Cornelia C. ‘Cordelia’ Skinner

Cornelia was a Cherokee woman.

Biography

Cornelia C. Benge, also seen as Cordelia Benge, was born 7 August 1889 in Braggs, Indian Territory, and died in Dewey, Washington County, Oklahoma on 14 February 1922, of complications of childbirth. She was buried in the Dewey Cemetery; her tombstone inscription reads “Cordelia Benge Skinner.” She had done housework for Mr. Brown before she died.

Cornelia was born out of wedlock to Robert Lowry Benge (1868-1937) and Lizzie Waters (1879-1951), citizens of the Cherokee Nation. She lived in the household of her mother and stepfather, James M. McConnell (d. 1928), a white man, in the Coo District of Indian Territory, in 1896. In January 1920, she was living with his family and her daughters in Ramona Town, Washington County, Oklahoma.

Cornelia first married Louis Fields (1884-1920) on 25 August 1907 at Craig County, Oklahoma. He was a Cherokee man, the son of John Jefferson Fields and Lena Adair. Their daughter was Mary Ellen Fields, born 7 December 1907 in Talala, Rogers County, Oklahoma.

Cornelia next married John Freeman Skinner (1888-1921) on 22 February 1915 at Ramona, Washington County, Oklahoma. He was a white man who listed his address as Arkansas City, Kansas, on his marriage application. Their older daughter, Bethel (later Betty Jean) Skinner was born 12 October 1918 in Missouri. Their younger daughter, Frances Hulda Skinner, was born 20 January 1922 in Dewey, Washington County, Oklahoma. Frances Hulda was adopted by E. Leigh George & Susan Frances Dunn after her mother’s death.

Supporting data

LAND | Principal -Cornelia C Benge

Source: < FamilySearch >

Source: < FamilySearch >

Source: < FamilySearch >

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Cornelia Benge in the Oklahoma, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1890-1995 < AncestryImage >

Name Cornelia Benge
Gender Female
Age 18
Birth Date abt 1889
Marriage Date 25 Aug 1907
Marriage Place Craig, Oklahoma, USA
Spouse
Louis Fields
Film Number 001290349

Source: The Independent and The Dewey World, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, page 4. (March 5, 1915). Skinner / Fields.

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Source: Morning Examiner. (January 17, 1922). Cornelia Skinner . Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/morning-examiner-cornelia-skinne...

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Bartlesville Morning Examiner
Wednesday, February 15, 1922, page 6
The News of Dewey (column)

Mrs. Cornelia Skinner Dies

Mrs. Cornelia Skinner, age 32 years, died at her home in Dewey early Tuesday morning after a long illness. She was a widow and was being cared for by the county and the Dewey provident association, assisted by the W. C. P. U. Mrs. Skinner leaves four children, the youngest being a baby three weeks old. The provident association will care for the children until permanent arrangements for providing a home for them have been made.

Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
Bartlesville, Oklahoma - Friday, Feb. 17, 1922, Page 10
The News of Dewey (column)

Mrs. Cornelia Skinner, aged 33 years died early Tuesday morning leaving three children, one a baby three weeks old. Mrs Skinner whose husband was killed in the oil fields at Burk-burnette several months ago, was house keeper for the man Brown, whom the Ku Klux Klan punished aeveral weeks ago. Since that time the Provident Association has been caring for Mrs Skinner, but probably due to lack of nourishment, the nervous shock to which she was subjected, she was unable to rally after the birth of her child. Relatives have been notified and until they arrive no funeral arrangements will be made. The children have been made wards of the court and will he cared for until Judge Waddill makes a decision regarding their future.

Source: Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. (February 17, 1922). . Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/bartlesville-examiner-enterprise...

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Bartlesville Morning Examiner
Friday, February 17, 1922, page 3
The News of Dewey (column)

Mrs. Skinner's funeral was held in the Methodist church yesterday afternoon. Burial will be in the Dewey Cemetery.

References

1. James M McConnell household in the Oklahoma and Indian Territory, U.S., Dawes Census Cards for Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914 < AncestryImage >; (document attached). 1896. Person # 11062. Carnelia C Benge, stepdaughter of James McConnell, daughter of Lizzie McConnell, his wife; age 12, F, blood 3/4, Tribal enrollment in Coo District. # 581.
2. Camelia B Balinge in the 1900 United States Federal Census < AncestrySharing > Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 24, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory; Roll: 1844; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 0021. Stepdaughter.
3. Cornelia C Benge in U.S., Native American Citizens and Freedmen of Five Civilized Tribes, 1895-1914 < AncestrySharing > Person # 11062 Cornelia C Benge Birth Year 1888 Age 14 Gender Female Residence Date 6 Dec 1902 Residence Place Oklahoma, USA Tribe Cherokee. Blood 3/4 Census Card # 4604
4. Talala Topic. (April 19, 1907). Cornelia Benge . Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/talala-topic-cornelia-benge/1449... “Miss Cornelia Benge was the guest of Miss May Fitzgerald the first of the week.”
5. "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLW7-48P : Sat Mar 09 23:43:27 UTC 2024), Entry for Louis Fields and Cornelia Fields, 1910.
6. The Independent and The Dewey World. (March 5, 1915). Skinner / Fields . Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-and-the-dewey-wo...
7. J F Skinner in the Oklahoma, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1890-1995 < AncestrySharing >
8. Cornelia C Benge Oklahoma, U.S., Indian Land Allotment Sales, 1908-1927 < AncestrySharing > Name Cornelia C Skinner formerly Benge Residence Year Abt 1920 Residence Place Ramona, Oklahoma, USA Filed Date 9 Oct 1920 Tribe Cherokee Enrollment Number 11062 Application Number 20456
9. Cornelia Skinner in the 1920 United States Federal Census < AncestrySharing > Stepdaughter (Step Daughter), white, married.
10. The Claremore Messenger. (July 23, 1920). Louis Fields . Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-claremore-messenger-louis-fi.... “Louis Fields, of Collinsville, died at the Cinnabar Hospital here Wednesday morning …”.
11. John F. Skinner, Death Abt. Oct 1921 • Burkburnett, Wichita, Texas, USA Oil field accident
12. Dewey Globe. (February 17, 1922). Cornelia Skinner . Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/dewey-globe-cornelia-skinner/144...
13. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91646088/cordelia-skinner: accessed April 6, 2024), memorial page for Cordelia Benge Skinner (7 Aug 1889–14 Feb 1922), Find a Grave Memorial ID 91646088, citing Dewey Cemetery, Dewey, Washington County, Oklahoma, USA; Maintained by Kathie Simon (contributor 47646765). “Spelling correction of first name [from Corneila to Cordelia] and Benge being the maiden name provided by Kim Inman, #46924503, on 18 Dec 2020.”
14. The parents of Ganelugi/Runafter McLemore are unknown. She married John Lowrey; their daughter Jennie married Robert Benge; they were the parents of several children, including Cornelia's grandfather John Riddle Benge. Riddle married Caroline Gordon, they were the parents of Robert Benge, Cornelia's father. See Eastern Cherokee applications 7903, Robert Benge and 20171 Lizzie McConnell. Cornelia's Dawes card incorrectly lists her as the daughter of Lizzie's second husband but the application identifies her correctly.
15. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LYK7-H96
16. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/119581672/person/1...