Leonard Ezekiel BENNETT (VETERAN WWII)

US Army
World War II
March 31, 1913 - October 22, 2003

*Following info from Ancestry.Com
Leonard Ezekiel Bennett was the son of Amos Bennett (1834-1917) and *Rodhie/Rhoda Ellen (Bryant) Bennett (1873-1958) of Arkansas. His father was much older than his mother. Leonard was given his middle name after his paternal grandfather, Ezekiel Bennett, Sr, and his uncle Ezekiel Bennett, Jr

*Please note that Leonard's mother's name is spelled Rhodie on her tombstone.

Leonard was the youngest child in his family. He had 3 full-siblings, all of whom died young:

Perlina/Paulina Bennett 1901-1917
James Amos Bennett 1905-1922
Letely Sebetha Bennett 1911-1911

Leonard also had one half-brother from his mother's first marriage to Henry Hamilton:

Charles Thomas Hamilton 1895-

Leonard had the following known half-sibling from his father's previous marriage or marriages:

Josephene "Josie" Bennett 1862-
Rosetta L "Etta" Bennett 1864-
Joseph Warren Bennett 1867-
Francis "Fannie" Bennett 1869-
Dora Bennett 1871-
Rhoda May Bennett 1873-

Leonard's father, Amos Bennett, was the son of Ezekiel Bennett, Sr (1792-1846) who was born in Virginia and died in Schuyler County, Missouri; and Lydia (Asbell) Bennett (1804-1882) who was born in North Carolina and died in Adair County, Missouri. Each came with their families to Kentucky where Ezekiel, Sr and Lydia were married in 1827. Amos Bennett and several of his siblings were born in Kentucky. In about 1836, the Bennetts moved to Missouri where they first settled in Macon County, then moved to Schuyler County, Missouri, where Amos grew to adulthood. Descendants are unsure at this time whether Amos had one or two wives in his early days, but he had at least 6 children between 1862 and 1873. Amos had many residences in Missouri and Arkansas as he chased prosperity. His wife Elizabeth died in about 1895.

In 1896, Amos Bennett applied to the Dawes Commission to receive free land in Indian Territory in what would later be the State of Oklahoma, close to where he lived in Arkansas. For this, Amos needed proof that he was part Cherokee Indian. He wrote to at least two of his sisters back in Missouri and requested they write affidavits stating he had Cherokee Indian blood so he could get this land. The sisters, being good Christian women, flatly refused saying they certainly would not lie for him so he could get free land. Amos was upset with them and reportly never contacted his sisters again. Amos did get affidavits for his Dawes application from other people he knew, but none from his relatives. It is believed that Amos told them what to say as when one reads these affidavits today, they sound much the same and their truth is questionable.

Amos also wrote to his younger brother Ezekiel Bennett, Jr in Missouri, tellin him of his plans to apply for this land and stated he would include Ezekiel in his application. But, when one reads the application, Amos did include his grown children and their spouses and children in this application, but not his brother. It is doubtful that Ezekiel Bennett, Jr. would have wanted to be included because first of all they did not have Indian blood, and second Ezekiel had a successful farming and home building operation in Kirksville, Missouri. Amos' application for land was rejected. However, a short time later, Amos did move into Indian Territory (see the 1900 census).

In 1899, Amos Bennett married Rodhie/Rhoda Ellen (Bryant) Hamilton in Arkansas. She was 29 years younger than him. He was age 65 at this time, and she was a 26-year-old widow with a 4-year-old son, Charles Thomas Hamilton. Amos and Rodhie had 4 children together, of whom Leonard was the youngest. Sadly, Leonard's three older full-siblings died before adulthood.

In the 1900 census, Amos Bennett was newly married to Rhodie, and they were living in Township 22 of the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory (which later became Oklahoma). The household consisted of Amos Bennett 66, wife Rodhie 27, and Rodhie's son Thomas 4.

In the 1910 census, the family was back in Arkansas in Fort Smith, Sebastian County. Amos was 76, Rodhie 36, and they had 3 children, Charles 14, Pauline 7, and James 4. (Leonard was born 3 years later.)

Leonard's father died in 1917 at the age of 81. Leonard was only 4 years old, so it is doubtful he remembered much about his father. At that time, his older brother James Amos Bennett was still living but died a few years later in 1922. It is presently unknown where Amos Bennett is buried. People of the area say he is not buried in the plot with his wife Rhodie.

In the 1920 census, Leonard was 6 years old and his brother James was 14, living with their mother Rodhie 39 [should be 47] on a farm in Mooney, Garland County, Arkansas.

By 1930, the family had moved to Houston, Le Flore, Oklahoma, where Leonard at 17 was a laborer in a lumber mill, and he and his 52-year-old mother [should be age 57] lived alone, except for a 50-year-old boarder named Tom LaRue who was a night watchman at the lumber mill.

Leonard became a watch and clock repairman, and served in World War II, but he never married. Leonard's mother died in 1958 at the age of 85 in Crawford County, Arkansas, and was buried in the Hall Cemetery.

- Written by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis, 3rd cousin to Leonard through his father's sister Paulina (Bennett) Thurman who was my great grandmother.

OBITUARY

Leonard Ezekiel Bennett, 90, of Van Buren died Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003, at a local hospital. He was of the Church of Christ faith, a retired watch and clock repairman and an Army veteran of World War II. A private graveside service will be held at Hall Cemetery in Natural Dam under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.

Contributed on 1/10/13 by mcclella.g
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Record #: 810756

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