Donald Benson HOW^{[1, 2, 3]}

1908 - 1983  (74 years)

• Name	Donald Benson HOW
  Born	19 Feb 1908	3149 29 Avenue So, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
  Gender	Male
  Buried	1983	Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA
  Died	5 Feb 1983	University Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA   [4, 5]
  Notes	From Ann Waldemar, Granddaughter: Donald was the second son of Frank and Alma How. He attended Longfellow grade school and graduated from South High. Donald studied civil engineering, attending the University of Minnesota from 1927 to 1930. He left the university after his third year and married Evelyn Samdal in the summer of 1930. They honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York. He worked as a surveyor for the Minnesota Highway Department while continuing his education, ultimately receiving a certificate in Civil Engineering. Donald and Evelyn began their family in 1934 and would raise five surviving children in the decades that witnessed the Great Depression and the Second World War. In 1941 when war was declared, Donald went to work for Bros Boiler Mfg. Co. in Minneapolis, doing what is believed to be the design and engineering of steam boilers for war ships, returning to the Highway Department after the war. Known for his strong work ethic, Donald rose up through the ranks, first working on a survey crew, then advancing to the level of Design Engineer and, ultimately, Project Engineer. He was well respected by his peers and by those who worked for him. At the time of his retirement in 1970 he had given forty one years of service to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Fighting lymphatic leukaemia throughout his retirement years, Donald would still enjoy his children and their growing families and would travel to visit them as often as his health would permit. He enjoyed puttering around Dick's and Mary's farm, made several trips out to California for visits and also flew out to Guam in 1974 while his son-in-law was stationed there with the U.S. Navy. From Kay Wachter's book: Gordon, Donald and his best friend Chester Dilly formed a "Black Face Band", a church minstrel band. Gordon played the trombone, Donald the banjo and Chester ? unknown. [Since Stephen Foster was the progenitor of "Black Face" music, we can guess which songs were played!]
  Person ID	I00078	How Genealogy | HOW family branch that emigrated from England to Minnesota, USA
  Last Modified	5 May 2015

  
  

  Father	Samuel Francis Stephen HOW,   b. 25 Jun 1871, 4 Seymour Crescent, Stoke Damerel, Devon, England ,   d. 27 Jan 1925, 3149 29 Avenue So, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA  (Age 53 years)
  Mother	Alma Sophia BENSON,   b. 28 Aug 1881, Tumleberg, Sweden ,   d. 8 Jul 1961, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA  (Age 79 years)
  Married	3 Aug 1904	Kasota, Minnesota, USA
  Family ID	F00018	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Evelyn Marie SAMDAL,   b. 31 Dec 1910, Excelsior, Minnesota, USA ,   d. 10 Aug 1972, Unity Hospital, Fridley, Minnesota, USA  (Age 61 years)
  Married	2 Aug 1930	3148 29 Avenue So, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
  Divorced	1951
  Children	1. Living + 2. Karilyn Marie HOW,   b. 31 Oct 1936, Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, Minnesota, USA ,   d. 7 Mar 2007, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA  (Age 70 years)  [Birth] + 3. Lorraine Francis HOW,   b. 10 Jun 1939, Old Glenwood Hospital, Glenwood, Minnesota, USA ,   d. 5 Mar 2002, Los Angeles,Los Angeles County, California, USA  (Age 62 years) + 4. Living   5. Carmion Phyllis HOW,   b. 3 Feb 1942, Glenwood Community Hospital, Glenwood, Minnesota, USA ,   d. 28 Jan 1943, Glenwood, Minnesota, USA  (Age 0 years) + 6. Living
  Last Modified	4 Sep 2010
  Family ID	F00027	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 19 Feb 1908 - 3149 29 Avenue So, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Married - 2 Aug 1930 - 3148 29 Avenue So, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Buried - 1983 - Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA Died - 5 Feb 1983 - University Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  Gordon, Donald, Bennett, Francis, Sarah, Dorothy, Alma - 1928 Taken at a studio during Sarah HOW's visit to Alma and family in Minneapolis

  
  

  Headstones

  Headstone of Donald Benson HOW b.1908 Located at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA Plot: Section 45 Lot 87 Grave 4

  
  

• Sources

  [S34] US - Federal Census - 1910. Name: Donald B How Birthplace: Minnesota Relationship to Head of Household: Son Residence: Minneapolis Ward 12, Hennepin, Minnesota Marital Status: Single Race : White Gender: Male Father's Birthplace: England Mother's Birthplace: Sweden Family Number: 222 Page Number: 9 Household Gender Age Parent Samuel F S How M 38y Parent Alma S How F 28y Francis W How M 4y Donald B How M 2y Carl J Benson M 25y https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M2G6-WXV [S35] US - Federal Census - 1920. Name: Donald How Residence: , Hennepin, Minnesota Estimated Birth Year: 1909 Age: 11 Birthplace: Minnesota Relationship to Head of Household: Son Gender: Male Race: White Marital Status: Single Film Number: 1820838 Digital Folder Number: 4312186 Image Number: 324 Sheet Number: 2 Household Gender Age Parent How M 48y Parent Alma How F 38y Francis How M 15y Donald How M 11y Gordon How M 8y Dorothy How F 6y Bennett How M 4y6m https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MWYT-9ZT [S32] US - Federal Census - 1930. Name: Donald D How Event: Census Event Date: 1930 Event Place: Minneapolis (Districts 1-250), Hennepin, Minnesota Gender: Male Age: 22 Marital Status: Single Race: White Birthplace: Minnesota Estimated Birth Year: 1908 Relationship to Head of Household: Stepson Father's Birthplace: England Mother's Birthplace: Sweden Enumeration District Number: 224 Family Number: 48 Sheet Number and Letter: 3A Line Number: 5 NARA Publication: T626, roll 1098 Film Number: 2340833 Digital Folder Number: 4610052 Image Number: 262 Household Gender Age James E Straigert M 51 Elmas S Straigert F 48 Francis W How M 24 Donald D How M 22 Gordon H How M 19 Dorthy A How F 16 Bennett J How M 14 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3Z5-RZY [S61] US - Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2002 . Name: Donald B. How Birth Date: 19 Feb 1908 Death Date: 5 Feb 1983 Death County: Hennepin Mother's Maiden Name: Benson State File Number: 003511 Certificate Number: 003511 Certificate Year: 1983 Record Number: 2102892 [S37] US - Social Security Death Index. Name: Donald How SSN: 470-22-0056 Last Residence: 55406 Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, USA BORN: 19 Feb 1908 Died: Feb 1983 State (Year) SSN issued: Minnesota (Before 1951)