Historical records matching Virgil Merrill Benedict
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About Virgil Merrill Benedict
Virgil enlisted 13 July 1918 in the United States Marine Corps during World War I in company K, 13th Regiment, at Paris Island, South Carolina from 14 July 1918 to 30 August, then Quantico, Virginia from 1 September until he was transported to France on 13 September 1918. He was stationed at Camp Pontinazen, Brest, France from 26 September to 13 November, two days following the Armistice.
Through the winter he continued in the Marines in France at Camp St. Sulpice; Usine Drulle, Nantes; and in July at St. Nazaire and Camp Pontinzen , Brest. He was transported by ship to the Hampton Rds., Virginia, United States where he was discharged honorably on 13 August 1919, having served thirteen months.
Virgil often said thirteen was his lucky number and spoke about the frequency of the number thirteen in his military career, and indeed beyond. Perhaps that is why he married Lottie on day thirteen of May.
Virgil worked as a dairyman, and as a salesman in dairy work and other fields while Lottie cooked, cleaned, sewed, washed, canned fruit and vegetables and birthed babies. They resided in Royal Oak, Troy, Addison, Litchfield, Coldwater, Sturgis and Battle Creek Michigan, usually moving to better life for their growing family. Finally Virgil achieved his ambition to own his own business in Battle Creek where together they owned, managed, and worked in the Battle Creek Dairy in Battle Creek, Michigan.
In December 1950, just after expanding into a new dairy building complete with store, Virgil suffered a crushing injury to his left tibia (shin bone) which side-lined him for about six months. In spite of the fact that by summer he again delivered milk and drove a stand-up milk truck with his leg in a walking cast, it was necessary for him to hire a teen-age boy to "run the stops" and help stack the crates of heavy milk bottles which he had formerly done unaided. The milk-plant and business faltered at the hands of other men. Eventually finances made it neccessary to eliminate the processing end of the business. He continued as an independent distributer of another dairy's products, a move that surely broke his heart.
By the early 1960s, the old-fashioned "milk man" was to fade into obscurity. Better pasturization and refrigeration enabled milk to stay fresh for a week or more. Working wives preferred to buy their milk at the supermarket with the rest of their groceries rather than leave a key with the milk-man (at one time Virgil had a huge ring of keys belonging to customers who trusted him to enter their kitchens). Gone was the familiar sound of the Divco truck brakes' squeal as the driver stopped out front.
Virgil and Lottie then began to remodel and rent older homes in Battle Creek. Most of the cleaning, painting, and rent collecting was done jointly by the couple. Finally they sold the dairy route and became full-time landlords, joining the Battle Creek Landlord Association to better their knowledge of the business.
Virgil and Lottie were active in the Methodist church throughout their lives together. In Battle Creek, Michigan, their last residence, they belonged at different times, to three United Methodist Churches: First, Washington Heights, and Maple. He served as director of United Methodist Men in the Albion District 1969-1970. He was a member of Gideons International and was church assignment secretary for the Gideons' state conference in Battle Creek about 1970. He was active in the Battle Creek Area Council of Churches and from 1973-1975 was the president of the Home Ownership Division of that organization. About the same time, he served on the Housing Committee of the Community Action Agency in Battle Creek, in an effort to secure low income housing for mentally handicapped. From 1982 to 1984 Virgil was chairman of the Trustees at Maple United Methodist Church.
Virgil was a member of the American Legion Post #54. With Lottie, he was a member of the Battle Creek Camera Club. In 1957 he was a member of Toastmasters International. In 1988, his 90th year, he joined Toastmasters for the second time. The same year, his autobiography was published and with it, a genealogy of his descendants by his daughter Mary, the present compiler.,
In their 50th Wedding Anniversary book, Virgil and Lottie wrote the following thoughts of their life together:
Virgil: "Perhaps the most memorable time of our married life which caused me a feeling of inadequacy as a husband and father was in Litchfield in 1938 when our economy was at it's lowest. With our cupboards empty and no job, it looked very bleak in that late fall for our children and us.
"After our 'meal' of gruel and a cry from Doris that 'I'm hungry' was about the greatest feeling of failure I have ever had.
"'I have failed!' I thought, when my dear wife assured me that,'She's not hungry, really.'
"Reassurance through the years from her through the times of uncertainty and misfortune has bolstered my courage to press on to higher things. Thinking back when this reassurance came when my leg was crushed; the burned up boiler through carlessness of an employee; the smashed truck and injured driver while I was on my bed with the mending leg; with the coping of dishonest drivers; then her willingness to drive a truck to carry on milk delieveries, besides keeping accounts in order.
"This was beyond her duties as a homemaker for me and five children, in a spirit of love for all of us. Life has been joyous because of these tests of time which have endured through boundeous [sic] love."
Lottie: "So many happy times we've had together! When we moved into our first home by ourselves at 213 Englewood, Royal Oak with its lovely trees and roomy yard. The joy at the birth of each of our children, the others more precious because we had Ruth Marie so short a time. The sharing of first steps, first words, cute sayings and doings as they grew. School days brought shared pride and joy in their accomplishments.
"Then one day they are gone and we two are alone together once more. The trip to New York and Washington D.C. was our first real experience of getting away and enjoying seeing, learning, and sharing. Other trips followed, always made pleasant because we were together. 1964-65 the first trip to the West Coast in the Volkswagon camper so new and a new adventure for us. The three other trips west and reliving those experiences by viewing our slides and sharing them with others.
"One of our greatest joys has been the time we spend together in Bible study and prayer at home and at church. God has blessed us richly with children, grandchildren, and other loving friends and relatives.
"'We know not what the future holds of wonder and surprise.' Whatever it is will be more joyful and adventuresome because we walked together."
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Virgil Merrill Benedict's Timeline
| 1898 |
August 29, 1898
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Painesville, Lake County, Ohio, United States
"Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," index and images, FamilySearch ( https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VR9G-NQP ), Virgil Benedict, 1898. |
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| 1925 |
February 21, 1925
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Royal Oak, Oakland Co, MI
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March 1, 1925
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Royal Oak, Oakland Co, MI
"Michigan, Death Certificates, 1921-1952," index, FamilySearch ( https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KFW1-5S7 ), 1925. |
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| 1929 |
July 7, 1929
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Troy Twp, Oakland Co, MI
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