Thursday, January 31st, 1935

Grandma isn't very good

Mary isn't getting out much. Her toes hurt. But she reports on Sunday that Lloyd went over to see Grandma, and she isn't doing very good. Grandma is Mary's father's mother, Jennie.

She was born Jane Ann Steele, but now is known as Grandma Slane. She was previously married to John Hemminger who died in 1929. But now she is 73 years old and married to Frank P. Slane. The Slane home is at 421 Uncapher St., Marion.

Harold is mentioned here for the first time. He is Lloyd's 23-year old nephew, the only child of Albert Benson and Nellie Kelley. You may recall that Harold has the distinction of have grandmothers who are also sisters.

Sunday, January 27th, 1935

Folks are feeling better

Albert's name is mention for the first time in Mary's diary. Albert is yet another brother of Lloyd. Albert's wife Nellie is also mentioned.

Nellie also happens to be Lloyd's first cousin. That's right. Since Albert is Lloyd's brother, that means Albert married his first cousin. They had one son, Harold Eugene Benson (1911-1995).

Nellie's mother, Emma Belle Billett, and the Benson boy's mother, Leah Billett, were sisters, children of Michael and Susan (Moore) Billett.

But who is little Dickie? And who are agents?

Wednesday, January 23rd, 1935

"I wish I had a radio."

Imagine that. Wishing for a radio. I guess it beat looking at seed catalogs for entertainment.

Mother is sick, Paul is sick and Mrs. Radenbaugh had a bad fall. To top it all off, it's been cold and snowing.

"I wish I had a radio."

Saturday, January 19th, 1935

Harry B. got married

Harry B. is Lloyd's younger brother. Mary's note on January 19th looks like something that was squeezed in after her writings of this day, and probably was. Did they even know Harry was getting married this day?

This was Harry's second marriage. He was previously married to Cora Jessica Carnes, and between them they had one daughter, Katherine Leah. Leah was the name of Lloyd and Harry's mother. She would die a little more than a month after her namesake was born in 1910.

Leah Benson, along with her husband Clinton Burkley "Burt" Benson are buried in an unmarked grave in Cardington, Ohio. They are buried with Pearl Benson, Lloyd and Daisy's young son that died during the flu epidemic. If you find his tombstone, you will also find the burial site of Burt and Leah Benson.

But back to Harry's marriage... he married Richardine Helen Cryder, not quite 22 years of age. From this marriage would be born Violet (1938), Kenneth (1940) and Leonard (1945).

Friday, January 11th, 1935

Roosevelt's camp, chickenpox and wrestling

Mary notes that someone advises her to go to one of Roosevelt's Camps. She didn't do it.

Her seven year old son Paul, the second oldest child, comes down with the chickenpox. This is the opening of what is to be a very serious illness.

Her oldest son, 8-year old Leo Richard, is mentioned here for the first time and he goes off with is father and Uncle Roy to the wrestling matches.

Monday, January 7th, 1935

Marion Shovel

In 1935, Mary and Lloyd have two sons as well as D.J., their little girl. Mentioned for the first time in this diary is Paul Aden Benson, their 7 year-old. He was born August 3rd, 1927 in Galion, located in neighboring Crawford County.

Mary writes here on the 10th that Lloyd went to the Shovel. No doubt he was looking for work since he had been laid off just before Christmas. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Power_Shovel for more information on "The Shovel."

Thursday, January 3rd, 1935

D.J. is Dorothy Jean, the only daughter born to Grandma. She is 4 and 1/2 years old at this time. She was born May 6th in Marion, Marion County, Ohio.

Will, Virgil and Roy are all son's of Lloyd from his first marriage to Daisy May Weaver back in 1900. Lloyd married Daisy five years before Mary would even be born. Daisy divorce him in 1922 in Huron County, Ohio, where she had gone to live. This divorce is case #11006 in the Court of Common Pleas, Norwalk, Huron County.

I once visited with my uncle Virgil, my father's half brother. He told me that he recalled as a youngster his dad coming home drunk one night. His mother, Daisy, was very angry with him, so much so that she grabbed ahold of him and banged his head several times against the leg of their pot bellied stove in their home in Cardington.

The divorce papers state he'd left her with nothing, taking all their furnishings and selling them for liquor. Guess she'd had enough.

Mattie is mentioned as visiting on the 6th. Mattie is Lloyd's sister-in-law from his first marriage. She is also his sister-in-law by virtue of the fact that his brother William (Will) is Mattie's spouse. Three Weavers married three Bensons. There's Will Benson and Mattie Weaver; Lloyd Benson and Daisy Weaver; Garnie Benson and Marion Weaver.