OBITUARY
ELIZABETH GARNER BENJAMIN
Mrs. Elizabeth Garner Benjamin was born in Flint, North
Wales, Nov. 13, 1830. She was the
daughter of Joseph and Mary A. (Taylor) Garner,
an honored and well –to-do English family, then residing in Flint, several
relatives of which family have, at various times, held positions of importance
and distinction in England.
One
brother, Richard T. Garner of Stalder, California, survives her. She has no other near relatives except her
immediate family.
In
Flint, on the River Dee, was spent most of her childhood life, playing among
the ruins of historic Flint Castle and in the beautiful valleys and meadows
round about. The picturesque city of
Holywell not far distant overlooking the sea, nurtured and charmed her early
girlhood days. No lovelier spot to
temper and brighten one’s life during the years of growth and formation of
character, can be found. Here she was
educated, attending the best schools and seminaries. Growing into girlhood amid such surroundings
certainly had its influence in molding her character into the tender and loving
mother that she was.
Living
with her brother in Holywell until April, 1851, she then sailed for Boston to
meet Dr. John Benjamin to whom she was engaged to be married at the time. After over thirty days of both pleasant and
stormy weather at sea she landed on the New England coast.
She
was married June 5, 1851 to Dr. John Benjamin, then a practicing physician in
Boston who had, two years previously, sailed from England. The oldest daughter Annie and the eldest son
Robert G. were born while she as residing in Boston.
In
1855 the family moved to Rockford, Ill., where Dr. Benjamin enjoyed a
prosperous furniture business for a while but where nearly all was lost during
the financial panic of 1856-57. John
Franklin, the second son, was born there.
It was
decided to try the growing west and Minnesota was selected, Dr. Benjamin going
in advance to purchase land and erect buildings for the new home. Setting out the spring of 1858, Mrs. Benjamin
was met at Carver by Dr. Benjamin with ox teams to carry provisions, implements
and stores to the selected home. Mrs.
Benjamin then for the fist time experienced the hardships of such slow travel,
through mud and rain and over almost impassable pioneer roads.
In
nearly two weeks time they arrived at the claim north of the present village of
Hutchinson where a house paid for in advance was supposed to have been waiting
for them but was found, on arrival, not yet erected. After enduing all the privations incident to
the life of pioneers, their food borrowed by the more needy never to be
returned, they decided to rent their farm and build a house on the hill north
of Hutchinson so as to secure better educational advantages for the their
children.
This
house was vacated just in time, thanks to the warning of a friendly Indian,
(Good Charlie) to escape the cruelties of the Sioux, who were beginning to wage
war against the early settlers in the struggle known as the Indian
outbreak. This was the first house
destroyed in the village. A fitting
emblem of the Indian’s nature. In war,
their best friend, in peace, their worst enemy.
The
winter previous Mrs. Benjamin had often administered with her own hands to
these same Indians whom she could now see dancing around her burning home, clad
in her own garments, many greatly prized on account of having been brought from
her home across the water. Everything
was lost, burned or stolen.
After
passing through the siege in the stockade for several months and remaining in
the village of Hutchinson for a time, the homestead now known as “Fairy Glen”
was secured in the spring of 1864.
During this time the children, Louisa S. and Gridley W. were born, and
later, Elizabeth Olive, Albert Byron, Arthur E., and Winfred G. The rest of the time up to the present Mrs.
Benjamin spent in building up her home and caring for the needs of her family.
Source: Hutchinson
Leader - Nov 3, 1900
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