Letter from

William Benner
(Indianapolis, USA)

to his brother

Albert Benner
( Maketu, New Zealand)

Dec 6th 1916

William Benner Albert Benner
 628 W 31
Indianapolis
Dec 6th 1916
My Dear Albert

Another year is about to pass away and no prospect of a termination of the great
war. It is a life and death struggle between the great nations.

I was in hope when Romania went in, that it would bring it to a close, but now
she is done up and instead of being an injury to the Central Powers she has been
a blessing, as they need her vast oil and agricultural lands. God only knows how it
will end.

last night paper said the allies have lost 15 million in killed, wounded and missing.
What a strain it must be on those nations each day. bringing so much anxiety and
worry to the whole world. We all take sides in the country, and hopes are raised
or depressed according to the allies won or lost. My sympathy goes out to those
nations, or what have they to hope for when the war ends. Their debts will be
enormous, and their taxes will crush the people. I look for a great many to get
away, when the war ends, and I presume we will get our share.

We elected Mr Wilson again for four more years. He was opposed by the great
monied power of the country. They spent a large amount of money to beat him,
but the western states elected Republican Governors, but voted for him. Our next
fight will be between Capital and Labor. Union Labor is never satisfied and they
are quite a power, but all countries have the same proposition to master.

We had an exceedingly hot Summer and the crops did not turn out as good as
usual and that with the foreign demand. we are enjoying with the other countries
the high cost ...
of living. Potatoes are selling for 9 shillings for 60 lbs and about everything else in
proportion. Surely the farmer is in it. A certain class of Mfgs ( Manufacturers) are
making fortunes. Such as Steel Mills and Munitions factories, but the rest of the
people are struggling along the best they can.
A person on a salary or an income is up against it.

But we ought to be grateful for our manifold blessings and know that God
governs the universe, including man.

Our factories are all busy and there is a good demand for labor, but there are a
great many vacant houses af all descriptions all over the city, and this condition
has been for some years. Businesmen claim that factories will not come here, on
account of Union Labor. Mostly all of their Headquarters are here.

The Relations here are about as usual. we are all growing older. I don't know
whether we are growing wiser or not. Bird (Arthur's oldest girl) son in law Elwood
Rother is working at a munitions plant at Eua Penn. Makes about £8.0.0 per week
working 8 hours. Gert Madden ( second girl) her eldest boy is in the City Fire
Department. Makes about £18.0.0 monthly. and her two girls Evelyn and
Gertrude working in broker offices. makes about £12.0.0 and £8.0.0 monthly.
Arthur and Evalyn "Eva children" go to school. Arthur is growing up a nice
handsome boy.

Mary is not so well, she still suffers from her old complaint Rheumatism,
otherwise she feels pretty well.

I have a great deal to be thankful for. I enjoy excellent health and not very much
to worry about. I hope and trust we will be kept out of war. Either with Mexico or
Germany. As we are not in a condition to go into war and we are peace loving
people.

We have had a splendid fall so far, hardly any snow ...

or bad weather, and I am glad, as coal is very scarce and high. The railrods of the
country not having sufficient Cars and Engines to handle the enormous business.
The national House is very close, hard to tell who will control it, but the Senate is
democratic.

The Irish and German Democrats voted for hughes this time. They were mad with
Wilson, because he did not stop the sending of munitions to england, and he also
made Germany toe the mark. he also scorned the German Americans for their
disloyalty to this country.

With kind love and best wishes to you and yours, and wishing you all a merry
Xmas and happy New Year in which all here join

I am my dear Albert

Your affectionate brother

William Benner

PS: Your letter date Oct 30 just received. Too bad about Harry Morris not having
the insurances paid up as I presume his sister (*** ***) bad.

You ought to get a Motor Car for yourself surely. You could enjoy it and it would
be a great blessing to the family.

NOTE: Harry Morris died of wounds on 28th September 1916, and is buried in the Heilly Cemetery in
France.
 of the war primarily in the hands of the Army. On the home front in 1917,
he began the United States' first draft since the American Civil War, raised
Background to the Period in America billions of dollars in war funding through Liberty Bonds, set up the War
Industries Board, promoted labor union growth, supervised agriculture and
Wikipedia food production through the Lever Act, took over control of the railroads,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson
enacted the first federal drug prohibition, and suppressed anti-war
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – movements. He did not encourage the wave of anti-German sentiment
February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of the sweeping the country in 1917-18, but did nothing to stop it.
United States. A leader of the Progressive Movement,
he served as President of Princeton University from In the late stages of the war, Wilson took personal control of negotiations
1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New with Germany, including the armistice. He issued his Fourteen Points, his
Jersey from 1911 to 1913. With Theodore Roosevelt view of a post-war world that could avoid another terrible conflict. He went
and William Howard Taft dividing the Republican to Paris in 1919 to create the League of Nations and shape the Treaty of
Party vote, Wilson was elected President as a Versailles, with special attention on creating new nations out of defunct
Democrat in 1912. He is the only U.S. President to empires. Largely for his efforts to form the League, he was awarded the
hold a Ph.D. degree, which he obtained from Johns Nobel Peace Prize. In 1919, during the bitter fight with the Republican-
Hopkins University. controlled Senate over the U.S. joining the League of Nations, Wilson
collapsed with a debilitating stroke. He refused to compromise, effectively
In his first term, Wilson persuaded a Democratic Congress to pass the destroying any chance for ratification. The League of Nations was
Federal Reserve Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Antitrust established anyway, but the United States never joined.
Act, the Federal Farm Loan Act and America's first-ever federal
progressive income tax in the Revenue Act of 1913. Wilson brought many A Presbyterian of deep religious faith, he appealed to a gospel of service
white Southerners into his administration, and tolerated their expansion of and infused a profound sense of moralism into his idealistic
segregation in many federal agencies.[1] internationalism, now referred to as "Wilsonianism". Wilsonianism calls for
the United States to enter the world arena to fight for democracy, and has
Narrowly re-elected in 1916, Wilson's second term centered on World War been a contentious position in American foreign policy. Because of his
I. He based his re-election campaign around the slogan "he kept us out of leadership in World War I, he is frequently ranked as one of the greatest
war", but U.S. neutrality was challenged in early 1917 when the German U.S. Presidents. [2]
government proposed to Mexico a military alliance in a war against the
U.S., and began unrestricted submarine warfare, sinking, without warning,
every American merchant ship its submarines could find. Wilson in April
1917 asked Congress to declare war.

He focused on diplomacy and financial considerations, leaving the waging

History of this Article

The original letter was passed from Albert Benner to his daughter Vera Benner, who lived in Rotorua, New Zealand. She was the first Librarian at
rotorua Library. On her death it was passed her nephew Athol Stace who lived in Maketu, near where his grandfather Albert had lived.

Upon his death is was passed to Gary Benner (gary@benner.co.nz ) who prepared this article.

More details can be found at http://www.benner.org.nz

Benner Family Tree

Here is a portion of the Benner family tree showing the link back to Ireland and then Germany. It shows the family that also emigrated to America.

Interestingly, although the Benner's lived in Ireland for 5 generations, there is no Irish blood in the family. They intermarried with other German
palatine migrant families, and then the Worrell family, which I presume is English. For the NZ Benners descended from Albert Benner, their Irish blood
comes through Martha Lavinia Munro.

Children of Adam BENNER (1760) Children of Henry BENNER (1770) Children of Samuel BENNER (1763) BENNER
Benner Family Tree Margaret b. 1786 d. 1831 m. Anthony Bowen
Ann b. ?? d. 1810
Elizabeth b. ??d. ??
Robert b. 1799 d. 1827 m. Alicia Donnelley 1825
Eliza b. 1801 d. 1863 m. Edward Donnelley
Mary b. 1788 d. ?? m. Robert Splents
Elizabeth b. 1789 d. ?? m. Maurice Connor
Henry
b. ~1650 ,
South East , Rheinland -Pfalz
XXX
xxx
Margaret b. 1802 d. ?? m. Andrew Newell , Henry Anne b. 1793 d. ??
Sunday, January 23, 2011 Mary b. ?? d. ?? M. William Smith Morgan John b. 1794 d. ?? m. Mary Ann Gallagher
Palatine , Germany
d. 1720 Ireland
Adam b. 1809 d. 1837 Jane b. 1803 d. 1862 m. William Newell 1834 Sara b. 1796 d. ??
William b. 1803 d. 1872 m. Anne Evans 1834 Samuel b. 1797 d. ??
Henry b. 1806 d. 1871 m. Janette Grant 1838 , William b. 1798 d. ?? m. Mary Slattery 1827
Rebecca Wilson 1850 , Annette Payne 1857 Lucy b. 1799 d. ?? BENNER BENNER
Richard b. 1818 d. 1838 Paul RUTTLE
Robert b. 1802 d. 1883 m. Mary Gallagher – John (RUCKER)
John b. 1818 d. 1838 family docuemnted elsewhere b. b. 1682,
Samuel Stephens Palatine , Germany South East , Rheinland -Pfalz Elizabeth RUCKLE
b. 1821 d. 1897 (Manitoba ) Henry Arthur (above)
m. ursula Hannah Donnelly – many children D. ?? Palatine , Germany b. 1 November 1682 , Family
d. 3 Aug 1760 Germany
documented elsewhere BallyMacElligot ,Cty d. 1760
Kerry,Ireland BallyMacElligot ,Cty Kerry,Ireland

Mueller SCHMIDT BENNER

BENNER BENNER DOLMAGE
?? Robert Henry DOLMAGE
Agnes John Elizabeth
b. 1731 , Killiheen b. 1736, Limerick,Ireland b. 1742 Court Matrix, Limerick,
DULMAGE
b. 1729 ,
Courtmatrix, Ireland
Ireland
m. 8 Aug 1759 Ireland Family
D. 1832 Armand Quebec Rathkeale , Limerick Ireland
m.1753 Peter Lawrence d. 1784 d. 1806 Ireland
ROTHER BEEBE BENNER BENNER BENNER STRUBE
DUNCAN MADDEN SCHMIDT m.1765 Peter Miller
Elwood N Mary Sarah Evelyn B Martha E
Malissa Thomas Robert M Benjamin F
b.
(Bird? May?) Gertrude b. 1880 b.
m. 29 Jul 1857 b. Mar 1867 b. May 1857
(Gertie) m.31 Jan 1900 m.21 Oct 1893 BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER
Ohio b. Sep 1869 Indiana b. 1871 BENNER BENNER CRONSBERRY CRONSBERRY
b. Dec 1871 Indiana Marion Indiana Philip John Sara Adam Henry Samuel
m. 19 Dec 1888 Furniture Thomas Elizabeth b. 1770 (Cronerberry) Family
Millwright Indiana b. ??, b. ?? b. 1784 b. 1760 b. 18 Nov 1763 ,
Indiana b. ?? b. 1769 Ireland (Kronerberry)
m. 25 Dec 1889 Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland Ireland
Ireland Killiheen
SCHMIDT No known issue No known issue d. 1827 d. 1847 Ireland
d. 1845 m. 1786 Anne
No known issue M. John Eager m. Anne Stephens
d. 1830 d. 29 Apr 1832 b. ??
Benjamin F ->Woodburn Ontario
FANCHER MADDEN MADDEN MADDEN MADDEN SCHMIDT SCHMIDT b. 1895 Canada
ROTHER DUNCAN
Vera Wesley Evelyn B Gertrude William D Robert A Evelyn B Arthur A ??
Elwood N (Eva) b. Oct 1895 b. Nov 1898 b. Jan 1893
b. 30 July 1885 (Gertrude) William b. 1908 b. 1902
b. 12 Dec 1890 Indiana Indiana Indiana
Indiana b.29 Jul 1889 b. Dec 1886 Real Estate
m. 1925 (Fireman)
d. Feb 1985 m1. 1907
d.October 1967 Indiana Salesman BENNER WORRELL
m2.1918
m3.1925 d. October 1973 BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER Arthur Henry Sarah
ROTHER Carmel, Hamilton, BENNER Mary Lucy
d. Sep 1959 John Elizabeth Catherine Anne Sara Samuel William b. 9 SEP 1806 Ireland b. 4 Nov 1814
Indiana Robert
Virginia Automobile b. 1788 b. 13 July b. 1789 b. 179 3 b. 1796 b. 1798 cr. 10 Jan d. 7 Mar 1890 in Dingle, Co cr.20 NOV 1814 Saint Michael ,
Salesman b. 1802 d. 1881 ?? 1794 d. 1827
b. 1791
d. ??
b. 1797,
d. 1889 1799 Kerry, Ireland Limerick, Limerick, Ireland WORRELL
Vera d. 1827 d. 1827
b. 31 Jul 1913
d. 1883 m. Robert m. Mary Ann m. Maurice m. Mary Attorney in Tralee 1846 m. 11/11/1835 Family
Splents Gallagher Connor Slattery 1827 m. 11 NOV 1835 in St Michaels ST. Michael 's Parish
Indiana d. 27 Sep 1878
Church, Limerick, Ireland
(63 years)

BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BURNS BENNER MORRIS BENNER
BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER MUNRO
Joseph Edward Anna Henrietta Joseph William J (BENNER) Arthur WV Samuel GREEN
Maude McCLEAN Sarah Gertrude Albert Martha Lavinia
William b. 31 May 1846 Maria b. 24 Sep 1843 cr. 31 May b. 26 Aug 1847 ,
Mary E Urburne Edward John Henry
cr. 31 Oct 1847 Ireland b. 23 Feb 1845 Ireland 1840 Ireland b. ??, b. 18 Mar 1842 Charlotte Thomas b. 1848 ?? b. 27 Jun 1854 , b. 21/6/1860 , MUNRO
b.19 Jul 1849 b. 30 Nov 1836, b. 10 May 1838 North Camp
Ireland d. ?? Ireland d. ?? Ireland ->USA 1872 Ireland
Ireland Tralee Ireland Maud Albert cr. 1 Jan 1850 Kilmore,Ireland Family
m.17 Oct 1917 Utica Tralee Ireland d. ?? Ireland Farnborough (birth c)
d. ?? d. 1910 Pongakawa , b. 1848 Arr NZ 1874
d. ?? d. ?? ->USA 1861 d. ?? b. Aldershot (cemetery )
Marion, Indiana MORRIS m. 4 June 1870 d. Sep 1908 d. 1923 on the Dunfillan
m. 10 Nov 1868 Southhampton
d. ?? Gibraltar Pongakawa Thames, NZ m. 1882
Coal & Feed Marion, Indiana Henry Benner m. 15 Oct 1882 Dingle, Helensville d. 5/9/1939
Store d. 18 Jun 1904 (Harry) MORRIS Ireland d. 29 Jun 1934 Rotorua
b. 11 Dec 1894 Maude Rotorua , NZ
d. 28 Sep 1916 Ireland McClean
(France WW!) Family

BENNER BENNER TARRY ROBERTSON PURSLEY BENNER STACE BENNER BENNER

BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER BENNER
Mary Arthur Edward Kate Isabella Joseph Agnes Amy Mabel (May) Amelia Edith Albert Kenneth Albert Vera Mary PHILLIPS
Henry (Harry) Amy Ruth Maud Charlotte Rita May Trevor Arthur PHILLIPS
b.16 September (Ted) b. 5 June 1901 b. 1869
Barbara William (Bill) b. 1879 Sarah b. 22 Feb 1888 b. 28 Dec 1881 Clonmel George Phin b. 1891 Linton Worrell b. 5 Aug 1884(dc ) Helen
1872 m b. 1867 m. 1904
b. 1883
Clonmel b. 29 Dec 1882, 1902 (bc)?? Usbourne b. 1/11/1887 , Family
b. 1/11/1870 Gilbraltor Ireland m. 30 Jan 1919
Gilbrator Northcote m. 9 Oct 1895
b. 1876
d. 1947
d. 1980 Te Puke b. 13 June 1880
d. 21 Sept 1976
(Bert) b. 1884
d. 29/5/1965 Cambridge d. 13 Aug 1976 b. 24/8/1886, Maketu Sherry. Waimea Sth , NZ
Gibraltar d. Jan 1934 d. 15 Jul 1938 m. James d. 1973 d. 17 Jun 1978 b. 28 Oct 1885 d. 26 Jun 1964 d. 1961 , Te Puke
d. 1881 Clonmel d. 3 Jul 1916 Waihi Gold Mining Maketu Massey (Ak) Tauranga d. 1959 Waihi Rotorua, NZ d. 1982 Te Puke
d. 1935 Bernard m. John(Jack) Clonmel M. 1914
Pongakawa Waikina d. 1928 m. Francis Kramer - m. Annesley Martin no issue
Farming Houghton Cawte Alvis Ball 1900 d. 16 Aug 1915 no issue
Waihi Gold Mining 1917 Walter 22 Feb 1916 . Hickson 26 April 1916 Gallipoli
Waikina
Farming

BENNER
Marjorie Katherine
b. 22/8/1901
STACE
d.1975 TED Harry BILL Family
BENNER BENNER BENNER CAWTE BALL WALTER HICKSON
Family Family Family Family Family Family
Family