Individual Details

Buried Dalton City Cemetery, Bowling Green Township, Chariton Co, MO
"Wife of Henry Winkler, age 54 years, 7 days"

Found in Ancestry FamilyTree:
Original letter in the possession of this writer, Blytha (Dennis) Ellis, distant cousin of Mollie.

[Note: Mollie Winkler was the daughter of Henry Winkler and Arvella "Arvelee" (Asbell) Winkler. Arvelee was raised by Ezekiel Bennett, Sr. and Lydia (Asbell) Bennett, this writer's great great grandparents. Arvelee was considered a sister to the sons and daughters of Ezekiel and Lydia Bennett, although she was probably actually a cousin to these children. Therefore, Arvlee's children called the Bennett children aunts and uncles. The following letters were written to one of these aunts, Malethia Bennett. In the second letter, Mollie also mentions Aunt Paulina, who was Paulina (Bennett) Thurman, this writer's great grandmother, and this original letter was found among Paulina's things which I inherited. This second letter was written in 1877, shortly after Mollie's mother, Arvelee, died. Mollie also mentions caring for her grandmother, who was her father's mother, Nancy D. (Noland) Winkler. Mollie mentions two Aunt Pollie's; the first is on the Winkler side, a sister to Henry Winkler, and the latter one mentioned is Pollie Bennett, another aunt on her mother's side. The grandma she mentions in the last paragraph, as wanting a picture of, is Lydia (Asbell) Bennett, the one who raised Arvelee; Lydia was still living at this time.]

Paranthesis note addition of identification of those mentioned in the letter.
TRANSCRIPT OF LETTER WRITTEN BY ARVELEE (ASBELL/BENNETT) WINKLER TO HER SISTER MALETHIA BENNETT [Note: Arvelee was actually an Asbell but was raised by Bennett relatives, so was not a true sister to Malethia but grew up as a sister to her.]Aug. the 12, 1875 - Dear Sister [appears to have been written to Malethia Bennett while she was living at brother Ezekiel Bennett, Jr.'s home in Kirksville, Adair County, Missouri], It is with pleasure I answer your kind letter which was kindly received and gladly read over. Truly glad I was to hear from you all and to know where you all was. Malethia, I want to know if Paulina [sister Paulina (Bennett) Thurman] lives at the Thurman place. I want to stop and see her when I come up this fall and maybe I will stay all winter with you and I want to see mother [Lydia (Asbell) Bennett] the worst kind. Has mother been to see Paulina's baby yet? Tell Ezekiel [brother Ezekiel Bennett, Jr.] I want to see him and his wife. I never will forget the evening we all went through the lane to Wesley's [probably their nephew Wesley Baldwin]. I want you to tell me where all the boys [probably Baldwin boys, sons of sister Charity (Bennett) (Baldwin) Lucas] is and little Martha is [Martha D. "Mat" Lucas, age 15, youngest daughter of Charity (Bennett) (Baldwin) Lucas who is now deceased]. Well, you wanted to know where all of the children is. Lou [dau Louisa (Winkler) Peddicord] lives with me and Jim [son James W. Winkler] lives about 200 steps from me and John [son John T. Winkler] is living at Mrs. Chapmans and Matt and Will [dau Martha Jane "Mat" (Winkler) who married William H. Shepherds in 1871] is living together. They live three miles from me and Charity [dau Charity (Winkler) (Garrett) Peters] is living six, and the rest is at home [there are 5 younger daughters left at home]. Maletha, Charity [dau mentioned above] says tell you if you come down, she will go to the sulphur spring with you. She is not well. We live about twenty-five miles from the spring, and bring mother [Lydia (Asbell) Bennett] with you and stay two months if not longer and I will be sure and go home with you. Henry [husband Henry Winkler] has not been sick none since you was down here. I want to be with you all again. Can tell you more than I can write. Tell Jim Bennett [her half-brother] I want him to write. From Arvlee Winkler to her sister. Write soon.

December the 28, 1877, Friday afternoon at home.
Dear Aunt [Malethia],
The times is so lonely and dreary that I have nothing to do this evening but to think about my kin, and I have come to the conclusion that I am compelled to write to you, not knowing that I will get an answer or not. It seems as though you all have forsaken us. We don't get any more letters from you. After this, Aunt Malethia, I want you to write regular.
I will now tell you for why, it was my dear mother's request for us to write to you all, but my mind has not been settled enough since she has been dead to write. Aunt Malethia, I would have give the world if my Maw had got to saw you all before she was taken from us. She talked about you all every day she was sick, and she said that if she could get to see her mother and all of you, she would die satisfied, but she told us that we must write all about her. But, one good thing, she was willing to go. She died happy. Two or three nights before she died, you never heard anybody shout so sweet in your life, but if that didn't touch my heart, nothing never did. But, when she first taken so bad, she would look at us children and cry. Aunt Maletha, you don't know how hard it is to give up a mother. You don't know how bad I miss her, the only friend that I had is gone and it seems like I am lost. I never had to take no interest in keeping house, but I do now.
Well, I will tell you that we are looking for my grandma to die. She has been like a baby ever since she has been down here. We have to lift her all the time. Nobody knows all the trouble we have seen with her. There is no one at home but Lydia and Miney [Winkler sisters] and I and Pa [Henry Winkler]. We keep house. Lydia is sick all the time and I have got all the work to do except my washings. They are so great that I have to hire them done, but it is on the count of grandma. She is groaning so I can't hardly write, and you must look over this poorly written letter. I have wished a thousand times that she was back to Aunt Pollie's. I think all children ought to see to their own mothers when they are sick. I know it looked like I could not do half enough for my mother, and if it had been my mother, I never would let her left my house, for I would thought her grandchildren could not do as much as I could, although we wait on her good as we can, but she is ten times more trouble than mother was. You never saw as good a thing to take medicine than mother.
Well, Aunt Malethia, tell Aunt Paulina I want her to write to me and you don't know how bad I want to see you all, not one, but all. I think if you or Aunt Pollie thought anything of us, you would come down. Well, as you permit me to close by asking you to write soon and often, give my best respects to all of my kin. I remain as ever, your true niece Mollie Winkler.
Direct [your letters] to Frankfort, Saline Co.
If I had room, I would write more. If you don't answer this, I never will write you no more. You must look over this. I will do better the next time. Aunt Paulina, I want you to send me your children's pictures and yours and Aunt Malethia and Aunt Pollie and grandma, too. I want them all and I will send mine.


Written by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis, Great Granddaughter of Paulina (Bennett) Thurman
Not until recent years was it discovered by genealogists, including myself, researching this family, that Arvelee was not really a Bennett. When her marriage record was found, we learned she used the last name of Asbell which was no doubt her legal last name.
When the marriage record for Ezekiel Bennett, Sr. and Lydia Asbell was found, it was noted that Arvelee was born at an earlier date than their marriage in 1827. It is believed that Arvelee was a relative of Lydia Asbell, and perhaps her niece. Lydia had a brother named Ross Asbell whose wife died and he travelled around a lot. It is thought by some family members that Arvelee may have been Ross' daughter. At present, her true parentage is unknown. [Note: Arvella was a daughter of Ross Asbell]
In addition to Arvelee, this Bennett family also raised another daughter whose relationship to the family is unclear. Her name was Charity Bennett and she was also born before the Bennett marriage. Ezekiel Bennett, Sr. had been married before and had at least two sons by his first wife, John and James Bennett. Charity may have also been his daughter by his previous marriage, but no one is sure of this.
After the Bennetts married in 1827 in Madison County, Kentucky, they continued to live in that state and had 4 children born to them. We are not sure as to when the two older girls, Arvelee and Charity, joined the Bennett family.
We just know that Arvelee and Charity grew up with the Bennets and considered the Bennett children their siblings. The Bennetts first lived around Estell and Madison County, Kentucky, after their marriage.
In about 1836, the Bennetts moved with a large group of pioneers from Kentucky to Missouri with their 4 children, Ezekiel's two sons John and James, and the two girls they were raising, Arvelee and Charity. They first settled in Macon County, Missouri. There, three more children were born to the Bennetts, but two of these, a set of twins, died. My great grandmother Paulina was the third child born here.
Between 1840 and 1843, the Bennetts moved north to Schuyler County, Missouri, where their youngest child, Ezekiel, Jr., was born. These are the Bennett children whom Arvelee grew up with as siblings:
John Bennett 1812-1905
James Bennett 1823-1894
Charity Bennett
Fielding "Dick" Bennett 1828-1900
Mary Polly Bennett 1830-1892
Maletha "May" (Bennett) Cosby 1833-1913
Amos Bennett 1834-1917
Joseph Bennett 1837-1837
Nancy Bennett 1837-1837
Paulina (Bennett) Thurman 1840-1928
Ezekiel Bennett, Jr. 1843-1919

While the family was living in Macon County, Missouri, Arvelee met Henry Winkler. They were married in this county on August 6, 1839 by a Justice of the Peace. They also moved to Schuyler County with the Bennetts prior to 1843. Ezekiel Bennett, Sr. died in Schuyler County in 1846.

Birth	Abt 1818
Marriage	6 Aug 1839	Macon County, Missouri - Henry Winkler
Death	Bef Dec 1877

Spouse	Henry Winkler (1819 - 1877)
Child	Charity A. Winkler (1840 - )
Child	Henry H. Winkler (1842 - 1861)
Child	James W. Winkler (1844 - 1920)
Child	John T. Winkler (1846 - )
Child	Louisa Winkler (1850 - 1931)
Child	Sarah Winkler (1850 - 1917)
Child	Martha J. Winkler (1853 - )
Child	Margaret S. Winkler (1856 - )
Child	Mary C. "Mollie" Winkler (1858 - )
Child	Nancy S. Winkler (1859 - )
Child	Lydia Suminna Winkler (1863 - 1948)

Father	Ross Asbell (1792 - 1864)
Mother	Elizabeth Becknell ( - 1824)
Sibling	Daughter Asbell (1820 - )
Sibling	Charles Asbell (1821 - 1909)
Sibling	Alexander Asbell (1823 - )
Sibling	William Asbell (1824 - )