Benjamin C. "Ben" Roe

Birth: He was born around 1892 in Nebraska.  

Family Information: First married to Florence Roe.

Father of Robert, Warren, Walter, Frances and Lucille Roe.

Sometime prior to 1930, he married Mary (Halahan) Roe and became step-father of Joe Blackshear.  

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: In 1900 he was living in Nebraska with his parents and siblings. In 1910 he, his mother and younger siblings were living with his sister and her husband in Nebraska.

In 1920 he was living in Nebraska with his first wife, Florence, their two oldest children and his brother-in-law, James Siegrest age 22, while he worked as a farmer.

Home in Colony:

Job in Colony:

Over the years he worked in the vegetable gardens; even serving as foreman of the garden department and the vegetable dry kiln.

In September 1928 the work in the Rice Ranch vegetable gardens and orchards proceeded with Harold Kemp operating the tractor and 28 disc harrow, Leonard and Roe ploughing and planting Irish potatoes, and Shipman hauling and spreading fertilizer. Robert Roe and Roy Swenson helped out where they could. Condon took a trip to Newllano, leaving Mrs. Swenson to perform her household duties without an assistant.

In September 1928 he was on the college faculty along with: Lowell H. Coate - Superintendent and instructor in Sociology, Economics and Public Education; E.C. Bennett - English and History; Benjamin Roe - Scientific Agriculture; Guy F. Rogers - Mathematics; Eugene Hough - Psychology; F. Hamel - Spanish, German and Latin; Mary Erma Wilson - Voice and Piano; R.B. Snyder - Director of Orchestra, Wind and Stringed Instruments, Chorus and Ensemble; Geo. T. Pickett - Industrial Science; Daisy Daugherty - Domestic Science; Edna Mae Coffin - Manual Art, Sculpture and Architectural Drawing; Austin McLane - Journalism; Nell Rogers - Botany; Hope Shoemaker - Shorthand, Typewriting and Book-keeping; Mr. Daugherty - Intermediate Grades; Mrs. A.E. Bennet - Primary Grades; Esther Allen - Health and Hygiene; Mary H. Atworth - Librarian and Instructor in the Art of Expression; Anna Tabb - School Nurse, Dr. J.P. Kimmel - College Physician; Alice Pickett - Girls Counselor; Theodore Atworth - Oil and Watercolor Art; Alma Wilson Bell - Dramatic Art.

In December 1928 Waters, McClurg, Ross Brannon and Hopkins, with three teams and wagons, started hauling peanuts to the dairy where the thresher was located. Roe and Enfield got the thresher and Fordson tuned up and as soon as the nut supply began to arrive Com. Gregson started to feed the machine and the work was on. They stayed with the job until almost six o'clock and finished up. Of course, Van Nuland, our dairy man, and some of the boys did their bit in completing that job which had been slated to take two days.

On the 1930 census he was listed as the farm manager for the colony. In June he was congratulated for his successful gardens, along with Hyatt for his orchard of plums, berries, grapes and peaches, as well as a few apples -- "the colony ha[d] never had such a showing as [wa]s then being made."  

Other Info: In May 1928 two visiting musicians -- W.L. Ferris and O.L. Owens of Leesville -- collaborated with the colony orchestra which consisted of: Robert Snyder, leader; George T. Pickett, Roedemeister, Ben Roe, Raymond Faussel, Joseph Gaddis, Louise Gaddis, Billy DeBoer, C.C. Mickey, Peter Borg, Max Beavers, Warren Fread, Guy Rogers, Florence Roe and Anna Besse, pianiste.

In February 1929 the colony orchestra consisted of Violins: Guy Rogers, William Bingham, Albert Wichmann, Warren Fread, Joseph Silberman, Rhea Baldwin; Flute: Clyde Mickey; Clarinets: Frank Rahn, William DeBoer, William Newman; Saxophones: Raymond DeFausell, Florence Roe, Arthur Goble; Trumpets: Louis Reodemeister, Benjamin Roe; Horn: Benjamin Couchman; Trombone: George Pickett; Tuba: Fred Hamel; Pianist: Mary Erma Wilson.

In June 1929 he was one of four college graduates in the colony including O.E. Enfield, John McSlarrow, E.G. Bennett and Ben Roe.  

Post-Colony History:

Death:  

Sources: US Census: 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930; "Llano Colonist": October 29, 1927, May 19, 1928, May 26, 1928, September 15, 1928, September 22, 1928, December 15, 1928, February 16, 1929, March 2, 1929, June 8, 1929, June 21, 1930, November 25, 1933; "Vernon Parish Democrat": February 7, 1929