Ancestral File number: 32Q5-52
Last changed: 24 Jan 1998
Life history of MARY ELIZABETH TEMPEST BENSON, born at Nebraska City,


Nebraska written by E. Neal Benson, a grandson, son of Emory H. and
Ella Parker Benson on 15 August 1979.
The daughter of Pneneus Tempest and Sarah Jane Wilson. Mary was the
oldest of the family. As a little girl, she helped her father on the


farm in Nebraska City, guiding the horse or mule in weeding the corn
and helping wherever she could.
She had two brothers and three sisters. The family moved to Newton,
Utah when she was 17 years old and lived in the home on the corner
where Ralph Jones' home is today (1 block south of the church house
on the south west corner). Mary was a very kind hearted girl and was


active in the LDS church. While living in Newton, she met John
Benson. He went to Montana and worked on the Rail Road. While he
was away, the Tempest family left Newton and moved to the Snake River


Country living in Rexburg, Idaho, where her father was Post Master
for a number of years.
John started courting Mary and, in due time, they were married by the


Justice of the Peace in Newton. He was George Rigby. The marriage
was later solomized in the Logan LDS Temple.
Mary was very active in the church, especially the Relief Society,
where she served for some time as President. She was a very
compassionate lady, helping wherever she could, whenever there was
sickness or death in the families. Grandma never had very good
health, but never complained. She had to take insulin for many years


and stayed on a very strict diet. She was a wonderful mother and
grandmother, also a good cook, always setting a fine table. She bore


ten children, raising four, six died soon after birth. Those raised
to adulthood were J. Phineus, Emory H., Kenneth D. and Ula. Every
winter her parents, from Rexburg, would come and stay for a couple of


months with Grandma and Grandpa. Also, from time to time, her
sisters would come and visit them. In the late 1920's or early
1930's, Grandma and Grandpa took a train trip to Fresno, California
and visited with their son, Phineus and his wife Elva. They enjoyed
the trip and talked about it often.
In 1932, Grandma's health got much worse and she finally went into a
coma, and passed away 31 October 1932. She is burried in the Newton
Cemetary along with her six babies and daughter Ula, who passed away
in 1929.
I remember living with my grand parents and would come home from
school at noon and they would always give me a couple of pennies to
spend after school. I thought this was great, as two pennies would
buy quite a bit when I was a young boy.
I thought a great deal of Grandma and Grandpa and after Grandma died,


I stayed with Grandpa, sleeping with him and going many places with
him.
In the early 1900's Mary served as hostess of the Benson Hotel,
fixing meals and keeping the bedrooms in good clean shape for the
people who stayed at the home.

Life sketch of MARY ELIZABETH TEMPEST BENSON, written by Phineus
Tempest, 14 February 1931.
Mary E. Tempest Benson was born 19 July 1867 at Nebraska City,
Nebraska and was married to John Benson of Newton, Cache County,
Utah, 21 December 1887 and set up housekeeping at Newton, Cache
County, Utah at which place they identified themselves with the LDS
Church, of which their parents were members.
Her father, Phineus Tempest, with his older brother, Joseph,
emigrated from their native town of Halifax, England on the sailing
vessel, "Bele Wood", leaving Liverpool on 29 April 1865, and arriving


in New York on 2 June 1865. They traveled across country, arriving in


Wyoming, Nebraska on 11 June 1865.
Sarah Jane Wilson, mother of our subject, was born 15 April 1842 at
Stockport, England and was baptized by Elder Seymour B. Young when 15


years of age at Grimsby, England and emigrated from Halifax, England
on the Steamer, "John Bright" and arriving at Nebraska late in June.
In 1872, her father moved the family down the Missouri river opposite


Hamburg, Iowa, where he engaged in the saw mill business, moving
about from place to place for convenience for saw-timber.
Our little Mary had a poor show to go to school under these
conditions. The parents saw their family increasing with no brighter


show for their education, and so decided to "go west" into Kansas.
Here they struck the second of the seven-year drouths. Those drouth
years with their "hard times" can never be told.
November 1882 saw the family in Newton where they remained until 3
July 1884 when they moved to Rexburg, Idaho, with Mary, then to
"scratching for a living". It was here at the home of her parents
that she and John Benson renewed a former acquaintance that resulted
in their trip to the Logan Temple.
Mrs. Benson is well known as a faithful worker in the church and
Hostess of the widely known "The family Hotel-de-Benson" of Newton,
Utah.

Newton, 31 October 1932 Herald Journal, please print the death of
Mrs. Mary E. Benson:
Mrs. Mary E. Benson, wife of John Benson, and daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. P. Tempest, Rexburg, Idaho. Mrs. Mary E. Benson passed away
7:30 AM, Monday 31 October. She was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska,


19 July 1867. Was married to John Benson, 1887. Nine children, four


girls and one boy, have preceded her. Three boys living, John P.
Benson, Fresno, California; Emory H. and Kenneth Benson, Newton,
Utah; two brothers, Robert and Joseph Tempest, Los Angeles,
California; three sisters Mrs. Caroline Anderson, Mrs. Sarah Johnson,


Rexburg, Idaho, Mrs. Margret Agee, Salt Lake City. Funeral will be
held Thursday 2 PM in the Newton Ward Chapel.