Labette County Biographies
From the "Portrait and Biographical Record of Southeastern Kansas"
Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1894
JOHN W. BENNETT. Carlyle we believe
it was who said that "the true delineation
of the most humble man and his scene of
pilgrimage through life is capable of interesting the greatest men; that all men are to an
unspeakable degree brothers, each man's life a strange
emblem of every man's; and that human portraits,
faithfully drawn, are of all pictures the welcomest
on human walls." Within the limits of the present volume, it will be impossible
to present a portrait, and it shall be our attempt merely to give a
faithful sketch of the events which have been especially noteworthy in the life of Mr. Bennett.
Now a resident of Parsons, where he is engaged
in the agricultural implement business, the subject
of this sketch is a native of Kane County, Ill.,
and was born on the 2d of July, 1849. His father,
Elias Bennett, was born in Chemung County, N.
y., and grew to manhood in that place, where he
married Miss Sarah, the daughter of John and
Elizabeth Reser. After his marriage he engaged
in farming in Chemung County until about 1833,
when he settled in Kane County, Ill., and embarked in farming pursuits. In 1862 he enlisted
in the artillery under the command of Capt.
George Renrick, and continued in active service
until, as a result of exposure and long marches,
he contracted disease, which caused his death at
Knoxville, Tenn., in January 1863. His widow
survived for a number of years, passing away on
the 12th of December, 1891. He was a man of
prominence in his community, and an ardent advocate of the Democratic party.
In the parental family there were nine children,
of whom seven are still living. John W. was
reared in Kane County, and there received a fair
education. In 1881 he came to Kansas, and for a
time conducted a livery business at Parsons. After eight years thus spent,
he started in the agricultural implement business, in which he has since
engaged. As a business man, he is conservative
and cautious, prudent in making investments and
judicious in the conduct of his business, yet he is
energetic and pushing.
In Newaygo County, Mich., March 14, 1875, Mr.
Bennett was united in marriage with Miss Clara
M., daughter of Charles Warren, a resident of
Ionia County, Mich. Mrs. Bennett died on the
19th of February, 1892, after having become the
mother of three children, Mabel, Grace and Cora.
Grace died February 12, 1893, at the age of eleven
years and fifteen days. In his political opinions,
Mr. Bennett is a Republican and an active worker
in the party. He has served for six years as a
member of the City Council, and for two years was
a member of the Board of Education. At the Republican County Convention, in August, 1893, he
was nominated for Sheriff of the county, and was
elected by a majority of four hundred and eighty-six.
Socially, Mr. Bennett is identified with the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Parsons Lodge
No. 117. He is connected with the Knights of
Pythias, Uniformed Rank, and has been an active
member of the lodge. He is also a member of the
Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Select
Knights, of the city. In every enterprise calculated to promote the interests of Parsons, he is
warmly interested, and gives his support to every
public-spirited enterprise.
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This website created September 18, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
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