solemnized last Friday, and
which came as a surprise to many of their friends. Mr. Harrison is a step-son of
Thomas N. Faught, one of our grocerymen, add Miss Wallen is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.
S. Wallen.
The Fairland Herald - June 20, 1913
Another June Wedding - There were two souls in Fairland who had no
conscientious scruples about the number thirteen or Friday being an unlucky day.
Last Friday the 13th day of June, before the sun was very high in the sky, Mr. Benjamin
Harrison and Miss Ora Wallen, appeared at the home of justice Testerman with a marriage
license, and expressed a desire to have the ceremony executed at once. If the
"squire" was inclined to be superstitious, the thought of a fee over came the
fear, and he promptly made them husband and wife. They at once drove to the home of Ralph
Rutledge south of town, where the groom makes his home, and he was soon in the field at
work as though nothing had happened. The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. S.
Wallen, of this place, and the groom is a son of Mrs. T. N. Faught. The couple is
young, healthy and ambitious, and there is no reason why they should not be happy and
prosperous. The Herald joins their many friends in best wishes.
Less than four years later Mrs. Ben Harrison died of lung
trouble. The Fairland News-Herald had the following article appear Friday, March
9, 1917:
Mrs. Ben Harrison Dead - Mrs. Ora J. Harrison, wife of Ben Harrison, died
last Sunday morning about ten o'clock at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Long, 3 1/2 miles
south of town, of lung trouble. The dreadful disease had been striving for her life
blood for more than a year, and when recent other aliments developed it helped to hasten
her death. Mrs. Harrison was the daughter of E. S. Wallen and wife of this city, and
was 23 years of age last month. She embraced the Christian religion and united with
the Baptist church at this place in January, 1911, and lived the life that she professed
until her death, and on her death bed said she was ready to go to sleep in Jesus. A
short religious service was held at the home by members of her church on Monday afternoon,
after which the remains were taken to the city cemetery and deposited near that of an
infant that recently preceded her. The young husband's parents, brothers and sisters
of the deceased share in the sympathies of the community.
Benjamin Franklin Harrison registered for service (Draft
Registration Card) in World War I, June 5, 1917 in Precinct 5, Ottawa County,
Oklahoma. His employer was R. R. Rutledge where he worked as a farmer and his
residence was Fairland, Oklahoma. He served in the United States Army from October
3, 1917 to March 4, 1918 as Private of Co.F 11th Ammunition Training in Camp Bowie, Texas.
His current address at the time was listed as Fairland, Oklahoma. Benjamin Franklin
Harrison married Lillie Uella Mills (grandmother), December 7,
1918 in Ottawa County, Miami, Oklahoma. Lillie Uella Mills was born March 29, 1897
in Ottawa Nation, Miami, Indian Territory. Lillie's father was William
D. Mills from Tennessee. Lillie's mother was Sarah Frances Harper
from Arkansas. Benjamin Franklin Harrison and Lillie Uella Harrison later moved to Kingman
County, Kansas (1927) then Shamrock, Oklahoma before settling down in Depew, Oklahoma in
1929 where they had nine children: William P. Harrison, Geraldine Harrison, Lenora
Harrison, Benjamin F. Harrison, Leroy Harrison, Daris Paul Harrison, Wynona Lavern
Harrison, Gladys Shirline Harrison and Hershel Harrison.
On December 29, 1924, Benjamin Franklin Harrison filled out
an application for Veteran Benefits for the disability Pellagra with psychoses. A wealth
of information is in the Veterans Medical Records. According to the application
Benjamin lived at 602 K. North West, Miami, Oklahoma and stated place of birth as Braggs,
Oklahoma. He was private at time of discharge. Date disability began was February 1918.
Benjamin's Occupational experience shows farming from 1912-1917 earning about $30 a month.
His last two employers were Bill Bailey, Rawlings Wyoming and Ralph Rutledge, Fairland,
Oklahoma. After discharge Ben worked as a mechanic beginning March 1919, earning
about $100 a month. Ben's educational history shows he went to 8th grade. Records
shows he was married twice and that his parents were William Harrison, age 64 years; and
Luzetta Templeton, Afton, Oklahoma; age 54 years. Ben also lists his half-brother
John W. Hurst, age 36, Minneapolis, Minnesota, married, laborer with annual income $1500.
Ben also state part of his pay goes to his father, William Harrison. Ben also
applied for War Risk Insurance on October 1917 at Camp Bowie Texas in the amount of
$10,000 with his beneficiary being his father William Harrison.
Benjamin Franklin Harrison Application for Social Security
Account Number (November 20, 1951) shows his birthdate as Braggs, Muskogee, Oklahoma and
listed his father as William Fliming Harrison and mother Luzetta Glenn.
| Benjamin Franklin Harrison's Application for
Social Security Account Number (November 20, 1951) shows his birthdate as Braggs,
Muskogee, Oklahoma and listed his father as William Fliming Harrison and mother Luzetta
Glenn. |
 |
Benjamin Franklin Harrison according to
the extensive Veteran's Medical Records and The Fairland News shows a trail where he lived
throughout his life: March 1892, born in Braggs, Muskogee County, OK; 1909, Fairland;
April 1911 Weleetka, Ofkuskee County, OK; 1913, Fairland, Ottawa County, OK; August 1914,
Okemah, Ottawa County, OK; Early 1917, Fairland, Ottawa County, OK; Late 1917, Rawlings,
Wyoming; Dec. 1918, Miami, Ottawa County, OK; Dec 25, 1919, Kinsley, Kansas; 1919-1924,
Miami, Ottawa County, OK; Dec 1924, Pitcher, Ottawa County, OK; July 1, 1918- July 1,
1919, Loveland, Colorado; July 5, 1920-Jan 1, 1922, Pitcher, Ottawa County, OK; Oct. 5,
192-Mar. 1, 1924, Pitcher, Ottawa County, OK; Nov. 1925, Miami, Ottawa County, OK; Feb
1926, Miami, Ottawa County, OK; April 1926, Miami, Ottawa County, OK; July 1926, Denver,
Colorado; November 1926, Denver, Colorado; March 1927, Denver, Colorado; July 1927,
Denver, Colorado; April 1928, Afton, Ottawa County, OK; April 1928, Cunningham, Kansas;
Feb. 1928, Afton, Ottawa County, OK; May 1932, Stroud, Creek County, OK; Aug. 1932, Depew,
Creek County, Ok; April 1942, Stroud, Creek County, OK; July 1947, Depew, Creek County,
OK; 1950, Depew, Creek County, OK; and 1952, Bristow, Creek County, OK.
Benjamin Franklin Harrison died April 16, 1976 (Death Certificate)
and was buried in the Stroud Cemetery, Stroud, Oklahoma and was handled by the
Hutchins-Maples Funeral Home in Bristow, Oklahoma. The Bristow Record-Citizen,
April 19, 1976 had the following article:
Harrison Rites Slated Today - Funeral service for Benjamin Franklin
Harrison of Depew will be at 2:00 pm today at the Hutchins-Maples Chapel. Rev. Powell of
Sapulpa will officiate and interment will be in the Stroud Cemetery with Hutchins-Maples
Funeral Home in charge. Harrison died Friday in a Tulsa hospital. He was born March
31, 1892 in Harrison, Ark. He was a retired farmer and had lived in Depew since 1929
comin there from Shamrock. Survivors are the widow Mary of the home; four sons,
William Harrison of Carson City, Nevada; Benjamin Harrison Jr., Palo Alto, California;
Paul Harrison of Chandler and Tom Harrison of Sapulpa. Also four daughters,
Geraldine Bruce, Olympia, Washington; Lenora Myers, Anaheim, California; Wynona Gowdy,
Moore, Oklahoma and Shirley Howard of Virginia; 22 grandchildren and six
great-grandchildren.
Lillie Uella Harrison died July 29, 1973 (Death
Certificate) and was buried in the Stroud Cemetery, Stroud, Oklahoma. Her funeral
services were from the Hutchins-Maples Funeral Home in Bristow, Oklahoma.
*John W. Hurst was born July 1889 and
married Freda Lindon (born around 1890 in Minnesota). The 1920 Census in Minneapolis,
Hennepin County, Minnesota shows John W. Hurst, age 30, born in Arkansas; Freda Hurst, age
30, wife, born in Minnesota; Loyd W. Hurst, age 11, ,born in Minnesota; Betty Hurst, age
1, born in Minnesota; and two sister in-laws Manda Lindon, age 25 and Emma Lindon, age 27.
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