NOTES:
1900 ND CENSUS - Fredricka Benn, female, widowed, b 1815, Germany, age 85y, immigrated 1882; mother of 3 ch, all living; living with her son Henry Benn, single, b May 1841, Germany, age 59y, immigrated 1871; next door was Henry's widowed sister Mary Ruge and her son Albert.
BIOGRPAHICAL:
Another “oldest person in the state” has been discovered in the person of the mother of Henry Benn, who resides upon a farm in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Polk county. Mrs. Benn was born in Germany in the latter part of 1799, which makes her over 105 years of age. The exact date of her birth she does not remember, but she has records to prove that she first saw the light of day during the year mentioned. She has been in this country only a few years, speaks nothing but German and understands little English. Although she has attained this exceedingly advanced age, she maintains her mental faculties well, is in excellent health and has a good memory for events in her early childhood. She is without question the oldest person in Marion or Polk county, and perhaps in the state.
Polk County Observer, Friday, May 26, 1905, 1:7
DISCREPANCY - Marker and obit give date of death as Jan. 26th, DC as Jan. 27th. 1900 census gives a birthdate of 1815 which suggests the family added 15 years to her age after moving to Oregon
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