The following was taken down from a conversation with Benson's granddaughter Cynthia Dunkle Gill when she visited us on August 13, 1977.
Cynthia Dunkle Gill recalled going to Benson's funeral. She was about 6 years old at the time. She recalled a long black casket. The casket was closed but Benson could be seen through a glass panel which covered from his head to his waist. He had a long black beard, slightly grey, which came down to cover his chest.
Aunt Cynthia said he used to tease the kids and most everyone was afraid of him.
Cynthia somehow remembered that Benson would cut his cucumber, tomato or whatever vegetable he was eating in half, salt and pepper it and put it back together again and eat it.
He was very close to his sister Cynthia. They were buried close together in Elk Cemetery.
Benson's wife was very kind and was nice to everyone. Cynthia said that Benson didn't particularly care for any of the women who married his sons.
He must have been somewhat generous. He would pay for the gravesites when family members would die. When Cynthia's sister Elizabeth Mildred Dunkle died as a baby in 1902, Benson bought the gravesite for her and included plots that would eventually hold more of his son John's family.
A neighbor, Alice Arick, told the story of how when she was a little girl and living on the old Faulkner farm just up the hill (now known as Mash Hill Road) from the Dunkle farm, she remembers old "Bense" Dunkle coming up the hill in his horse and buggy. She was playing with her sister Nellie. Alice was so scared of him, that when she saw him coming she grabbed her cat and went "squaling" (her word for screaming) running back to the house.
The following was taken down from a conversation with Benson's granddaughter Cynthia Dunkle Gill when she visited us on August 13, 1977.
Cynthia Dunkle Gill recalled going to Benson's funeral. She was about 6 years old at the time. She recalled a long black casket. The casket was closed but Benson could be seen through a glass panel which covered from his head to his waist. He had a long black beard, slightly grey, which came down to cover his chest.
Aunt Cynthia said he used to tease the kids and most everyone was afraid of him.
Cynthia somehow remembered that Benson would cut his cucumber, tomato or whatever vegetable he was eating in half, salt and pepper it and put it back together again and eat it.
He was very close to his sister Cynthia. They were buried close together in Elk Cemetery.
Benson's wife was very kind and was nice to everyone. Cynthia said that Benson didn't particularly care for any of the women who married his sons.
He must have been somewhat generous. He would pay for the gravesites when family members would die. When Cynthia's sister Elizabeth Mildred Dunkle died as a baby in 1902, Benson bought the gravesite for her and included plots that would eventually hold more of his son John's family.
A neighbor, Alice Arick, told the story of how when she was a little girl and living on the old Faulkner farm just up the hill (now known as Mash Hill Road) from the Dunkle farm, she remembers old "Bense" Dunkle coming up the hill in his horse and buggy. She was playing with her sister Nellie. Alice was so scared of him, that when she saw him coming she grabbed her cat and went "squaling" (her word for screaming) running back to the house.
Family Members
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Pearley Brown Dunkle
1863–1941
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Homer Pierce Dunkle
1865–1931
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John Franklin Dunkle
1867–1950
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David H Dunkle
1869–1941
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Nancy Elizabeth "Nan" Dunkle Newton
1870–1948
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Estella F. "Stella" Dunkle George
1875–1938
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Joseph Walter Dunkle
1877–1923
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Cynthia Ann Dunkle King
1877–1955
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Lena T. Dunkle Crow
1881–1943
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Harley Dunkle
1882–1926
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George D. Dunkle
1883–1954
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