Bennage - Simon
SIMON BENNAGE
Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani. Montgomery Medicine Men .... Crawfordsville: Montgomery County Historical Society, 2000.
The name Simon Bennage is amusingly connected with Jesse Goben, an area minister of some repute. For many years, Goben and his wife, Araminta Plunkett, sang at revival while he studied for the ministry. He preached to himself in the cornfields and eventually gave short discourses upon the third chapter of Hebrews, but was always afraid to take the final step to preach. After about 4 years of traveling around with his minute lessons, he asked the lord to let him stop. He was immediately stricken with a strange sickness which baffled all physicians. In a dream, his wife saw a man who said he could cure her husband. Goben was placed in a wagon and hauled to Crawfordsville where Dr. Bennage was found to fill the description of Mrs. Goben's dream man. Evidently, he was just what Goben needed as within 48 hours, Goben was up, fit as ever and with a new outlook upon his occupation, and he continued preaching until his dying day. Simon Bennage, his wife Mary, son Martin and younger brother David, also a doctor, came to Crawfordsville in 1847. They are found in the 1850 census with a one-year-old daughter, Mary. Although a couple of sources say he sold his practice to P.M. Layne in 1855 and left for Marionville, Missouri where he died, part of this information is incorrect as he and his family (now including Franklin P; Charles S; Jay P as well as newborn Callie) are all in the 1860 census in our county. Since nothing more is found on brother, David, perhaps he is the one leaving for Missouri in 1855 and Simon joined him thereafter. At the time of press, it was confirmed Dr. Bennage was indeed in Marionville, Missouri in March of 1872, as he had S.H. Gregg & Son send two Cincinnati Rover Plows to him at his farm in Marionville.
Note: Simon and Mary are buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Marionville, Lawrence County, Missouri. His dates: March 3, 1822 to May 10, 1887. Mary 1825-1919
Son Todd W. and part of his family are also buried in this cemetery (Todd 5-30-1865 to 12-1-1919)
Simon and Mary's son, Martin, a Civil War Soldier (Co. D, 135th Ind Inf) is also buried in the above IOOF Cemetery. Dates 2-5-1845 to 9-9-1918
Simon and Mary's daughter, Arnetta 1-23-1862 in Indiana 6-2-1890 Lawrence County, Missouri is buried there, too.
Simon and Mary's son, Love Joy (1-21-1857 - 2-7-1926) (possibly a nephew vs. son) , his wife Johanna and several children are buried in the IOOF with the other Bennage family members.