James H Bendure and Sarah "Sallie" Ward

James H. Bendure was born May 6, 1840, in Moorehead Co. Ohio.  He was, based on current research, the oldest of the 7 children born to John M. Bendure and Nancy Ann Hibbs.  In a census record, it showed that he worked as a carpenter and another showed him as working in a mercantile.

James H., his father and brother William were one of the first to join the Ohio militia.  James H. has a service record that shows him enlisting Sept. 21, 1861, in Flushing, Ohio in Company K of the Ohio Militia.  He and his father were at the Battle of Shiloh where James H. was wounded, losing his index finger of his left hand making him unable to shoot a gun.  He was disability discharged on June 30, 1862.  However, this did not discourage him.  He signed up for 2 more tours before being finally discharged Sept 25, 1865, as a private.  More detailed research needs to be done to see if, as some records seem to indicate, he was a teamster who worked along the rail lines in the Washington, DC area during the last days of the Civil War.

Family stories were that, upon being discharged from the Army at the end of he war, James H. was coming home to Ohio when he came across the Indian Removal of the Cherokees during the Trail of Tears.  It, according to family legend, is where he met and fell in love with an Indian maiden named Sarah "Sallie" (Little Granny) Ward.  Per the legend, they were married and he joined them on their travel to Indian Territory, where he and his bride settled around the area now known as Grove, Oklahoma before eventually winding up with land given to the Cherokees in the Chouteau, Oklahoma area.  However, the dates of the Trail of Tears do not seem to match well with this legend, and paperwork at the National Archives in Washington, DC, shows that James H and Sarah Ward were married July 21, 1869 in Honey Creek, Indian Territory.

Information on Sarah "Sallie" Ann Ward is somewhat sketchy.  Ward is a popular name in Cherokee history and there are a great many lines to try to follow.  (James Westfall was in possession of a book of Ward History but since his death I have been unable to trace it.)  Using some documentation from the National Archives, it appears that Sarah is the daughter of George Hilmon Ward and Margaret "Peggy" McIntosh.  Records indicate that she was born Jan 11, 1851, in Indian Territory, although this needs to be researched in greater detail.  As I said, there are alot of Wards!  George Hilmon Ward was born May 7, 1827, in Cherokee Territory of Georgia.  Sarah "Sallie" Ann did probably walk the Trail of Tears as this began in the 1830's but no proof has ever been established that she and James H. met along that way.

If this did happen to be true, why would James H. go to an uncharted land?  Was it because, if they were married or to marry, that he knew his Indian wife would never be accepted in Ohio or by his Ohio family?  At the time of the first Indian Removal, no land was being given (that came later) so other than being together there was really no way to guarantee a life in Indian Territory.  It is interesting that when you research the Bendure family in Ohio, you hear of one branch that no one wants to talk about (that being James H.'s branch)...is this because he married an Indian and "disgraced" the Bendure family name?

For whatever reason, James H. and Sarah "Sallie" Ann were married, were in Indian Territory and had 5 children:  John Bryant, George Edward, Nancy (died young), Charles Hubbard, and Frank (died young).  It is interesting that the name Bryant and Nancy come up with Sarah "Sallie" children as there is a famous Cherokee Maiden who was involved with a Bryant Ward.  Still working on this connection.

James H. died in September of 1883 per a handwritten note by a Dr. Bliss found at the National Archives in Washington, DC.  It indicated he died of Typhoid fever and an inflammed knee as a result of Civil War service.  The handwritten note did not tell where he was buried at, and to date, we cannot find any indication that this is in the Chouteau, Oklahoma area.  (I would really like to find his burial place as he is entitled to a military headstone for his service during the Civil War.)  Sarah "Sallie" Ann went on to marry Ed Livingston (in 1866) and had 2 boys by him:  Alfred and Lonnie.  When Ed Livingston died in 1895, Sarah "Sallie" Ann went to Anderson, Kansas where these two sons lived.  Upon her death in March of 1934, her son Ray Bendure took a wagon to get her body to bring it back to bury at the Chouteau Cemetery (per info provided by James E. Bendure).  There are documents in the National Archives that describe her as a very pleasant woman, small in stature, and that her debts were paid at her death.  She is buried in Chouteau and a marker is there for her and Ed Livingston.

There are lots of questions that could still be researched on these two.  If someone would like to take this task on, some of the main questions would be to verify Sarah "Sallie" Ann Ward's line, where James H. Bendure was buried, and answer the Trail of Tears questions.

John Bryant Bendure and Mary Diadema Hobbs Bendure

John Bryant Bendure was born September 2, 1871, in Deleware District of Indian Territory, later known as Oklahoma.  He was the eldest of five children born to James H. Bendure and Sarah "Sallie" Ann Ward.  Sarah was of Cherokee descent.  James H. Bendure originally came from Ohio.  He served in the Union forces during the Civil War where he lost fingers on a hand in the Battle of Shiloh.  It is still to be determined why he came to Oklahoma.  One family legend had him meeting Sarah while she was on the Trail of Tears migration, but no evidence has been found to prove that.

John Bryant ran a livery and was also a cobbler in Chouteau.  At this time, Chouteau was a prosperous community in the county.  John also played fiddle for local dances.  (His fiddle was passed down to his grandson, Donnie Bendure.)  John had 4 siblings:  George Edward, Nancy (who died as an infant), Charles Hubbard, and Frank (who also died as an infant).  Because their mother was of Cherokee descent, they were included on the Dawes Rolls and received land from the government. 

Mary Diadema Hobbs was the daughter of Isaac G Hobbs and Ava Oxford.  She was born March 15, 1875, in Washington Co. Arkansas.  It is believed that Isaac was a deputy sheriff of Washington Co., Arkansas.  It is unknown why Isaac and Ava came to Oklahoma.  Isaac died at Eureka Springs, Arkansas a few years before Ava died in Oklahoma.  More research needs to be done on this information.  Mary had 5 siblings:  Margaret, a baby, Charles, Emory, and Johnnie.

Mary, at the same time that John Bryant ran the livery, also ran a hotel in Chouteau that was located near the current Bank of Chouteau location.  It is also believed by the family that she also owned a second hotel in town. 

Avis Claudine Dickerson Patterson Bendure

A more troubled beginning to life could not have happened to Avis.  A small town tragedy shaped her future and those of her descendants for years to come.

Avis was the only daughter of Sarah Helen Patterson and Claude Dickerson, born on May 5, 1914, in Oark, Arkansas.  Claude and Sarah had a troubled early years of marriage, and shortly after Avis' birth, Sarah returned to live at home with her father, Charles Harding Patterson, who was a local doctor.  Her mother was Polly Ann Wharton, C.H.'s second wife and her only child.  Charles didn't trust Claude...he fixed the small house on his property that Sarah lived in and attempted to make sure that Claude couldn't enter.  Folks around the community said that Claude went to Oklahoma for a while, but he returned in hopes of taking Sarah and Avis with him.  Sarah taught school in Oark and was on her way home one afternoon (Avis was with her grandparents) when she encountered Claude about a mile from her home.  Claude shot her (she died immediately) then turned the gun on himself.  He lived for a few hours then died.  There is an account of the incident in the book "Thomas Patterson and his Descendants" by Newberry.

The murder caused much dissent between the Patterson's and the Dickerson's. CH refused to have Claude buried at the same cemetary as Sarah and has "murdered" written on her tombstone. Avis was adopted by her grandparents and had little contact with the Dickerson family for the rest of her life.  CH Patterson moved his family to what is now Oklahoma, going to Davenport and eventually settling in Chouteau. Several Patterson's also moved from Arkansas to Oklahoma after this incident.

Avis attended school in Chouteau and often helped her grandfather with medical related things.  While her grandfather was not a licensed doctor in Oklahoma, townfolk who learned of his previous experience brought family members to CH for treatment. 

Avis met and later married Ray Bendure on December 3, 1929.  From this union 11 children were born with two dying as infants.  A listing of these children are under the blog entry for Ray Bendure.
Due to Ray's job, Avis was able to travel all around the United States.  When Ray retired, they built a new home on the same land that Avis had been raised on in Chouteau. 

After Ray's death, Avis continued to live at that home until she got to the point where she couldn't take care of herself.  Her family then moved her into the Baptist Home in Owasso where she lived until her death on September 15, 2008.  Avis suffered from some memory loss in her later years, however, she could always recall her early childhood memories.

Ray Bendure

Ray Bendure was the youngest son of John Bryant Bendure and Mary Diadema Hobbs, born on Dec. 28, 1910.  John Bryant's parents were James H. Bendure and Sarah Ward.  Sarah was of Cherokee descent.

Ray was born and grew up in Chouteau, Oklahoma.  He had an 8th grade education, which at that time, was all that was needed.  He enjoyed playing baseball and was part of the Chouteau baseball team. 

Following his schooling, Ray had a wagon and horses and would travel to Northeast Arkansas to haul goods.  He was in Kingston, Arkansas, the day they had a bank robbery.  This is somewhat significant since one of his son's, James, married someone whose family moved to Locust Grove from the Kingston area.  Small world.  His grandmother, Sarah, married Ed Livingston and moved to Anderson, Mo.  Upon her death, Ray drove his wagon up to pick up the body so she could be buried in the Chouteau cemetery.

Ray was one of the early pioneers of the pipeline industry.  He laid pipeline for natural gas and water throughout all of the 48 continental states.  He started low but finished as a job superintendent whose advice was sought for years after his retirement.

He married in Chouteau on Dec 3, 1929.  There were 11 children born to this union, 2 dying only days after their birth.  His sons Billy Ray and James followed in their father's footsteps and worked in the pipeline industry until their retirement.  His grandson Robert, James' son, is a third generation employee of Sheehan Pipeline Construction Co.  His other sons and several grandsons have also worked in the pipeline industry either full time or to earn money for college.

Ray was about 5'8 in height, but his grandchildren would sometimes refer to him as "Popeye" because his forearms were huge and he often had spitting tobacco in his mouth.  In his younger years he was quite the "roustabout" but became very active in his local Baptist church after his retirement.

Ray and Avis are buried at the North Chouteau Cemetery in Chouteau, OK

James Edward Bendure

Father's Day weekend seemed like a good time to talk about my father.  James Edward Bendure was born to Ray Bendure and Avis Dickerson Patterson on March 14, 1936.  He fell about in the middle of his siblings (Marjorie, Billy Ray, Phyllis, James, Claudine, Lillie Fay, Patsy, Rose Mary, Nina, Paul, and Larry) and he seems to play the peacemaker role.  He graduated from Chouteau High School in 1954 where he played in the band.  He didn't play sports because he was always compared to his brother, Billy, who was a natural athlete.  He went to work on the pipeline (his father was a pipeliner) immediately following high school.  He followed Billy into the Army and served in the Korean War toward its end.  He worked in personnel but was assigned the extra duty of being the last man to cross Freedom Bridge if they were ever attacked, given the duty of blowing up the bridge before invasion.  Luckily, he never had to do that.  He served in the Army until 1958 finishing as a Sargeant.  He had opportunities to stay in the Army and work in Washington DC. but chose to come back to Oklahoma.  He bought into a gas station in Chouteau and ran it until he met Norma Gore one evening in Pryor.  They were married on September 19, 1959.

James went back to work on the pipeline because he could make more money.  It was while working on the pipeline in Kingwood, WVA, that his daughter, Jamie, was born (in July of 1960).  When work ran out, he took classes at Northeastern State at Tahlequah, but never obtained a college degree.  Some years he worked at the Pryor radio station - one of his favorite stories was the "bear hunt" they had around Adair where they would call him with updates on the hunt and he would broadcast it over the radio.

In 1965, he moved the family to Mt. Vernon, IL, so he could go to work for Vedal Pipeline Construction's main office.  This enabled him to provide for his family all year long as he would work in the office both on the job and during off months.  In 1967, son Robert was born in Mt. Vernon.

In 1974, Vedal chose to close down and James began to seek other employment.  Sheehan Pipeline in Tulsa hired him as an office manager and they bought a home in his hometown of Chouteau, Oklahoma.  Within days, an offer to go to work for Santa Fe-Curren in Denver was made for more of a public relations type of job, but he turned it down thinking that the move to Oklahoma would be best for his family.  James worked all over the United States for Sheehan, starting as an office manager and finishing as a job superintendent.  James is known for helping others, whether it be financially or in some other manner.  He would have no problem giving you his opinion, but is always fair in his discussion with you.  He is well liked by family and friends.

My father worked hard, and he tried to be at all the "big"' events of our lives because his father often was not.  Still, it was difficult to not have him with us all the time not only as his children, but also for his wife, who had to be both parents.  There were years that Dad would work nearly 300 days out of the year, with his family seeing him only through the summer and holidays.  He did it to provide us with everything that he could.  It was always understood that we would go to college.  It was always understood that we would do our best.  And when we needed him, he was and is there not only for his children, but for his siblings, nieces and nephews. 

So, on this Father's Day, in a year where he has suffered a stroke but come out of it in as good a shape as possible, I just wanted the world to know that I am proud to be his child and hope that I can be as well thought of as he is by all who know him.  Thanks for everything, Dad!

Norma Jean(ne) Gore Bendure

My mother was born to Goldie Marie Austin Gore and Lawrence Madison Gore on September 17, 1937 in Pryor, Oklahoma.  She was the oldest of four (James Gordon, Marilyn Sue, and Cheryl Rene') who spent most of her young life taking care of them. 

Her parents ran a dairy farm in the country near Locust Grove, Oklahoma.  While her parents would take care of the cows and chickens, she would start breakfast for the family and make sure her siblings were fed and clothed for school.  Her brother Jim suffered from polio at a very early age (he was cared for in Tulsa at a location near what is now St. John's hospital) and her parents would take a long trip (crossing the river by ferry) to visit in Tulsa, leaving her with her paternal grandparents.  She often talked about staying with them and sharing Almond Joy candy bar's with her grandfather - even though he was a diabetic.  It also helped to make a strong family relation with her father's youngest sister, Dorcus Bernice.

Norma's father sang in the Hogan Gospel Quartet and she would often get out of school to play piano for the group at funerals, replacing her cousin Joanne while she was in college.  (The Quartet had a radio show on Pryor's radio station on the weekends.) Upon graduating from high school, Norma attended beauty college in Muskogee, Oklahoma then came back to Locust Grove and worked in her aunt's (Opal Campbell) beauty shop.

She met her husband, James, while hanging out with girlfriends in Pryor.  They married at the Locust Grove First United Methodist Church on September 19, 1959.  James worked pipeline, was a radio dj at the Pryor radio station, and briefly went to college at Northeastern State in Tahlequah.  (More to come on James on next blog)  Their first child, Jamie, was born July 20, 1960 in Kingwood, West Virginia.  They traveled the country doing pipeline work until Jamie began school in Pryor, Oklahoma.  In December of 1966, James accepted a job for Vedal Pipeline in Mt. Vernon, Illinios and the small family moved.

Norma never went back to work formally, although being a housewife was intense work itself.  Their second child, Robert Duane, was born October 17, 1967.  They continued to live in Mt. Vernon until 1972 when they moved to Chouteau, Oklahoma, where they continue to live.

Norma has often been a caretaker for others.  She took care of her sister Rene' when she developed cancer.  She took care of her mother in her final days.  She and her husband helped take care of her daughter when she had a heart transplant at age 44.  Never intending to become a nurse/caretaker, she handled each situation with earnest and care.

Know Your Past To Know Your Future

One of my many hobbies that I have acquired over the years is tracing my family history.  It started out as a favor for my "Granny Gore"...Goldie Marie Austin Gore.  She wanted to find out some more things about her family history....something further back than the origin of Kingston, Arkansas, that she was aware of.

Her husband, Lawrence Madison Gore, had someone in his family do a short family tree for a school project years before and they had found this to be a source of pleasure and discussion for them both as well as the rest of our family members.

So, we began our trek by going back to visit Kingston, Arkansas...Granny, my mother Norma, and myself.  That was around 25 years ago.  Since then, and through the wonders of the Internet and other family connections, I've found some interesting connections and stories.

So, I've started this blog to begin to write it all down.  I hope to be able to go on to actual visits to the "home sites" of my ancestors, possibly meet descendants, and generally just learn more about my family history.  I've always been a history buff, and I've always believed that to know where you are going you have to know where you have been.  I am looking forward to learning about each member and discovering how their choices affected my life.