Individual Details

1850 Census. Schuyler Co, MO
Lydia Bennett, age 43, b. NC.
Children born in KY: Fielding, age 21. Polly age 20. Latha age 17. Amos age 15.
Children born in MO: Ezekiel age 6 and Paulina age 10.

1860 Census. Chariton, Schuyler Co MO
Lydia Bennett, age 56, b. NC Indexed as age 36.
Mary, age 22, b. KY - presumably Polly who was 20 in 1830.
Malissa, age 20, b. KY - could this be "Latha"
Palina, age 19, b. Missouri
Zecal, age 16, b. Missouri

1870 Census. Independence, Macon Co MO
E. Bennett, age 24, b. MO - probably Ezekiel
Lydia, age 67, b. SC
Mary, 38, b. KY. Maletha, age 27, b. KY
[name unreadable] female, age 25, b. MO - would seem to be Paulina
Douglas Baldwin, age 18, Domestic servant, b. MO

1880 Census. Benton, Adair Co MO
Ezekiel Bennett, age 35, b. MO, father b. VA, mother b. KY
Mary F., age 35, wife. Born MO, parents in KY
Don C., age 4, son. Dove, age 1, daughter
Lydda, age 78, mother, b. KY, parents b. in Eng [not.....]
Mary, age 45, sister, b. KY, father b. VA, mother b. KY




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 letter was written to one of these aunts, Malethia Bennett. In the 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 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.]

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.

Birth	9 Sep 1804	Hangingdog, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina
Marriage	27 Nov 1827	Madison County, Kentucky - Ezekiel Bennett
Death	8 Sep 1882	Adair County, Missouri

Spouse	Ezekiel Bennett ( - )
Child	Fielding Bennett (1829 - 1900)
Child	Polly Bennett (1830 - 1892)
Child	Maletha "May" Bennett (1833 - 1913)
Child	Amos Bennett (1835 - 1917)
Child	Joseph Bennett (1837 - 1837)
Child	Nancy Bennett (1837 - 1837)
Child	Paulina Bennett (1840 - 1928)
Child	Ezekiel Bennett (1844 - 1919)

Father	William Asbill (1760 - )
Mother	Elizabeth "Nar-nee" Ross (1770 - 1851)
Sibling	Mary Nancy Asbell (1787 - 1869)
Sibling	William "Old Billy" Asbell Jr. (1788 - 1873)
Sibling	Joseph Asbell (1789 - 1872)
Sibling	John Asbell (1790 - 1864)
Sibling	Ross Asbell (1792 - 1864)
Sibling	Elizabeth "Betsy" Asbell (1808 - 1890)
Sibling	Sarah "Sally" Asbell (1811 - 1880)