Springfield-Greene
County LibraryCHARLES M. BENNETT. Material wealth must not exclude the riches of character and ability in our recital of the values which have been brought to this State by its citizens, and among its most precious treasures must be estimated the lives of those citizens who have, by their intelligence and their eminence in the higher walks of life, assisted in raising the standard of life and thought among us. No one has probably done more in this line than he of whom we now write. He was born in Chenango County, N. Y., July 31, 1847, but at an early date accompanied his parents to Kendall County, Ill., where he received his schooling. At an early age he started on a business career and in 1871 came with his father to Greene County, Mo. While residing in Illinois he assisted on the old home place and after removing to Missouri he remained with his parents and managed the farm. He is now living on the old homestead, which did consist of 474 acres, located within two miles of the public square of Springfield. The land is probably the best farming land in Greene County, and was a portion of the old Campbell place. The father died in 1882 and since then our subject has taken the entire management of the place. He has made many changes and now has one of the best improved places in the county. In the past he has taken great interest in raising live stock but most of his attention is given to agricultural pursuits. On the 20th of October, 1881, he was married to Miss Sarah A. Smith, of Kendall County, Ill., and the daughter of Samuel and Catharine (Everett) Smith, natives of New York State. The Smith family was among the pioneer families of New York State, and in their religious views the members were Quakers. The Everett family settled in Massachusetts at an early day. Mr. Smith died in Kendall County, Ill., about 1889, but his wife had died in 1873. They were the parents of nine children as follows: Jane, wife of Emery Fishell, resides in Illinois, and is the mother of four children; Luther, resides in Kansas and is a man of a family. He was a private in Company A, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Volunteer Infantry, enlisting in 1862, and was discharged on account of sickness after serving two years; Phoebe, resides in Benton County, Ind., and is the wife of Daniel Fishell. They have three children: Henry, was a soldier in the Fourth Illinois Cavalry; he was wounded in Tennessee and died from the effects of the same after serving almost two years; he was not yet twenty-one years of age. Eliza, married Daniel Bowman, and at her death left three children. Mary, is the wife of James B. David and resides at Clinton, Iowa. She has three children: Sarah (wife of subject); Kate, was the wife of Don Winn, died in Kendall County, Ill., leaving one child; and Fred who resides in Chicago, and is engaged in the real estate business. The parents of these children were highly respected in the community in which they lived and were early settlers of the same. Mr. Bennett and wife came to the old farm after marriage and by their uprightness and social, agreeable ways, have won a host of warm friends. They have had two children, Charles Martin, born September 11, 1882, is now attending school; and Everett, born in 1888, died January 7, 1891. Public spirited and enterprising, Mr. Bennett has ever affiliated with the Republican Party. He is industrious and progressive and classed among the very best citizens of the county.
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