Benjamin Franklin Kear

Benjamin Franklin KEAR, son of Thomas Reed KEAR and Catherine FRYSINGER, was born in 1843 in Van Wert County, Ohio, and died on 9 August 1894 in Hennessey, Oklahoma Territory. Benjamin first married Alice E. BEAGLES soon after returning from the war on 9 November 1865, with the Rev. B.E. Webster performing the ceremony [note 1]. Alice, daughter of David D. BEAGLES and Elizabeth RENEAU, was born in Tennessee about 1849 [note 2].
Benjamin and Alice moved to Tennessee, the state of her birth. From there the moved to Moberly, Randolph County, Missouri [note 3]. Records of Alice have not been found after 1870.

Benjamin and Alice had two children:
1. Mathise Arlie KEAR born about 1868.
2. Minnie KEAR.

	Benjamin's second marriage was to Sylvia Jane PIXLER, daughter of Peter PIXLER and Eliza Ann HIPSHIRE, on 16 June 1880 in Kilborn, Mason County, Illinois. Sylvia had been previously married to a James or Nelson FOWLER [note 4]. Sylvia died on 21 January 1894 in Hennessey, Oklahoma Territory [note 5].
Benjamin and Sylvia KEAR Photo courtesy Donald Hopkins	Benjamin and Sylvia are buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Kingfisher, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma.

Benjamin was a printer when he enlisted at the age of 19 for three years of service in the Civil War on 6 August 1892 at Van Wert, Ohio. He mustered in with Company A, Ninety-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry on 26 August 1862 at Lima, Allen County, Ohio. The regiment saw action from 31 December 1862 to 2 January 1863 at Stone River, Tennessee. Benjamin, however, probably was sent to a convalescent camp in Nashville, Tennessee with jaundice on 1 January 1863, where he remained until 30 June 1863.
    He returned to the company in July 1863, but was sent to the Stevenson, Alabama, hospital in September 1863. In November he again returned to the company and was in the battle at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee on 24 November 1863.
   On 30 April 1864 he went on detached service to the Corps Headquarters, and in May through June 1864, he was on detached service in the printing office at Cleveland, Tennessee.
    Returning to the company in June 1864, he was at the battle of Atlanta, Georgia, 28 July to 2 September 1864, at Lovejoy Station, Georgia, 2 to 6 September 1864, and at Nashville, Tennessee, 15 and 16 December 1864.
    The 99th Regiment was transferred to the 50th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry on 31 December 1864, and Benjamin was assigned to Company G. On 26 June 1865, when the three-year enlistment ended, Company G was mustered out at Salisbury, North Carolina.
    Benjamin died accidently on the property of Taylor Combs, when he was being lowered into a well. Witnesses said that at about 40 feet down he let loose of the rope and fell about 22 feet. A light was lowered into the well, and at about the point where Benjamin had started falling the light was extinguished. A chicken was then lowered into the well, and it died at about the same place. It was assumed, therefore, that "damp gas" was in the well.

Benjamin and Sylvia had five children:

1. Stella May KEAR.

2. Catherine Pearl KEAR was born 10 December 1885 in Bison, Neosho County, on 3 February 1959 in Meade, Meade County, Kansas. Catherine had four husbands. She first married Paul George MAGDEBURG on 3 September 1903 in Bison, Garfield County, Oklahoma. They were married in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Bison, Oklahoma. Both of them lived in Bison at the time of their marriage. He was born 24 July 1881 and died 22 November 1915. She then married Gust William MAGDEBURG. Her next marriage was to --?-- KEALEY before 1926. Her fourth marriage was to LLOYD GRITZ in 1933. Catherine was buried on 6 February 1959 in the Hennessey Cemetery, Hennessy, Oklahoma.

3. Ruby Alice KEAR was born 22 April 1887 in Meade Center, Meade County, Kansas53 and died 12 January 1980 in Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma. She married Albert David SCHWIND on 21 June 1913 in Thomas, Custer County, Oklahoma. He was born on 11 March 1886 and died on 6 September 1951.

Ruby was buried on 14 January 1980 in the Glenwood Cemetery, Ringwood, Major County, Oklahoma.

4. Wiley McDonald KEAR was born on 23 August 1889 in Pratt Center, Pratt County, Kansas and die on 31 May 1949 in the Veteran's Administration Hospital, Roseburg, Douglas County, Oregon. He married Allie HAZEL.

Wiley served as a Private First Class, Co. M, 364th Infantry, 91st Division and was buried on 6 June 1949 in the Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California.

5. Harry T. KEAR was born on 14 February 1893 in Hennessey, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma and died on 10 January 1963 in Enid, Garfield County, Oklahoma. He married Ida Belle HOKANSON on 10 March 1924. Harry was adopted by his half-sister, Grace L. Clark, when he was 22 months old.

Harry was buried on 12 January 1963 in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Enid, Garfield County, Oklahoma.

Notes:

Record of Marriages, Probate Court, Van Wert County, Ohio, Vol. 3, p. 138, No. 225. [Return to text]

1870 Census, Moberly, Randolph County, Missouri, courtesy Bob Beagles TaM2B@aol.com, who sent the census image to Donald L. KEAR, (Wednesday, August 07, 2002 3:43 PM), Email. [Return to text]

1870 Census. [Return to text]

Family Group Sheet from Donald Ray Hopkins. [Return to text]

Return, Except for the above numbered references, all information was obtained from the Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of Rebellion, 1861-1865 (Akron, O.: The Werner Ptg and Mfg County, 1887), Vol. ix, p. 572, and the Pension Records, Civil War, No. 636,093, The National Archives and Records Service, Washington, D.C. [Return to text]

Copyright

Information on this site related to the Kear family is from The John Cears Kear Family compiled, written and edited by Donald L. Kear, copyright © 1984.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008 by Donald L. Kear. All rights reserved. Portions of the pages on this site may be reproduced for nonprofit use only. Credit shall be given to the source.