John G. Benkie
1857–1939 (age 82)
Biography
John G. Benkie (1857–1939) spent his life in the gentle folds of Graceland Township, where he tended the soil and the hearts of his neighbors with equal care. He welcomed travelers, mentored youngsters, and quietly supported the civic causes that kept the township steady through challenging years.
At home he was a patient husband and father whose steady hands and ready smile offered comfort to families in need, and in the evenings he could often be found reading by lamplight before retiring to the fields he loved. He now rests in Graceland Township Cemetery, leaving behind the legacy of a life lived in service to place and people.