The B. H. Bennett Family - Family Histories

     Benjamin Holloway Bennett spent his childhood in Quitman, Arkansas, the oldest of 13 children, he had to grow up fast. Pitts Bennett, his father was fighting in the Civil War, and was injured. Mary Wallace Akin, whom he later married, was born under the roar of cannons while her father was on the front lines in North Carolina during the Civil War. When she was eight years old, the family moved to Arkansas. Having little education, she worked hard in the fields. She was petite, 5 feet 4 inches, 108 pounds, with a figure queens could envy. She always said she was not as big as a bar of soap after a day's wash. The country was beginning to recover from the Civil War and public road work was opening up. "Holly" got a team of mules and married his best little cotton picker. It seems, their only courtship was when they had adjoining rows with their hoes or cotton sack. They hauled produce from neighbors to market, first by oxen, then by teams of mules. He had a regular route to Little Rock and opened up other routes. Huckstering was profitable, and by then they had seven children:

   (1) Ella, born June 1884; buried in Sweetwater, married Doss Hooper, children were Maudie, Merle, Winifred, Celia (Sue), Fred, and Mary O'Neil.

     (2) Clara, born January, 1888; died June 25, 1958, buried in San Angelo, married Dixie Parrott. Children: Dixie's child, Berta; Ralph, Lillian, an infant who died at birth, and Hardy. (See Hardy Z. Parrott and Hardy Parrott).

     (3) LaVesta, born October, 1889, married Amos Cargal. Three sons: Amos, Jr., Morris Emmett (Bill) and Buckhanon (Buck), deceased.

     (4) Roy, born September, 1893, married Ollie Landrum. Children: Benjamin Holloway (Holly, later Ben). William L. "Bill" (see S. C. Collins), Madge, and Bobbye Lou (see Landrum).

     (5) Morris, born October, 1895, died July 11, 1976, buried at Canadian, married Mary Minton, their children are Ann and Ben.

     (6) Farris, born June, 1901, died February 13, 1983, buried in Ross Cemetery at Baird, married Vada White, no children.

     (7) Inez, born 1908, married Bob Price. Children: Bobbie Jane, Mary Frances and Richard (Dick).

     Mary's health was poor. She blamed it on the country and soon prevailed on the family to move to Texas to join her daughter and family (the Hoopers) who were already living there. In 1909, they came by train to Valera, where he opened up a mercantile business and later a grocery was added. He handled everything from hair ribbons to cultivators or, in his words, everything from "a bar of soap to old Hickory wagons." This very large sheet-iron building stood in Valera for many years. Most anytime, you might find "Granny Bennett" on the bank of Home Creek, fishing and dipping snuff. Holly had an interest in most everything around Valera. He once bought 1800 head of turkeys from farmers. Hired men and boys to herd them between the railroad and Home Creek until they could be marketed. He still had his love for mules, and had a large number of them in a big grain field south of Home Creek. Everyone tried to tell him to get them out in the spring and let the grain ripen. But he said, "No, the mules are doing fine." He went on to harvest over 100 bu. per acre and left the mules in the field.

     There was usually a party on Saturday night. On occasion, they would take the 5 o'clock Santa Fe to Coleman for a night on the town. There was a return train at mid-night. Then, there was the annual trip to San Angelo Fair, which was a special treat.

     B. H. Bennett was a gentle, soft spoken man, never using rough language, sometimes "damn" which was promptly followed by "Yankees." When he said S.O.B., he was talking about Republicans. B. H. was a Methodist by faith. He was quick in action, and had a great sense of humor. He was a compassionate man, and could not say "no" to men with hungry children - this caused his financial downfall. In 1918, we were in a disastrous drouth. He would carry customers as long as a year at a time on his books. Too many of them never paid. To make bad matters worse, he had accumulated about 100 head of cattle and had no feed. A friend took them to New Mexico for grass, but the worst winter in years came, and his friend died. The cattle became scattered, and thieves got most of them before he could go to them. He was able to round up a very few.

     The Bennett family moved to Baird in 1924, and opened up the first "Helpy-Selfy" grocery store. His brother Joe came to visit him from Arkansas, and Holly told him, "I've been broke and I've been rich a number of times, and I can't tell much difference; I've still got lots of friends." Years later, after the great depression of the 30's had wiped him out, he was too old to make a come back. Inscription at their marked graves in the Ross Cemetery at Baird: B. H. Bennett, Feb. 25, 1862-Feb. 26, 1954, and Mary W. Bennett, Jan. 29, 1864- July 11, 1948.

pictures to be added

Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Bennett - 50th Anniversary

B. H. Bennett Mercantile Store, Valera, about 1909