m often told about not seeing any actual money for a long time. They a l l traded goods and services until the depression eased. During this ti m e Elizabeth became very ill with cancer and died 26 Jun 1934, at age 6 5 .
She was buried in the Meadow Cemetery. Of the many tributes paid her a t h er funeral, this one is so true of her life: “There wa no more beauti fu l or noble woman lived than Libby Bennett”. She was affectionately cal le d Libby.
Following her death, the last two children married and William lived o u t his remaining years spending time with each of his children. He die d i n 1947 and was buried in the Meadow cemetery beside his beloved Eliza beth .