DIED

BELLESS—At Pipestone Springs, Jefferson County, August 6th, 1882, of pneumonia, A. Q. Belless, aged 54 years and 2 months.

Helena Weekly Herald
Helena, Montana
4/24/1882

VETERAN OF CIVIL WAR 
LAID AT REST

G. A. R. Members Attend Services 
for Late comrade, Frank Benoit

    Funeral services of the late Frank Benoit, Civil war veteran, were held yesterday morning at the Sherman & Reed chapel under the auspices of Lincoln post of the Grand Army of the Republic.  During the impressive services Mrs. Paul Bailor sang several appropriate selections.

   The cortege proceeded to St. Joseph’s church, where the Rev. H. T. Delaney celebrated requiem high mass at 10 o’clock.  Mrs. Pauline Scheu, accompanied by Miss Mary McBride, sang “Lead, Kindly Light” and “Nearer My God, to Thee.”

   Many friends of the venerable war veteran attended the services, the Painters’ union attending in a body.  Interment was made in the G. A. R. plot in Mount Moriah cemetery, with the Rev. Michael McCormack officiating at the grave.

  Full military honors were accorded the soldier, M. H. Mullen, Ed Pollard, Andy Ehrick, P. E. Deloughory and George Brunner composed the firing squad.  Ben Hunt was the bugler and George Osborne was the flag bearer.

   The pallbearers were J. E. Meighen, F. N. Davies, Jack Belleville and E. P. Vallenn, representing the Painters’ union and Bert E. Mann and Dennis O’Neill, representing the Spanish-American War Veterans.

The Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana
12/16/1927

AGED WAR VETERAN IS 
CALLED BY DEATH

Frank Benoit, G. A. R. Member, 
Dies at Butte Home Following Illness

   Death sounded the last call for Frank Benoit, aged veteran of the Civil war, at his home, 1043 Maryland avenue, yesterday morning.  His death followed several months of illness.  A number of friends were at his bedside when the end came.  The body was taken to the Sherman & Reed funeral chapel pending completion of arrangements for the funeral which members of the G. A. R. believe will probably be held Thursday.

   Mr. Benoit was the one bachelor member of Lincoln post, No. 2, G. A. R., which he joined in Butte in 1907.  He was a native of Fremont, N.Y., where he was born 84 years ago.  His army career started in 1865, when he enlisted in the famous Seventh New York infantry at Schenectady, N. Y., for service at Petersburg, Va. front.

  In the three months following his enlistment, and before the surrender of Lee at Appomatox, Mr. Benoit was engaged in several of the most hotly contested battles of the war.  He had entered the service with little or no training and was on the battle front fighting Lee’s men in less than a week.  Following hasty preparations, siege was laid to Petersburg by the union forces resulting in the capture of the city after three days’ constant shelling.  The war ended shortly thereafter and Mr. Benoit was sent to Baltimore with his regiment, and was mustered out of service in June, 1866.

   Returning to a civilian life he went to Vermont and was apprenticed in the painter’s trade, working for a time in the car shops of the Vermont Central railroad.  The trade learned at that time was practiced by him for more than 50 years.

   He came to Montana in 1895, following a land boom in Washington and the panic of 1893, in which he suffered considerable financial loss.  In 1907 he became affiliated with the local Grand Army post and served in several offices during his association with the few veterans who still survive him.

   The last salute to the veteran will be a military one, with comrades of the Civil war serving as a guard and firing squad.  The funeral cortege will be composed of a military guard of American Legion members and veterans of the Spanish-American war.

The Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana
12/13/1927

HIS LAST REQUEST GRANTED

Patriot Robert Benson Laid to Rest 
With Military Honors

Robert A. Benson, the veteran of the civil war, who died Saturday morning, was laid to rest last evening with honors befitting the service he had done his country.

   "Bury me at sundown," was the old soldier's request.  In compliance, the members of the G. A. R. assembled at Richards' undertaking rooms last evening at 7 o'clock, where simple ceremonies were held and the body was then escorted to Mount Moriah cemetery, where the G. A. R. burial service was performed and a firing squad composed of members of Troup L of the Griggsby's rough riders fired a salute and the bugle sounded taps.

The Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana
6/11/1900

AN OLD SOLDIER DEAD

Robert A. Benson Answered 
the Last Call This Morning

    “Bury me, boys, as the sun goes down.”

   That was the dying request of Robert A. Benson, an old soldier, to his comrades in the Grand Army of the Republic.

   The old soldier died just as the sun came up this morning.  He was “a stranger in Butte, but not a stranger to his country’s call,” for he had served his native land faithfully and well on the field of battle.

   At the opening of the rebellion he enlisted in the 9^th Minnesota and served in the ranks throughout the war.  His home was in Brainerd, Minn., where he resided with his wife, who survives him.

  About a year ago Mr. Benson came to Butte where he had three daughters living.  He like the climate and decided to locate here.

   Last July he was attacked with cancer in the left eye.  At first it was merely a white speck on his eye and he paid no attention to it.  But it kept growing larger until it developed into a cancer.  He was under the treatment of Dr. Whitford for some time, but the cancer had gained such headway that He realized there was no hope for him.

   The end came at the break of day this morning and at sundown tomorrow evening the funeral will take place.  Dr. Whitford will deliver the funeral oration at Good Templar’s hall at 6 o’clock tomorrow evening.  The funeral will be under the auspices of the G. A. R.

   The deceased was 75 years of age and a member of a Minnesota Post of the G. A. R.

The Butte Daily Post
Butte, Montana
6/9/1900

The Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana
6/4/1892

WASHINGTON BLACK DEAD

PIONEER BUSINESS MAN OF BUTTE 
BREATHES HIS LAST

A VETERAN OF THE CIVIL WAR

Respected and full of years, 
Washington H. Black succumbs to 
an  attack of pneumonia—Is greatly 
mourned by a host of friends.  

   Washington H. Black, one of Butte’s distinguished citizens and a pioneer merchant of Montana, died yesterday morning at his home on West Park street.  Death was caused by pneumonia.  He had been ill only two days, but as Mr. Black had for some time been in feeble health, he succumbed quickly when seized by the dread disease.  The attack was severe, and the case seemed hopeless from the first.

   Mr. Black was born in Tiffin, Ohio, and was married to Miss Augusta Kunckel of Davenport, Iowa, 32 years ago.  The widow and two sons survive.  Mr. Black enlisted in the union army and remain ed in active service throughout the civil war.  Mr. Black and family came to Butte 15 years ago and Mr. Black had been in business in this city ever since.   He was an active member of Lincoln post, G. A. R., and had been honored by many prominent positions in Grand Army circles.  He was also prominent in Masonic circles.

   Mr. Black was esteemed by his comrades and was greatly respected by the entire citizenship of Butte.  The community sustains a decided loss in his death.  The surviving sons are William C. Black of this city and Robert G. Black of Parlin, Mont.  The funeral will be held under the auspices of the Masons and G. A. R. at the Masonic temple at 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon.

The Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana
11/9/1904