Bennett, Ambers Lafayette

Submitted by
Marti Graham

AMBERS LAFAYETTE BENNETT, son of Charles H. and Edith Hill Bennett, born in Calhoun County, Georgia, August 13, 1868. His father, who had been a soldier in the Confederate Army, having died in Georgia on June 6, 1873, his widow and their children in 1874, removed to Crawford County, Arkansas, where she again married in 1877.

In 1879, her son, Ambers Lafayette, when he was only 11 years old, became a member of the household of J. W. T. Jones, who resided about three miles northeast of Alma, Arkansas, and continued to make his home with him until he was nineteen years of age. On account of conditions existing in the South following the Civil War and the loss of his father when he was not quite five years of age, his educational opportunities were scant, his longest school term being three months at a rural school at Freedom School House, near Alma. Webster’s blue backed speller, Ray’s arithmetic and McGufey’s readers being his principal text books. By persistence, without the aid of any instructor, he became a good speller and reader, and acquired proficiency in arithmetic and accounting.

In 1887, coming to the Cherokee Nation, he settled in what is now Sequoyah County, but after two years returned to Crawford County, Arkansas, and in 1890 was married to Miss Sarah A. Blevins.

In 1899 he, with his family removed to Howe, in the Choctaw Nation, at which place he lived until his death on the 22nd day of August, 1927 at St. Edwards Hospital at Fort Smith, Arkansas.

He was a soldier on the part of the United States during the Spanish American War. During the World War he had one son in the army and one in the navy. In 1901 he was City Marshal of Howe, and in 1902 he served a short time as Deputy United Marshal. He owned, and for several years operated a hotel at Howe, but during his entire residence at that place his principal business was that of farming. At the time of his death he was County Chairman of the Democratic Central Committee for LeFlore County, and a member of the State Central Committee, having been elected Chairman of the County Committee eight consecutive times, and had attended every State Convention held since Statehood. He was Vice-President of the LeFlore County Fair Association, having been a member of its Board for a number of years and been connected with the State A. & M. College and County Farm demonstration work in crop experiments for several years. He never sought political honor, but was active in all matters looking toward better government and for the promotion of agriculture.

He left surviving his widow and ten children, to wit: Clyde T. Bennett, Gretchen M. Gentry, Pleas L. Bennett, Callie M. Young., Ambers L. Bennett Jr., Ruth Bennett, Velma Bennett, Robert L. O. Bennett and Lois Dean Bennett. He lived to see seven of his children complete the grades in the public schools, six to complete high school courses, and two to receive degrees from colleges, and two others being in college at the time of his death. Realizing his handicap on account of lack of educational advantages, he was the more zealous that his children should not be so handicapped.

In 1890 he joined the Missionary Baptist Church at Pleasant Grove, about four miles northeast of Alma, Arkansas, and continued such church member to the date of his death, and loyally supported its institutions. An exemplar of honesty, truth and fidelity, he ever sought to impress such principles upon his children. Courageous and fearless he met every responsibility. When he knew that he had only a few hours to live, he faced the last great ordeal as he had faced every other condition in life. The only request he left was that his children who were not old enough to have completed their education should be thoroughly educated. A man of deep convictions and sterling principles.

Source: Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 6, No. 2, June 1928, p. 225-226.

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