Obituary
| Birth: | Oct. 7, 1843
Nashville
Jackson County
Iowa, USA |
| Death: | Dec. 29, 1927
Manti
Sanpete County
Utah, USA |
Rodolphus N. Bennett, Indian war veteran, pioneer settler and colonizer, and the oldest man in Mt. Pleasant, died at the family home Thursday after a long illness due to the infirmities of old age.
Mr. Bennett was born October 27, 1843 in Nashville, Iowa. His parents, David and Johannah, Lovelith Bennett and their ten children were among the earliest converts to the L. D. S. faith, coming to Utah in 1850 in the company of which David Bennett was captain.
Mr. Bennett came to Mt. Pleasant among the earliest settlers in 1852, and had resided here ever since, with the exception of some years spent in colonizing settlements and on missionary labors.
His first wife died May 2, 1900, and two years later he married Mrs. Matilda A. Burns, widow of Sheriff Milton Burns, who survives him. Three sons and three daughters by his first marriage also survive.
Family links:
Parents:
David Alma Bennett (1801 - 1853)
Joanna Lowell Bennett (1803 - 1856)
Spouses:
Hannah E Allred Bennett (1848 - 1900)*
Matilda Josephine Anderson Burns Bennett (1853 - 1936)*
Children:
William Rudolphus Bennett (1864 - 1930)*
Ann Laura Bennett Madsen (1885 - 1976)*
Isaac Rowlin Bennett (1887 - 1964)*
Siblings:
Laura Elizabeth Bennett Young (1826 - 1880)*
Alma Harrison Bennett (1831 - 1905)*
Mahetable Mahala Maria Bennett Beers (1834 - 1888)*
Rudolphus Nathaniel Bennett (1843 - 1927)
Emma Euphrasia Bennett Porter (1848 - 1928)*
*Calculated relationship |
|
Burial:
Mount Pleasant City Cemetery
Mount Pleasant
Sanpete County
Utah, USA
Plot: A_36_3_8
|
What was the Kolob Guard?
More Wives Than One: Transformation of the Mormon Marriage System, 1840-1910By Kathryn M. Daynes
The following are snippets from Mt. Pleasant History by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf
p 63: We quote Rudolph N. Bennett, in a talk given by him at a
pioneer meeting, March 24, 1924, "There was at that time three
months at school and nine months out at work, not vacation; no wonder
some of us have not the book learning we would like, but we did not
have the opportunity to get it. The school seats were then made of
slabs and the desks were of rough boards. The schools now have all
that is necessary, including music." Concerning the use of the
building, we again quote Mr. Bennett, "This building was also
used for a dance hall, 'Nigger Shows,' theatre and school doings. The
lights were furnished by a sage brush or cedar fire; on special
occasions tallow candles were used. The house was always packed
because the people were glad for any kind of entertainment that could
be given."
Among other prominent pioneer musicians, who also contributed necessary pioneer music were Levi B. Reynolds, violinist; George Nielsen, tambourine; Orin Clark, the Jaw Bones of an Ox on a stick; Alma Staker, Bone Clapper;
Rudolph Bennett, Triangle; Bent Hansen, Bass Fiddle; Soren Hansen, Clarinet; Andrew Bramsted, Violin; and August Mynear, Violin.
p 64:
During the late summer and during the fall and winter
months, P. M. Peel and James Porter Sr., built a chopping mill on
Peel's lot on Pleasant Creek, (northeast corner, intersection, Main
Street and First West) where the stream had previously been taken out
and used for irrigation purposes. Here the stream furnished the water
power with which to run the mill. Owing to the distance to the
nearest flour mill, this mill was a great assistance, and the people
were glad to take their wheat there to be chopped. It was ground
between two stones and came out quite black, but coarse as it was, it
served the purpose and was used for bread. At about this time, a
small Burr mill was built east on Pleasant Creek, a little south of
where the Mount Pleasant flour mill is now, by John
Fredrick Fechser and John Ellertsen, (Spring City). A
whip saw was installed in the fort, on the banks of Pleasant Creek,
by Wellington Seeley and Rudolph N. Bennett, and was operated by
Thomas Dutton.
p68:
Realizing the need of recreation and entertainment, in 1860, a dramatic company, which always played to packed houses, was organized by a number of people, among whom were W. W. Brandon Sr., John Ivie and wife, Katherine Ivie,
Rudolph Bennett, George Porter and Joseph Smith Day. As time went on, the personnel of the company would change, but W. W. Brandon and Katherine Ivie played with them for years. During the winter months, their plays were put on in the log meeting house in the center of the fort, using wagon covers and other such material as they could provide for scenery. Among other plays, they presented the Merchant of Venice, and Good For Nothing Nan.
p 72: Independence Day, July the 4th, 1861, was celebrated
with appropriate ceremonies. A new flag pole was erected on the
Church Square. It was
one straight, long pole brought from the mountains by Svend Larsen,
Abraham Day, William Morrison Sr., and others, and prepared with a
plane and' draw knife brought from Norway by Erick Gunderson Sr., was
set up by Erick Gunderson Sr., Gunder E. Gunderson, Jacob Rolfson,
William Morrison Sr., and others. There was much rejoicing; an ox had
been killed for the occasion and a public dinner was given in the
bowery, on the south side in the square. A pitch pine torch in each
corner of the bowery furnished the light for the dance held in the
evening, for which music was furnished by John Waldermar, James
Hansen, Lars Nielsen (Fiddler), and others. All enjoyed them selves
to the utmost. R. N. Bennett states, "I recall the dances held
often in the old bowery, dancing on the dirt floor, some of us
barefoot, but we would make the dust fly. Bishop Seeley was great on
big eats. A saying was, 'We'll cut a squash, kill a chicken and have
a treat.' The only fruit I remember we ever had were bull berries,
service berries, and choke cherries, these were dried and used in the
winter, too."
R. N. Bennett made the following statement concerning the attack: "June 24, 1866, Black Hawk warriors attacked Captain Peter Dewey's company at Thistle Valley, killing one man, Charles Brown, of Draper, and wounding Thomas Snaar, and driving off twenty or more head of horses. John L. Ivie, Orange Seely, George Tucker, myself and others went to recover the horses. We followed Black Hawk and his band nearly to the head of Spanish Fork River, going a distance of about forty or fifty miles, then following down the Spanish Fork River, to about where Thistle Junction now is. During this engagement three or four Indians were killed, and a number wounded."
p117: It was originally intended to build a wall twelve feet high, but as the trouble with the Indians grew less serious, the wall was never completed.
Andrew Rolph states that to build this wall, people were organized in companies with captains. Mortin Rasmussen, he remembers, was captain over one group. The wall was constructed on a straight line, for about three blocks on the east side of Fourth East. Orin Clark's house, about southeast of the corner of the interdiction of Main and Fourth East was east or outside of the wall. North of Main, the wall ran about a block north, then northwest one block, and ended there. Svend Larsen's and Jim Walker's houses, about southeast of the corner of intersection of Fourth East and Main, and the house on the northeast corner of interdiction of First North and Third East was west, or inside of the wall. The rocks from this wall were later used to wall up cellars all about the city. R. N. Bennett stated that a bastille was started In this wall but not completed.''
p 130: with R. N. (Dolph) Bennett acting as head freighter.
Long trips were made with mule or horse teams, shorter ones with ox
teams. The store receiving cash for their produce, many people were
thereby benefited.
p 138: August 26th, 1868, Dan Miller, of Nephi, and his son,
returning with a load of lumber from Snow and Douglas Mill in Oak
Creek Canyon, east of Spring City, were attacked by Indians. Dolph
Bennett, who was on his way to the mill, discovered Mr. Miller lying
in a bed of cactus. After lifting him out he went to the mill to give
the alarm.
p 139: Quoting R. N. Bennett: "Records show that
during the war 72 white people and about 122 Indians were killed in
Utah."
An act to pension the survivors of certain Indian Wars from
January 1, 1859, to 1891 was approved March 4, 1917. Coming at this late date the majority of those who had served in the early days had passed away. The following named are those who at that time proved up in Mt. Pleasant: Martin Aldrich, Claus Anderson, C. W. Anderson, Rasmus Anderson, Oscar Barton,
Rudolph Bennett, Andrew Beckstrom, Martin Bohne, Martin Brotherson, Joseph Burton, John Carlson, James Christensen, Robert Eiertson, Rasmus Frandsen, James Hendricksen, Neils Johansen, Andrew Jensen, Sophus Johnson, John Knudsen, Brigham Lee, Peter Monsen, Bennett Monk, James Olson, Ole Arlson, Olof Rosenlof, Conderset Rowe, Hyrum Seely, John H. Seely, William Seely, Olof Sorensen, John Waldermar, August Wall, Thomas Wrest, Hazzard Wilcox, Alma White, Joseph Wise, Oscar Anderson, Wesley Bills, Joseph Coates, Henry Ericksen, Peter N. Jensen, Peter Rasmussen, Joseph N. Seely, Andrew Rolph, S. A. Barton, Edmond C. Johnson, William Olson. The last four named are living in Mt. Pleasant, in 1939, as are the widows of Martin Aldrich, Joseph Burton, Sophus Johnson, Oscar Barton, Hazzard Wilcox, John Carlson, Peter M. Jensen, Oscar Anderson and A. G. Omen.
p 203: Rudolph N. Bennett, a Black Hawk War Veteran, and the
last survivor of the pioneers whose names are engraved on the Mt.
Pleasant monument, died December 29, 1927, at the age of eightyfour
years.
%2B.jpeg)