J. W. Bennett Biography

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. 
	Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1898. Pages 467-468

	Scan, OCR and editing by Joy Fisher, jfisher@sdgenweb.com, 1999.

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J. W. BENNETT is the proprietor of one of the fine farms of Grovena township, 
Moody county. His career has been marked throughout with persistent and faithful 
efforts to advance his own interests and those for whom he worked, and he has 
been rewarded by the acquisition of a good property and a high reputation.  He 
was born in Franklin county, New York, February 13, 1856, a son of Robert and 
Mary Bennett, both deceased; the father died in 1859 and the mother in 1864. 
They were the parents of three children, namely: Mrs. Emma Gooldie, St. Lawrence 
county, New York; J. W.; and R. L., Grand Forks county, North Dakota.

After the death of his parents, our subject resided one year with his 
grandfather, Bennett, and then went to Grundy county, Iowa.  At the age of ten 
years he began life on his own responsibility, and although quite young he did 
the work of a man.  At Parkersburg, Butler county, Iowa, he worked in a meat 
market, and attended school until sixteen years of age, and then bought a team 
of horses and began looking about for odd jobs.  Next he bought an interest in 
an old threshing machine, which he helped to operate during the falls.  In 1878 
he moved to Dakota, arriving at Sioux Falls on Christmas day, and remained there 
that winter, and worked at freighting to Beaver Creek.  In January, 1879, he 
filed on his homestead, but continued his freighting until the following summer, 
when he built a small house and began to improve and develop his farm, but as he 
had no capital he was obliged to work at whatever he could get to do to earn a 
living until his farm was sufficiently developed to net him an income.  He 
worked two winters in the Wisconsin lumber regions, receiving forty-five dollars 
per month, and thus by working rented land, clerking, breaking1 freighting, 
chopping, threshing, etc., he managed to make a livelihood, and make for himself 
and his family a home on the beautiful prairie.  His farm now consists of two 
hundred and forty acres of good land, all well-improved, and two hundred acres 
under the plow.  Politically, he is a stanch advocate of the principles of the 
Republican party, and by that party has been elected to several important 
offices, being a number of times delegate to the county and state conventions, 
and has been twice elected sheriff of Moody county.

July 17, 1877, Mr. Bennett was united in marriage to Miss Junia E. Manson, 
sister of Jay Manson, and their wedded life has been blessed to them by the 
presence of three children, upon whom they have bestowed the following names:  
William James, Robert Leslie and Emma Azuba. Mr. Bennett is a self-made man, and 
his early struggles with poverty taught him a sure road to success.  Frugal and 
industrious, he has gotten together a competency to tide him and his wife to the 
shore from which all must embark to the life beyond. He has been a good husband 
and indulgent father.  Mrs. Bennett is a devout Christian and a member in good 
standing of the Methodist church.  She is a model house wife, wrapped up in the 
affairs of her household, and the kindest of mothers.