Helen P. Sweetring

1865 - 1915  (50 years)

• Name	Helen P. Sweetring
  Born	25 Mar 1865	Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, USA   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Female
  Died	31 Aug 1915	Marion, Washington County, Iowa, USA
  Buried	Elm Grove Cemetery, Marion, Washington County, Iowa, USA   [5]
  Person ID	I117145	Suedpfalz
  Last Modified	27 Sep 2014

  
  

  Father	Johannes Schwietring Sweetring,   b. 19 Jul 1832, Nordrhein-Westfalen ,   d. 22 Apr 1904, Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, USA  (Age 71 years)
  Mother	Philippina Schell,   b. 25 Nov 1833, New York, USA ,   d. 17 Aug 1921, Clayton, Adams County, Illinois, USA  (Age 87 years)
  Married	15 Nov 1858	Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, USA
  Family ID	F51015	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	James Joseph Benda,   b. 12 Jul 1868, Michigan, USA ,   d. 24 Sep 1938, Marion, Washington County, Iowa, USA  (Age 70 years)
  Married	Abt 1895
  Children	1. Genevieve Benda,   b. 29 Apr 1896, Marion, Washington County, Iowa, USA ,   d. 15 Jan 1960, Iowa, USA  (Age 63 years)   2. Maurice Benda,   b. 1 Jun 1897, Marion, Washington County, Iowa, USA ,   d. 11 Sep 1987, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA  (Age 90 years)   3. Helen Benda,   b. 16 Jun 1898, Marion, Washington County, Iowa, USA ,   d. 0Dec 1923, Nevada, USA  (Age 25 years)
  Last Modified	1 May 2018
  Family ID	F51038	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Helen Sweetring, the fourth of eight children born to John and Phebe Swietering, came into this life on March 25, 1865, in Quincy, Illinois. Her dad, John, was an immigrant iron moulder from Prussia who married Phebe, a girl from New York. They settled in Quincy and raised eight children there. According to the July 28, 1870 Federal census of Quincy, John Swietering, 38, and his wife, Phebe, 35, lived with their children John, 11, Cecilia, 10, Edward, 8, Nellie (Helen), 5, Ida, 3, and Romeo, 8 months. John, Cecilia, and Edward were in school but Helen and Ida had not started school yet. On the June 5, 1880 Federal census of Quincy, John Sweetering was 48, Phebe 47, John, 19, Cecilia, 18, Edward, 16, Helen, 14, Ida, 12, Rhomulus, 10, George, 8, and Fred, 5. John was a shoe clerk in Quincy, while Helen, Ida, Rhomulus, and George were in school. While in Quincy, Helen met a Gem City College student by the name of James J. Benda. I do not know if Helen was a student at Gem City, but she was listed in later census records as having attended three years of college. I would guess that James and Helen both attended Gem City Business College and met there. Helen Sweetring and James J. Benda did marry in Quincy, Illinois, probably around 1894 or 1895, and moved to Jefferson County, Iowa. Their first child, Genevieve, was born in 1896, followed by Maurice in 1897, and Helen in 1898. The June 5, 1900 Federal census of Penn Township, Jefferson County, IA, listed James J., 31, his wife Helen (Sweetring), 32, and their three children, Genevieve, 4, Maurice, 3, and Helen, 1. James lived in the farm adjacent to his sister, Barbara Benda Pacha, and another sister, Mary Benda Pacha, in Penn Township. Between 1900 and 1910, Helen and James sold the farm in Jefferson County and moved north of Brighton to Marion Township in Washington County. The April 19, 1910 Federal census of Marion Township, Washington County, listed James J., 41, his wife Helen, 41, and their three children Genevieve, 13, Maurice, 12, and Helen, 11. Jim and Helen had been married 16 years. Jim was born in Michigan, Helen in Illinois, and the children in Iowa. Jim was listed as a farmer and owned the farm free and clear. The kids all attended school that year. The 1915 Iowa census found Helen P. (Sweetring) Benda, 45, in Marion Township, Washington County. She reported having lived in Iowa for 20 years. She achieved three years of college and her church affiliation was Catholic. Helen died later that year, on August 31st, at the age of 50, and was buried in Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington. She left behind her husband, James, 47, and children Genevieve, 19, Maurice, 18, and Helen, 17. JAMES AND HELEN BENDA?S CHILDREN Name Born Died Children Genevieve 1896 1960 James (Walker) Maurice 1897 1986 Three daughters, according to Mary Lou Walker Helen 1898 1923 None JAMES AND CLARA DAVISON BENDA?S CHILDREN Name Born Died Children Infant 1922 1922 Stillborn Infant 1925 1925 Stillborn

  
  

• Sources

  [S4] 1870 US Federal Census, (www.ancestry.com). [S38] 1880 US Federal Census. Name: Hellen Sweetering Home in 1880: Quincy, Adams, Illinois Age: 14 Estimated birth year: abt 1866 Birthplace: Illinois Relation to Head of Household: Dau (Daughter) Father's Name: John Father's birthplace: Prussia Mother's Name: Phebe Mother's birthplace: New York Neighbors: View others on page Occupation: At School Race: White Gender: Female [S19] 1900 US Federal Census, (www.ancestry.com). [S30] 1910 US Federal Census, (www.ancestry.com). Name: Helen Benda Age in 1910: 41 Estimated birth year: abt 1869 Birthplace: Illinois Relation to Head of House: Wife Father's Birth Place: Germany Mother's Birth Place: New York Spouse's name: James J Home in 1910: Marion, Washington, Iowa Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Female [S359] Iowa Cemetery Records. Name: Helen P. Benda Death Date: 31 Aug 1915 Page #: 15 Birth Date: 23 Mar 1865 Cemetery: Elm Grove Town: Washington Level Info: Grave Records of Washington County, Iowa; Graves Registration Project of W. P. A.