Benjamin Metler Glass was born November 22, 1860 in Woodford County, Illinois and died June 16, 1913 at Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois. He was the son of Samuel Glass and Mary Elizabeth Yowles. (His birth certificate says Mary Purdy, in the History of Whiteside County it shows Mary Yowles, Purdy may have been his step-mother “Hurley”).
When Benjamin was about 9, his father made arrangements for him to live with Phillip Evans and his wife and family, who had only daughters. Benjamin always spoke very highly of Mr. Evans and his life with them. They were prosperous farmers, and lived near El Paso, Woodford, Illinois. They attended church regularly, and taught Benjamin good manners. When he lived and worked for the Evans family, he was not given wages, but in his spare time if he found a job helping the neighbors, or cutting wood, he was allowed to keep this money. He did not have much education, but when he was of age, and ready to marry, Phillip Evans gave him $500 and some land in Panola, Woodford, Illinois.
Benjamin Glass and Emily Morgan Hendee were married November 24, 1881 at El Paso, Illinois.
Benjamin and Emily moved around some but settled in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and are both buried there.
Arthur Emerson Glass
Arthur was born April 20, 1883 in Panola, Woodford, Illinois and died July 20, 1957 in Rock Falls, Whiteside, Illinois. See more about Arthur Emerson Glass>>>
Dr. Benjamin Franklin Glass
Frank was born March 20, 1885 Panola, Woodford, Illinois, and died June 1957 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois. He married on November 3, 1923 in Sasketchewan, Canada to Christine May “Maizie” Redding.
Christine was born April 29, 1894 in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada and died November 17, 1918 in Limerick, Saskatchewan. She was the daughter of Henry Redding and Emily J. Cruikshank. Frank and Maize lived in Canada for some time as he did not return to the U.S. until September 1921.
Frank became a dentist but it is not known how long he pursued that career. Later in life he could be found working on the railroad.
Maizie died young and Frank was unable to take care of his children on his own. He chose to adopt them out to two really good families. However, the children were split up and this caused them much emotional distress.
Frank and Maizie had three children:
Gerald A. Glass was born October 19, 1913 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada and died July 6, 1997 in Harleysville, Montgomery, Pennsylvania. He was adopted by Dr. Dornblaser. Gerald married Cynthia Noble who was born about 1916 in Northern Ireland. She came to America in 1921 with her parents, James and Grace Noble. Gerald and Cynthia had six children.
Edna Mae Glass was born January 13, 1915 in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada and died July 28, 1998 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina. She too was adopted by the Dornblasers. She married in 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to Eugene M. Hodgson, Jr. (1910-1969). They had three children.
Velma Gylde Glass was born April 13, 1917 in Canada and died November 24, 1999 in Foresthill, Placer, California. She was adopted by the Jenkins family. The Jenkins family owned a store in Amboy. Velma married August 24, 1934 in Yuma, Arizona to Howard L. Hunter. They had four children.
Frank eventually remarried November 3, 1923 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois to Mary Genevieve Lancaster. “Genevieve” was born October 7, 1892 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois and died July 3, 1942 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois. She had two children from a previous marriage to William Wayne Johnson (1895-1920): Dorothy Johnson (1920-2018) and Willa Wayne Johnson (1920-2002). Willa was adopted by Frank.
Genevieve and Frank had one daughter together: Betty Frances Glass born April 30, 1925 in Alton, Illinois. She married January 7, 1945 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois to Richard Laverne Johnson (1924-2003). They had three children.
Robert S. Glass, Sr.
Robert was born September 28, 1887 in Panola, Woodford, Illinois and died March 14, 1957 in Buda, Bureau, Illinois. He married Diana Denton December 25, 1915 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois. Diana was born June 19, 1897 in Washington, Virginia to Elkanah Millard Denton and Lucy Savannah Catron. They had the following children:
- Robert Blair Glass born September 17, 1918 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died April 3, 1987 in Grant County, Wisconsin. He married September 20, 1939 in Nashua, Iowa to Berneal G. Jambois (1919-2012) and had 4 children.
- Thelma Virginia Glass born January 30, 1920 in Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois and died March 8, 2008 at Walnut, Bureau, Illinois. She married Robert L. Lauritzen (1940-2003) in Davenport, Scott, Iowa. They had two children.
- Dorothy Ann Glass born March 5, 1931 in Illinois married Comp or Camp.
Harry Earl Glass
Harry was born March 22, 1891 in Woodford County, Illinois and died October 28, 1918 at a hospital in Belleau Wood, Chateau Thierry, France (WWI) as a result of being gassed.
Perry Glass
Perry was born April 5, 1895 and died same date in El Paso, Woodford, Illinois.
Grace Evans Glass
Grace was born June 7,1896 El Paso, Woodford, Illinois and died April 17, 1974 in Amboy, Illinois. She was married to Donald Glenn Winans. They had five children:
- Glenn Berne Winans
- Phyllis Grace Winans born September 13, 1920 in Marshall, Michigan and died March 5, 2012 in Sterling, Whiteside, Illinois. She married Richard Yingling September 5, 1951 in Ottawa, Illinois. They had three daughters.
- Joyce Wilma Winans
- Bruce Metler Winans
- Arneda June Winans
Edna May Glass
Edna was born December 9, 1902 in Whiteside, Illinois and married Havens.
Cora Pearl Glass
Cora was born May 6, 1905 in Whiteside, Illinois and died March 6, 1994 in Whiteside, Illinois. She married April 2, 1924 to Henry W. Sand.
In 1913, Benjamin M. Glass was involved in litigation involving a couple who worked on his farm. The wife accused him of improper behavior and this sent him over the edge. His little daughters, Edna and Cora, found him hanging in the family barn.
Cora checked the Woodford County Courthouse at Eureka, Illinois and these deed and dates are listed there starting with November 8, 1857:
Benjamin Glass owned land right along Route #51 and almost directly west of Panola, Illinois where possible the older children were born. That house is no longer standing. He then bought land 2 miles directly south of El Paso, Woodford, Illinois and east of Route #51, this house is still standing. He also bought land in Linn Township, but later sold that and bought farm land in Fairfield, Iowa. They probably moved to Fairfield, Iowa, because Phil Evans had moved there.
Benjamin then sold the farm in Iowa and bought a farm between Lyndon and Prophetstown, Illinois. On this farm, he had trouble with flooded ground and Emily Glass became deathly ill with malaria. The four older boys and Grace were small then, so he sold this farm and bought a farm southeast of Prophetstown, Whiteside, Illinois where Edna and Cora were born.
From History of Whiteside County p. 1405
Benjamin M. Glass, who owns and operates two hundred and forty acres of land on section 11, Prophetstown township, is also extensively engaged in buying, selling and feeding stock. He was born in Woodford County, Illinois, November 22, 1861, a son of Samuel and Mary (Yowles) Glass, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father came to the United States in the early ’40s, and passed away in the year 1892, having for a long period survived his wife, whose demise occurred in 1866. Their family number twelve children: Margerette, the widow of William Winklepeck, who lives in Chicago; Robert, of Michigan; Benjamin M., of this review; and nine who are deceased.
Benjamin M. Glass pursued his education in the common schools and remained with his parents until he had attained his majority, when he began working by the month at farm labor, being thus employed for four years. On the expiration of that period he operated, rented land for two years and then purchased forty acres of land in Woodford county, Illinois, where he made his home for five years. Subsequently he sold that property and bough another until 1897, when he again sold out and purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Iowa. He only owned the latter tract of land for two days, however, when he disposed of it and bought another farm in Iowa, but sold it in a week and came to Whiteside county, where he purchased one hundred and seventy-five acres in Lyndon township. After residing on this property for five years he sold the land and bought two hundred and forty acres on section 11, Prophetstown township where he has since made his home. He makes a specialty of buying, selling and feeding stock, and that his interests in this direction are extensive is indicated by the fact that he bought and sold over eleven hundred head in 1907. He is recognized as one of the enterprising and prosperous agriculturists and stockmen of the county and his success is entirely [breaks off here for some reason]
In 1881 Mr. Glass was united in marriage to Miss Emma Hendee, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Matthews) Hendee, the former born in France and the latter in Ohio. Mr. Hendee departed this life in Ohio, while the demise of his wife occurred in Ottawa, Illinois. Mrs. Glass mother of the following named; Arthur E., of Prophetstown; Benjamin F., a graduate of the Kansas City, Medical College; Robert; Harry E.; Perry, deceased; Grace; Edna; and Cora P. The oldest son, Arthur E. Glass, was married three years ago to Miss Marcia C. Martin, of Portland township and they have one little daughter, Myrna Irene. He is employed as a rural mail carrier from Prophetstown.
Politically Mr. Glass is a republican and is serving as a school director at the present time. His fraternal relations are with Camp No. 16, Modern Woodmen of American at Prophetstown, and in the community where they reside both he and his wife are well and favorably known having gained many warm friends during the period of their residence here.
Sources
Cora Glass Sand provided the bulk of the information on the Glass family.
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910 United States Federal Census
History of Whiteside County, Illinois: from its earliest settlement to 1908.
Illinois, Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999
Iowa Marriage Records
Last Updated on October 2, 2021 by rootie