Title	Mr.
Last Name	Jennings
First Name	Benjamin
Middle Name	F.
Maiden Name
Nick Name
Place of Birth	Castine, ME
Date of Birth	1809
Place of Death	Festus, MO
Date of Death	1890-01-00
Publication	The Eastern State 1-31-1890, p.?
Obituary	Died recently in Festus, Jefferson Co., Mo., Benjamin F. Jennings, aged 80 years and 10 months. He was born in Castine, Hancock Co., 1809; he moved to Dexter 1814, walking from Bangor the entire distance at the age of five years, in company with his parents and sister, Mrs. Maria Keene, aged 7. There was no carriage road between Bangor and Elkinstown at that time. He received his education in the schools of Dexter and the old Foxcroft academy; worked on the farm summers and taught school winters until lie was 21. Then he went down the Penobscot and learned the trade of a ship carpenter. Coming back to Dexter he bought the farm now owned by Bial Moore, intending to make that his home. Unfortunately he was induced to put what means he had into improvements at Pittsfield that proved an unfortunate venture and took all his savings. Then he decided to go West. In 1836 he left Dexter for St. Louis, Mo., with his chest of tools, all he had left. He landed in St. Louis with 25 cents to start with. He followed his trade there and at Carondelet excepting four years he was City Marshall of St. Louis and four years that he was special detective in the postoffice department, under President Franklin Pierce, until 1884, when he retired from active business and removed to Festus with his brother Mark. His New England thrift and enterprise caused him to accumulate a good property. Almost his only vacations were his visits to his boyhood home. He was a member of the M. E. church of Carondelet where he was taken for his last long rest by the side of his loved wife, whose death had preceded his several years. M.