Volkert Heinrich "Henry" Bendixen was born in the town of Wyk on the island of Fohr, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. His father George Bendixen was born on an adjacent island named Pellworm. George served in the army during the Franco-Prussian War.

Henry came to USA, landing in Galveston, Texas and thence by riverboat to Goosport, a suburb later established & named after Capt. Goss, which is on the north side of Lake Charles, LA. and is on the edge of the bayou that feeds the Calcasieu River. He reached this place Jan. 10, 1872. His betrothed, Johanna Knudsen came with him. He made the trip from Bremer-Haven and Hamburg, Germany in a small sailing vessel owned and operated by Capt. Daniel Goos. Capt. Goss and several of his relatives are buried in Goos Cemetery in north Lake Charles near near the once community known as Goosport, La.

Capt. Goos fitted out 3 vessels, loading them with lumber, sugar and flour and went to his homecountry to bring back many of his countrymen to America, the land of opportunity. Mr. Goos owned a large sawmill and wished to employ his fellow countrymen instead of the southern negros who were undependable. Capt. Goos later established the community of Goosport, on the north side of Lake Charles, La. This large sawmill was later known as J. A. Bel Lumber Co.

Mr. Bendixen received $20.00 (silver dollars) a month for 14 hours labor a day. He became a naturalized American citizen in Spring 1915. First papers taken out many years previous, were called Declaration of Intention. These were lost in a fire in Lake Charles, LA April 23, 1909 when the Court House was burned and many blocks of the city was destroyed. (this information is in the handwritten notes about the history of her family, written by Emma Louisa Bendixen between 1945-1976). He and his wife Johanna lived many years on Hodges St. in Lake Charles. They had four children, two sons dying in childhood. Two daughters: Mathilda who married Arthur O. Cropper, and Emma who married Rev. Oscar F. Frank.

Henry died in Elmira, Chemung Co., NY from injuries received in a car accident while visiting his daughter Emma and family, after attending a church convention together. Their car was run off the road. His body was later shipped back to Lake Charles for burial.

Your younger brother, Edward Conrad Bendixen is buried nearby with his wife Meta Bendixen.

They were later married in November of same year. They were brought to Lake Charles by Daniel Goos to work at his lumber mill. It was later known as the J. A. Bel mill. Johanna and her husband lived on Hodges St. contiunuously since Oct. 21, 1881.

They were the parents of 4 children born in Lake Charles: Mathilda Catharina Chritiana Bendixen, born 14 Aug 1875, who later married Arthur O. Cropper,
Heinrich Bernhardt Bendixen, born 19 Jun 1879, died 8 Sep 1885,
Georg Wilhelm Bendixen, born 19 Nov 1881, died 1 Dec 1882,
and Emma Louisa Bendixen, born 11 Jul 1885, who later married Rev. Oscar F. Frank.


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Note: Bio above provided by [email protected]

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Henry Bendixen, "United States Census, 1880"

Name: Henry Bendixen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1880
Event Place: Vincent Settlement, Calcasieu, Louisiana, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 33
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Carpenter
Race (Original): W
Ethnicity: American
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Birthplace: Germany
Birth Date: 1847
Spouse's Name: Johanna Bendixen
Spouse's Birthplace: Germany
Father's Name:
Father's Birthplace: Germany
Mother's Name:
Mother's Birthplace: Germany
Page: 518
Page Letter: A
Entry Number: 972
Affiliate Film Number: T9-0450
GS Film number: 1254450
Digital Folder Number: 004241352
Image Number: 00033

Household Gender Age Birthplace
Self Henry Bendixen M 33 Germany
Wife Johanna Bendixen F 31 Germany
Daughter Matilda Bendixen F 5 Louisiana, United States
Son Henry Bendixen M 1 Louisiana, United States
Other Leonies Verdine F 40 Louisiana, United States
Other Joseph Reon M 16 Louisiana, United States

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Henry Bendixon in household of Walter L Fawcett, "United States Census, 1930"

Name: Henry Bendixon
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1930
Event Place: Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana, United States
District: 0007
Gender: Male
Age: 82
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Lodger
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Lodger
Birth Year (Estimated): 1848
Birthplace: Germany
Immigration Year: 1872
Father's Birthplace: Germany
Mother's Birthplace: Germany
Sheet Number and Letter: 8A
Household ID: 194
Line Number: 7
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T626
Affiliate Film Number: 788
GS Film number: 2340523
Digital Folder Number: 004584872
Image Number: 00812
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Walter L Fawcett M 55 Louisiana
Wife Alida Fawcett F 53 Canada
Son Wesley J Fawcett M 19 Louisiana
Lodger Henry Bendixon M 82 Germany

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The history provided above, is invaluable as it helps show how Southwest Louisiana (now Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana) was established. I'm grateful for the information that is shown above as it reflects just a small part of the many long years of events and hardships endured by the many who have come & gone, so those in our future will learn the requirements to be a productive people ... We are a Nation of Immigrants, save but one -- the Native American..... Charles

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The following entry was supplied by unidentified person, with their Email address at the bottom...

Hello.
Thank you for posting the information on V. Henry Bendixen - Very interesting.
Questions for you if I may;
-I have a page from what we know as the Bendixen family Bible. It spells "Henry's" name clearly as Voliert not Volkert for the 1872 marriage entry to Johanna Wilhelmina Knudsen. Have you seen it spelled as Volkert in Emma L. (Bendixen) Frank's history notes?
-I have a 1919 photo of the Bendixen crypt (side view w/additional grave, near empty field w/ houses in far background.) Only wife would have been there at time of photo. Is this a photo you would like me to add to your site?
-This same photo shows a additional grave (not a crypt) dug just at the foot of the Bendixen crypt. Someone had written on the photo "...at the foot - is old Mr Plums grave[.] Oscars grandfather." This would probably make it Edward Myron Plumb (1834-1918) maternal grandfather to Oscar F. Frank the husband of Emma Louise (Bendixen) Frank. I did not get a hit doing a Find A Grave search. It is possible this grave has been lost to time - the headstone seems small, and possibly only wood.
Just fyi, I am married to a granddaughter of Lydia Ruth (Cropper) Reid, who is daughter of A.O. Cropper, who is a son of Mathilda (Bendixen) Cropper, who is a daughter of "Henry" and Johanna Bendixen.
Thank you for your Find A Grave work, and for any consideration you give my queries.

Supplied by [email protected]

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