DUSMAN, Benjamin Franklin
Source: Kingman Star January 13, 1907
At Hamilton, Ill., March 13 1855 was born to Harvey and Mary Dusman their seventh and last child a son, whom they named Benjamin Franklin. While he was yet a little boy the family moved to Indiana. Here Frank, as he was called, grew to manhood, and lived out his span of life. All of his family except one brother, Samuel, have preceded him to the beyond. Frank’s occupation was that of farming, mixed with or influenced by a love for trading. He first worked as hired help, he then had charge of a rented farm. He afterwards bought and operated a farm of his own. In his early manhood, Dec. 24 1878, he was married to Lavina, eldest daughter of James and Amanda Russell. Twenty eight years of quiet unvaunting happiness were granted this union. With ambitions, aspirations, hopes, achievement and rejoicing, as of one heart, these years flew by. On Jan 7 1907, the death summons came, and we see a wife bereft and desolate. We see her parents with one more great sorrow and one less comfort and stay to help them under its burden. And into our heart comes the longing to learn more of the great plan in order that we may more fully understand. “For now we see thru a glass darkly.” Some one has said, “Man’s earthly eye can only partly see and discord see, but to his spirit eye some discords blend to concord, and so faith sweeps on from past to whole, and sees the glorious aim that unisoms all things.” When this friend and brother passed from us the inevitable question came, what were his most distinguishing qualities? To those who knew him best the answer comes quick and sure. He was a faithful and fond husband who sought always to share his choicest pleasures with his wife. His marriage with her was not a matter of the letter only, but of the spirit also. His conduct of life said more eloquently than words, “Thy people shall be my people.” To her parents he always showed the same kindness and consideration that a son would show to his own parents. His generosity of impulse was not limited to kindred but to the old friend and the new he was ever ready to give freely and gladly of the best that he had. No night was so dark and no hardship so great as to prevent his answering the call of distress with his passing acquaintances and even with strangers he was always genial, always sunny. In reviewing his life so lately ended, it would be presumptuous to try to give an estimate of its worth to the world, for unlike the tree a human life may bear its richest printage after the palpably living body is gone, other lives that he has touched with sunshine, may sometime bloom with a splendor they would have never known but for him. – thanks muches to “S” for this one