Grace was born on June 4, 1885 in Winfield, Kansas and, except for six years in Wichita, spent her entire life there. On June 16, 1908, at age 23, Grace was married in Winfield to Ernest A. Benkendorf, 29, the son of Wilhemina Arndt and Julius Benkendorf, a Prussian emigrant miller. Ernest was a real estate broker in Winfield whose early career was interrupted by tuberculosis. He died at age 33 in California where he had gone for treatment. Grace and Ernest had one child, Dorothy.
Grace then married Peter Hickerson, a photographer who operated a studio in Winfield. They had no children and eventually divorced. In October of 1936, 51-year-old Grace married Charles Gaines in Ozark, Missouri. Charles, who was a widower with two grown sons, worked as a building contractor in Wichita. In that same month of 1936 Grace's only child Dorothy died at the early age of twenty-six. Grace's grief may have been somewhat lightened by the fact that Dorothy had three children before she died. Grace and Charles lived in Wichita for six years, before moving to Winfield. Grace was no doubt well known in downtown Winfield for she worked as a saleswoman for Calvert’s Department Store for about 18 years.
Charles died in 1963 at the age of 83 in Winfield. Grace died three years later at age 81 on June 7, 1966 in Winfield and is buried near her parents in Union Cemetery.
Dorothy Benkendorf’s daughter, Mary Louise Mackensen and her two daughters- Cait and Christine Hendron - have been very active in researching Walch history. They were the source, via Cait, for much of the James Walch history and for all the Winfield photographs.
The photograph above is Grace Walch and her daughter Dorothy Benkendorf. The photograph is courtesy of Cait Hendron of Glendale, Arizona.
Grace then married Peter Hickerson, a photographer who operated a studio in Winfield. They had no children and eventually divorced. In October of 1936, 51-year-old Grace married Charles Gaines in Ozark, Missouri. Charles, who was a widower with two grown sons, worked as a building contractor in Wichita. In that same month of 1936 Grace's only child Dorothy died at the early age of twenty-six. Grace's grief may have been somewhat lightened by the fact that Dorothy had three children before she died. Grace and Charles lived in Wichita for six years, before moving to Winfield. Grace was no doubt well known in downtown Winfield for she worked as a saleswoman for Calvert’s Department Store for about 18 years.
Charles died in 1963 at the age of 83 in Winfield. Grace died three years later at age 81 on June 7, 1966 in Winfield and is buried near her parents in Union Cemetery.
Dorothy Benkendorf’s daughter, Mary Louise Mackensen and her two daughters- Cait and Christine Hendron - have been very active in researching Walch history. They were the source, via Cait, for much of the James Walch history and for all the Winfield photographs.
The photograph above is Grace Walch and her daughter Dorothy Benkendorf. The photograph is courtesy of Cait Hendron of Glendale, Arizona.
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