Frederick Weston (Miner) Benedict
Memories of Fred W. Benedict by Ellen Benedict Wilson, 2001
"One of my memories of Dad was of him sitting in his favorite rocking chair, smoking an old corncob pipe, and reading a farm magazine. Even though Dad was in his fifties by the time my own memories of him surfaced, others have shared some of his early life.
As a young man, Dad had a beautiful tenor voice. I never heard about voice lessons so this talent must have come naturally to him. His three sisters also had unusual musical ability. We have pictures of Dad in the choir robes of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath, New York. I don’t know how long he sang in that choir.
When our family moved from Bath to a farm in Sonora about 1916, it was too far to go to Bath to sing in the choir. However, there was a small Methodist Church in Sonora that the family attended. Once in a while during a special church service, my father would sing a solo accompanied by my mother at the piano. I remember one time Dad lost his place (he was reading from a hymn book) and my mother had to stop playing the piano and show Dad where to start again. Dad and mother were able to resume their musical selection as though nothing unusual had happened.
In the winter time when the family was apt to be home together on Sunday evening, the whole family would gather ‘round the old “pump” organ and sing hymns and folk songs. Mother played the organ and Dad led the singing. In the summer time, after supper when Dad would collect the milk pails and start for the barn to milk, we would often hear him singing, loud and clear, as he left the house to work in the barn.
Music has been fun for our family over the years and today I have children and grandchildren who sing and play musical instruments in this great old family tradition."
Memories of Dad by Janet Benedict Hoffman ~ 2001
"One of the memories that I hold most dear was his ability to see all sides of a problem and it was from him that I learned tolerance -- he was prone to find fault with any who didn’t agree with him and sometimes when mother would be critical of our neighbors, he would say that they have their right to “be” ... “they have their rights, too.”
One year we were in need of a new team of horses and he bought a pair of barely trained colts, Bonnie and Beauty. He and I did the bulk of the training and one incident is especially true of his consistency in the training. It was the beginning of the haying season and one field required the hay wagon to come down quite a steep grade after we had loaded the hay. This was a new experience for the horses. As the wagon moved down the grade the hay moved forward, too, and touched them in the rear. They were frightened and took off. I was on the load and driving. Dad tried to get ahead of them to stop them but couldn’t and they literally ran towards a barbed wire fence at the side of the field. Dad was driven against the fence. I saw it and was frightened and didn’t know what to do. In desperation I tried to turn them to level ground near the highway. I had to make a sharp turn and was scared, but seeing my dad bleeding gave me the courage to make that turn. The horses quieted and we were able to get them to the barn. Dad was badly scratched by the barbed wire, but he would have nothing to do with dressing the wounds. We went back out and got another load of hay-- the theory being that this way we would be teaching the horses that the experience was O.K. We never noticed that the horses seemed scared again.
We, of course, had milk cows and I wanted to help with the milking, but in order for him to let me do that, I had to agree to milk every night. I readily made the promise and he held me to it for a long time -- a good lesson, I finally realized.
One summer was especially tough for him. It was the year that I was twelve. He was not feeling well and could not keep up with the heavy work of harvesting the hay. With his guidance and encouragement, Weston and I got through it. As he grew older he was reluctant to take risks. I would say that I remember him as a “plodder”, seldom in a hurry, but he always got things done."
"One of my memories of Dad was of him sitting in his favorite rocking chair, smoking an old corncob pipe, and reading a farm magazine. Even though Dad was in his fifties by the time my own memories of him surfaced, others have shared some of his early life.
As a young man, Dad had a beautiful tenor voice. I never heard about voice lessons so this talent must have come naturally to him. His three sisters also had unusual musical ability. We have pictures of Dad in the choir robes of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath, New York. I don’t know how long he sang in that choir.
When our family moved from Bath to a farm in Sonora about 1916, it was too far to go to Bath to sing in the choir. However, there was a small Methodist Church in Sonora that the family attended. Once in a while during a special church service, my father would sing a solo accompanied by my mother at the piano. I remember one time Dad lost his place (he was reading from a hymn book) and my mother had to stop playing the piano and show Dad where to start again. Dad and mother were able to resume their musical selection as though nothing unusual had happened.
In the winter time when the family was apt to be home together on Sunday evening, the whole family would gather ‘round the old “pump” organ and sing hymns and folk songs. Mother played the organ and Dad led the singing. In the summer time, after supper when Dad would collect the milk pails and start for the barn to milk, we would often hear him singing, loud and clear, as he left the house to work in the barn.
Music has been fun for our family over the years and today I have children and grandchildren who sing and play musical instruments in this great old family tradition."
Memories of Dad by Janet Benedict Hoffman ~ 2001
"One of the memories that I hold most dear was his ability to see all sides of a problem and it was from him that I learned tolerance -- he was prone to find fault with any who didn’t agree with him and sometimes when mother would be critical of our neighbors, he would say that they have their right to “be” ... “they have their rights, too.”
One year we were in need of a new team of horses and he bought a pair of barely trained colts, Bonnie and Beauty. He and I did the bulk of the training and one incident is especially true of his consistency in the training. It was the beginning of the haying season and one field required the hay wagon to come down quite a steep grade after we had loaded the hay. This was a new experience for the horses. As the wagon moved down the grade the hay moved forward, too, and touched them in the rear. They were frightened and took off. I was on the load and driving. Dad tried to get ahead of them to stop them but couldn’t and they literally ran towards a barbed wire fence at the side of the field. Dad was driven against the fence. I saw it and was frightened and didn’t know what to do. In desperation I tried to turn them to level ground near the highway. I had to make a sharp turn and was scared, but seeing my dad bleeding gave me the courage to make that turn. The horses quieted and we were able to get them to the barn. Dad was badly scratched by the barbed wire, but he would have nothing to do with dressing the wounds. We went back out and got another load of hay-- the theory being that this way we would be teaching the horses that the experience was O.K. We never noticed that the horses seemed scared again.
We, of course, had milk cows and I wanted to help with the milking, but in order for him to let me do that, I had to agree to milk every night. I readily made the promise and he held me to it for a long time -- a good lesson, I finally realized.
One summer was especially tough for him. It was the year that I was twelve. He was not feeling well and could not keep up with the heavy work of harvesting the hay. With his guidance and encouragement, Weston and I got through it. As he grew older he was reluctant to take risks. I would say that I remember him as a “plodder”, seldom in a hurry, but he always got things done."
Genealogy Notes for Frederick Weston (Miner) Benedict
Frederick Weston Miner was born 5 Sept. 1866 in Norwich, Chenango Co., NY; he died 25 April 1942 in Savona, Steuben Co., NY. Fred Weston Miner was the son of Sereno W. Miner and Sarah Louise Williams. His father, Sereno Miner died in 1870 when Frederick was only 4 years old. His mother, Sarah Louise (Williams) Miner married (2) Frank E. Benedict in 1872 in Canton, Bradford Co., PA. Fred Weston Miner assumed the name Benedict from his step-father, Frank E. Benedict.
Frederick W. Benedict married (1) Estelle "Stella" Tubbs 31 Jan 1887 in Bath, Steuben Co., NY; Estelle was born 17 July 1869 in Bath, NY; she died 2 Aug 1905 in Bath, NY. She is buried in the Grove Cemetery, Bath, NY. Frederick Weston Miner Benedict and Estelle "Stella" Tubbs Benedict had the following children: Elizabeth "Lizzie" (died young); Margaret (died young); Genevieve "Jennie"; Marjorie Juanita; Esther Frances; Fred Vincent (died young of a gunshot wound at age 21).
Frederick W. Benedict married (2) Verna Deming Crandle 27 Dec. 1909 in Canton, Bradford Co., PA; Verna was born 20 April 1879 in Grover, Bradford Co., PA, the daughter of Job Robards Crandle and Martha Rosette Barnes. She died Oct. 11, 1967 in Corning, Steuben Co., NY and is buried in the East Canton Cemetery, Canton, Bradford Co., PA.
Together Fred & Verna Benedict had seven children: Rosette (died young) Janet, Wes, Ellen, Martha, Job Crandle "Cran", William "Billy"..
Miscellaneous Genealogy Notes on Fred W. (Miner) Benedict from JB:
Frederick W. Benedict married (1) Estelle "Stella" Tubbs 31 Jan 1887 in Bath, Steuben Co., NY; Estelle was born 17 July 1869 in Bath, NY; she died 2 Aug 1905 in Bath, NY. She is buried in the Grove Cemetery, Bath, NY. Frederick Weston Miner Benedict and Estelle "Stella" Tubbs Benedict had the following children: Elizabeth "Lizzie" (died young); Margaret (died young); Genevieve "Jennie"; Marjorie Juanita; Esther Frances; Fred Vincent (died young of a gunshot wound at age 21).
Frederick W. Benedict married (2) Verna Deming Crandle 27 Dec. 1909 in Canton, Bradford Co., PA; Verna was born 20 April 1879 in Grover, Bradford Co., PA, the daughter of Job Robards Crandle and Martha Rosette Barnes. She died Oct. 11, 1967 in Corning, Steuben Co., NY and is buried in the East Canton Cemetery, Canton, Bradford Co., PA.
Together Fred & Verna Benedict had seven children: Rosette (died young) Janet, Wes, Ellen, Martha, Job Crandle "Cran", William "Billy"..
Miscellaneous Genealogy Notes on Fred W. (Miner) Benedict from JB:
- 1870 Federal Census, NY, Chenango Co, Norwich lists Sarah L. Miner, age 28, with no husband, census was taken June 1870 and Sereno died in March. With Sarah Miner is Fred W. Miner age 3 and Hattie Miner, age 1. Also listed in this household is Julia (25) and Alice (23) Arnold.
- 1880 Fed. Census, Pennsylvania, Bradford, Canton Twp. lists Fred Miner age 13 living with Frank E. Benedict and Louise Benedict and their daughter, Maud (5) and Fred’s sister, Hattie (10).
- 1887, Steuben Courier, Benedict, F.W. married Stella Tubbs, Jan. 31, 1887; married at Bath at the home of Mrs. James Edwards, both of Bath. (Feb. 4. 1887)
- 1890, Steuben Courier, Elizabeth R. Benedict, died Aug. 13, 1890 at age 2 years, daughter of Fred & Estelle Benedict (Aug. 15, 1890)
- 1891 Bath Village directory lists Fred W. Benedict, clerk at 13 Rumsey St.; Anna M. Edwards, widow of James N. Edwards at 13 Rumsey St. and Melissa Tubbs, boards at 13 Rumsey St.
- 1900 Fed. Census, NY, Steuben Co, Wheeler Twp, lists Fred Benedict, b. Sept. 1866, age 33, married 13 years, farmer; Stella, b. July 1869, age 30, had 7 children/3 living; Jennie, b. Aug. 1894, age 8; Marjorie, b. Mar. 1896, age 4; Esther, b. May 1899, age 1; Stella must have had an additional two children prior to 1900 who died young as I have only accounted for six children, one of whom, Fred Vincent, was born after the 1900 Fed. Census.
- 1910 Fed. Census Bath Twp. lists Fred W. Benedict with wife, Verna C. Benedict, born in Pennsylvania; Fred’s occupation listed as collar maker in a harness shop; none of his previous children are listed.
- 1920 Fed. Census NY Steuben, Bradford Twp. lists Fred W. Benedict with wife Verna, children Janet, Weston, Ellen and Martha; occupation farmer; census taken January 1920.
- 1930 Fed. census, NY, Steuben Co., Bradford Twp lists Frederick W. Benedict, head of house, age 63, b. NY, married first at age 19 (1885), farmer on a farm; Verna C. age 51, b. PA, married first at age 30 (1909); Janet C. 17; Weston C. 16; Ellen C. 15; Martha C. 12; Crandle J. 9; William C. 7, all children b. NY.
- Death Cert lists his father as Cyrenus Miner; info given by Verna C. Benedict of Savona, NY.
- Obituary, Corning Leader: Savona, Fred W. Benedict, 75, died this morning at his home in Savona. He was born in Norwich, NY, the son of Cyrenus Miner and Louise Williams Miner Benedict. On Dec. 27, 1909 he was united in marriage to Miss Verna Crandle. Mr. Benedict was a very estimable citizen and was a retired farmer, a member of St. Thomas Episcopal church of Bath and of the Savona Grange. He came to Savona 15 months ago, having lived 27 years in Sonora and previous to that in Bath. His survivors include his widow, and five daughters, Mrs. Parker Hoffman of Tullahoma, Tenn; Mrs. Howard Wilson of Huber, Oregon; Mrs. Arthur Harron of Winchester, Mass; Mrs. Marjorie Dobrott of Pasadena, Calif; Mrs. Leon Palmer of Dundee; also three sons, Weston of Savona; Crandle and William at home and two grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
- Funeral Notice: Fred W. Benedict: Savona: the funeral of Fred W. Benedict was held Tuesday from the late home. Burial was in East Canton, Pa. Bearers included: Leon Palmer of Dundee; Leland Palmer of Addison; Dr. Parker Hoffman, Tullahome, TN; Weston, Crandall & William Benedict, all of Savona. Out of town guests included Dr. & Mrs. Parker Hoffman, Tennessee; Mrs. Arthur Harron & son, Arthur, Jr. of Winchester, Mass; Mr. & Mrs. John Gilbert, Penn Yann; Miss Betty Palmer, Penn Yan; Mrs. Maude Crandall, Avoca; Mrs. S. G. Hoffman, Painted Post; Mr. & Mrs. Leon A. Palmer, Dundee; Mr. & Mrs. Leland Palmer, Addison and sons, Arthur and Garry Richards.
