John Henry Benning and Maria Katherine Killian Family

Maria Katherine Killian, daughter of Mathias Killian and Rosalie Gandyra, was born Sep 1879 at North Creek, Trempealeau Co., Wisconsin. She married  about 1902 in Saskatchewan to John Henry Benning (he born 1873 in Waumandee, Buffalo Co., Wisconsin and died 18 Seo 1954, at Wetburn, Saskatchewan. Maria and John had the following children:

1-Clarence George Benning, born Apr 1902 in Weybirn, died 6 Jun 1916 in Tribune, Saskatchewan.

2-Lloyd Albert Benning, born 26 Jul 1904, in Weyburn, where he died died 25 Sep 1959. Lloyd married on 7 Jan 1928, to Clara Catherine Maclean, who was born 13 Jun 1904, in Weyburn, where she died 9 Feb 1998. Both are buried in Hillcrest Cemetery. Clara's obituary in the Weyburn Review states the following (which I have edited):

On Monday, February 9, 1998, Clara Catherine Benning, late of Weyburn,Sask., passed away at the age of 93 years. Clara Catherine Benning was born June 13, 1904 to Louise and Hector MacLean on a farm south of Weyburn. Following high school she took her teachers training and taught school until her marriage to Lloyd Albert Benning in 1928. They farmed south of Weyburn, where they raised their family. 
Clara was part of the South Weyburn Community and a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish. Following her husband's passing in 1959, she continued farming with her sons. In 1984 she became a resident of Weyburn, moving to Weyburn Special Care Home in 1992. Predeceased by her parents, Louise and Hector MacLean, her husband Lloyd in 1959, and infant son Gerald, son Henry Benning in 1990, daughter Marion Skjonsby in 1993, son-in-law Hans Reitler in 1968, daughter-in-law Ingrid Benning in 1968, grandson Daniel Benning, sister Jemima Taylor, and two brothers, Clifton and Roderick MacLean. 
Prayers were said Tuesday, February 10, 1998 at7:00 pm from St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church, Weyburn, Sask. Interment followed in Hillcrest Cemetery, Weyburn, Sask.

3-Annie Gladys Benning, was born in Saskatchewan in  1906, and she died in Weyburn on 29 Nov 1975. Annie married about 1925 in Saskatchewan to Michael John Koch (born Feb 1911 in Saskatchewan and died 13 Jul 1989, in Weyburn). Both are buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Weyburn.

4-Sadie Mary Benning, was born 8 Apr 1911, in Colgate, where she died on 14 Mar 1989. Sadie married 3 Feb 1938, in Weyburn to Ralph Everett Bowditch (born 8 Sep 1909, in Weyburn, and died 24 Jan 1987, in Tisdale, Saskatchewan.  Both are buried in Tisdale Cemetery. The following is an edited version of Ralph's eulogy:

This afternoon we are saying our good byes to a beloved family member and a sincere friend. Ralph Bowditch was born in 1909 to Fred and Edna Bowditch in the Weyburn district where he received his schooling. Ralph worked on the family farm with his parents and three brothers. In 1938 Ralph married Sadie Benning and in 1940 Ralph and family moved north to Sylvania to the district and hamlet he grew to love very much. It was on a farm near Sylvania that Ralph and Sadie raised their family of 3 girls and 2 boys ... In 1976 Ralph and Sadie moved to Tisdale. Ralph never officially retired from farming because his interest and presence was always there ... He enjoyed nature in that he liked to watch a plant grow from the early spring seeding thought he summer growing season to the fall harvest ... Ralph enjoyed working with his hands, as a carpenter he was very exacting. If the finished product was not going to be just right he would start over ... Ralph's many friends found in him a certain sense of humor that was only his and a wisdom and sincerity that was respected ... Ralph loved his family, he loved his wife ... He looked forward to the visits from his children and grandchildren ... Funeral service roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, Tisdale, Tuesday, January 27, 1987 2:00 ... Interment Tisdale Cemetery ... Predeceased by his parents.

5-Florence Elizabeth Benning, born 1913 in Saskatchewan, married Milton Hennings (born about 1900 in Saskatchewan, died in the province in 1961).

6-Clifford George Benning, born 1918 in Tribune, died 11 Sep 1961, in Weyburn. He married Elsie Martha Brandt (born 1914 in Saskatchewan, died 9 Nov 1990, in Weyburn. Both are burried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Weyburn.

7-Helen Violet Benning, born 19 Aug 1924, in Weyburn, where she died 6 Jul 2014. Helen married John Stanley Kot (born 12 Aug 1917, in Prelate, Saskatchewan, died 15 Jul 1984, in Weyburn. Both are buried in Hillcrest Cemetery.

The following excerpts are taken from the Biography of Henry and Mary Benning in "As Far as the Eye Can See", the R.M. of Weyburn history book written by Mayvis Goranson: 

John Henry Benning was born and raised near Waumandee, Wisconsin USA. His mother died when he was a small child and he received very little formal education. When he was about twenty years of age, he and his brother, Anton, decided if they were ever going to get any place they would have to get more education; so they hired a tutor and applied themselves to the three R's. ... While on his way to visit a girl friend who lived quite a distance away, he stopped over night in Arcadia, Wisc. and there he met Mary Katherine Killian. He never did finish that journey to see the former girl friend. 
Two years after they were married, Mother and Dad, with their small son, Clarence came to Weyburn, N.W.T. Here their second son, Lloyd was born. After acquiring a homestead in what is now the R.M. of Lomond, near Goodwater, they erected a two room sod house which had a dirt floor. The first winter they lived in the main room as the bedroom was needed to store their first crop of wheat which had been planted and harvested with a team of oxen. The team of oxen became very unpopular with mother as they consumed her entire first crop of onions - she had placed the onions on a blanket in the yard to dry ... the first curtains Mother made for the sod house were cut from newspaper ... After a few years small towns began to spring up and they decided to try a new venture and built the Leland Hotel in Colgate where elevators and roads were being built and trade was brisk. They sold the Leland in 1911 and in 1913 built the Hotel Cecil in Tribune ... Being interested in sending the family to high school our parents moved to Weyburn and took over the Waverley Hotel, now known as the King George. Later they bought the Dalgliesh farm 12 miles south of Weyburn in the R.M. of Lomond. By this time Lloyd was finished school and having spent most of his summer holidays at the farm of our uncle and aunt, Albert and Mary Killian in the Colgate district ... We lived on Highway 35 which was a main road from the south country to Weyburn and many old friends, during the thirties, hauling grain for grist to the Weyburn Flour Mills would take an over night break at our house.

 Lloyd married Clara McLean

Gladys married Michael Koch of Fox Valley. Gladys taught in several town schools in the south country and finally at St. Dominic's in Weyburn. Gladys died in 1975.

Sadie, the writer (of this famoly history), married Ralph Bowditch. We have two sons who farm near Sylvania, which is in the Tisdale area. We also have three daughters. Our children are all married and we can boast of 20 grandchildren.

Florence married Milton Hennings and their two Sons both farm in the Star City area. Milt died in 1961. Florence began her teaching career at Big Timber, later becoming principal at Tribune and then coming north to Sylvania where she was principal and taught the high school. Florence married Bill Wylie.

Clifford was born in Tribune in 1918, died in 1961 after a lengthy illness of heart disease caused by rheumatic fever at the age of twelve.

Gerald died in 1978 and Elsie and George both reside in Regina.

Helen married John Kot of Yellow Grass. They farm in the Griffin area and have a family of five daughters and six sons, also three grandchildren.

While living in Tribune our family suffered the loss of the eldest child, Clarence, a lad of thirteen, who succumbed to diphtheria. Our Dad, Henry, died in 1954 and Mother, Mary, followed in 1960.

Read a ghostly story about John and Mary Benning