Estelle Pratt

Marian Estelle Pratt was born Wisconsin, and died in California. She is the daughter of Wallace Edwin Pratt of Jericho, Chittenden Co., VT, and Cora Jane Blake of the Town of Orion, Richland Co., WI. She was a member of the Richland Center High School, Richland Center, Richland Co., WI, Class of 1927.

W. E. Pratt was born in Jericho, Vt., July 31, 1848, and is the son of Edwin Pratt and Hannah Hapgood. About 1855 the family came to Wisconsin and resided two years at Beloit, then came to Richland county and engaged in farming in the town of Willow. The parents now reside at Sextonville. The subject of this sketch, at the age of eighteen, commenced work at the painters trade, and has since given his attention to the same, and is now a member of the firm of Pratt Bros. In March 1878 he was married to Fannie Goodrich, daughter of Lorenzo Goodrich. They have two children: Fred and Roy E.

The 1870 U. S. Census taken on July 11, 1870, shows Edwin Pratt (age 46) born in Vermont is unemployed and living in Beloit, 4th Ward, Rock Co., WI. Living with him is his wife Hannah Pratt (age 44) born in Vermont. Also living there are their children: Wallace Pratt (age 22) born in Vermont is a painter owning real estate of $500; George H. Pratt (age 18) born in Vermont is a painter; and Ellen Pratt (age 16) born in Vermont; F. H. Pratt (age 8) born in Wisconsin; and Fred Pratt (age 3) born in Wisconsin.

The 1870 U. S. Census taken on August 3, 1870, shows Simon Blake (age 41) born in Pennsylvania with real estate of $2,000 and personal estate of $556 is a Farmer living in the Town of Orion, Richland Co., WI. Living with him is Mary Blake (age 34) born in Pennsylvania, who is Keeping House. Also there are five children, all born in Wisconsin: Sylvester Blake (age 14); Ida Blake (age 11); Viola Blake (age 9); Estella Blake (age 7); and Salme Blake (age 5).fd

Cora Jane Blake was born October 30, 1870, in the Town of Orion, Richland Co., WI.

The 1875 Wisconsin census for Richland County shows Simon S. Blake is Living in the Town of Orion, Richland Co., WI, with a total of 2 Males, 6 Females.

Wallace Edwin Pratt and Fannie Goodrich were married March 10, 1878, in Wisconsin.

The 1880 U. S. Census taken on June 1, 1880, shows Simon S. Blake (age 50) born in Pennsylvania of Virginia and Maryland-born parents is a farmer living in the Town of Orion, Richland Co., WI. Living with him is his wife, Mary M. Blake (age 44) born in Pennsylvania of Pennsylvania-born parents. Also there are their children: Sylvester F. Blake (age 23) helping on the farm; Salome C. Blake (age 14); Cora J. Blake (age 9); Dora B. Blake (age 7); and Edna P. Blake (age 3). All children were born in Wisconsin. Simon was the census enumerator for Orion Twp. this year.

The 1880 U. S. Census taken June 5, 1880, shows Wallis Pratt (age 31) born in Vermont to Vermont-born parents is a painter living in Richland Center, Richland Center Twp., Richland Co., WI. Living with him is his wife Fanny Pratt (age 28) born in Illinois to New York-born parents. Also living there is their baby daughter, Baby Pratt (age 3/12) born in December in Wisconsin to Vermont and Illinois-born parents, however the enumerator crossed out this entry.

The 1895 Wisconsin State Census taken on June 20, 1895, shows W. E. Pratt is living in the 3rd Ward, City of Richland Center, Richland Co., WI: 3 Males, 2 Females.

Wallace Edwin Pratt and Cora Jane Blake were married March 15, 1899, in the Town of Orion, Richland Co., WI.

The 1900 U. S. Census taken on June 20, 1900, shows Wallace E. Pratt (age 51) born July 1848 in Vermont to Vermont-born parents is a Furniture Merchant owning his own home at 502 Park Street, City of Richland Center, Richland Center Twp., Richland Co., WI. Living with him is his wife of one year, Cora J. Pratt (age 29) born October 1870 in Wisconsin to Pennsylvania-born parents, with no children born to her. Also living there are Wallace's children, all born in Wisconsin to Vermont and Wisconsin-born parents: Frederick G. Pratt (age 19) born March 1881 who is a Painter; Roy E. Pratt (age 17) born March 1883; and Letha J. Pratt (age 12) born August 1887. Wallace's father and Wallace's sister live nearby.

The 1905 Wisconsin State Census taken on June 1, 1905, shows Wallace E. Pratt (age 56) born in Vermont to Vermont-born parents is a Furniture Dealer owning his own home free of a mortgage and living in the 3rd Ward, City of Richland Center, Richland Co., WI. Living with him is his wife, Cora Pratt (age 32) born in Wisconsin to New York-born parents. Also living there is Wallace's unmarried daughter, Letha Pratt (age 17) born in Wisconsin to Vermont and Wisconsin-born parents.

The 1910 U. S. Census taken on April 15, 1910, shows Wallace Pratt (age 61) born in Vermont to Vermont-born parents is a furniture store retail merchant owning his own home on Park Street, 3rd Ward, Richland Center, Richland Center Twp., Richland Co., WI. Living with him is his second wife of 11 years, Cora Pratt (age 38) born in Wisconsin to Indiana and Wisconsin-born parents, with one child born to her, which is her first marriage. Also living there is Wallace's unmarried daughter, Leatha Pratt (age 22) born in Wisconsin to Vermont and Wisconsin-born parents. Also there is the natural daughter of Wallace and Cora, Marian Pratt (age 7/12) born in Wisconsin to Vermont and Wisconsin-born parents.

The 1910 U. S. Census taken on April 27, 1910, shows Harry O'Brien (age 25) born in Wisconsin to Wisconsin-born parents is a Machine Shop Machinist renting his home and is living at 562 Fifth Avenue, 11th Ward, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co., WI. Living with him is his childless wife of 6/12 years, Florence O'Brien (age 20) born in Wisconsin to Wisconsin-born parents.

Cora Jane (Blake) Pratt died July 30, 1918, in Richland Center, Richland Co., WI, at age 47. Buried in Richland Center Cemetery, Richland Center, Town of Richland, Richland Co., WI.

Wallace Edwin Pratt died August 9, 1919, in Richland Co., WI, at age 71. Buried in Richland Center Cemetery, Richland Center, Town of Richland, Richland Co., WI. Letha Jane (Pratt) Martin became the special guardian of her half-sister, Marian Estelle Pratt, on December 11, 1919, in Richland Center, Richland Co., WI. To settle the estate, Marian's share of the estate of her father was sold to Roy Ellis Pratt for $1,000.

THE ACORN, published by J. Bee NP Publishing, Ltd., Office: 30423 Canwood St., Ste. 108, 91301

KEEPING BUSY—Among the daily activities 107-year-old Marion Benson enjoys at University Village are reading mystery novels, playing bridge, assembling puzzles and dining with friends.

At 107, Thousand Oaks resident Marion Benson says the secret to her longevity is a stress-free, drug-free lifestyle. “I just don’t worry,” said Benson, who celebrated her most recent birthday Sept. 19 in her home at University Village, a continuing-care community in Thousand Oaks. “I take everything in moderation. I don’t overeat and I don’t smoke or drink,” she said. “I don’t take any pills that are going to make me young or anything; I just go from day to day doing my regular thing.” Born in 1909 in Richland Center, Wis., then a town of about 4,000, Benson moved to California in 1944 when her first husband got a job at Douglas Aircraft Company. Benson has seen many “firsts,” including the first airplane and the first television set. “My father and I were walking down the street in the little town, and he said, ‘You know, there’s going to be a change here; we’re going to have a box put up and that box will have pictures,’” Benson said. “It excited the whole town. But we didn’t get one . . . not for a long time.” Growing up in Middle America, Benson said, most of her neighbors practiced modesty in the way they dressed, even in the 1920s’ flapper era. “I was not allowed to wear those short things . . . then my daughter came along,” Benson said. “She came over to my house and I was sitting there reading, and my mouth literally fell open because she’s got a dress on that’s way above her knees.” Among the many presidents who’ve been elected over the course of Benson’s life, she’s seen at least one in person: William Howard Taft, America’s 27th president (1909-1913). “He came to our little town and they gave him a potluck dinner in the Methodist church in the basement,” she said, “so he was the first president I remember. . . . Then, of course, everybody liked JFK.” This week, Benson voted in her 22nd presidential election. It was a short trip to the polls because University Village served as a polling place for the first time in the community’s history.

Benson was born and raised as Marion Pratt. She had two stepbrothers and one stepsister, all of whom were about 20 years older than her. “My mother died very young; she was only 40 and she had a brain tumor,” Benson said. “So I was brought up by this sister who was 20 years older. Her name was Letha Martin. She was my mom; she did everything for me. She was a wonderful gal.” When Benson was around 21, she met Stan O’Brien, the man who would be her first husband, while working in Milwaukee at a drugstore pharmacy. “A man came in and he wanted a cherry Coke . . . so I fixed him a cherry Coke,” she said. “Well I continued on making cherry Cokes day after day after day, until finally he asked me for a date.” When she and O’Brien moved to California in 1944, it marked the first time she’d been west of the Mississippi River. They first lived in Santa Monica, where Benson was in charge of the printing department in the administration building of the Santa Monica School District. The two were married for 17 years and had two children, Kent and Patricia. O’Brien died of a heart attack in 1956. Benson later married a man named Homer Benson, and their relationship lasted about six years until he, too, died of a heart attack. “I guess I knocked them both off - I loved them too much,” Benson joked. Three months ago, her son, Kent, died from a brain tumor. He was 73 and a former pilot for United Airlines. I loved him so much; he was such a wonderful man,” Benson said. “He used to come here a lot. I’m handling it all right. I just figure he’s in a better place than I am, and I think mine is pretty good, so his must be a lot better.” Despite outliving so many family members, Benson said, she’s still a happy person. She loves spending time with her four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to live without Kent, but I found out I can,” she said. “I have him in my heart and I can look at his picture whenever I want to—and that’s OK. There was nothing that I could do about it. I had no control. It’s done. I can’t bring him back, but I can keep him with me.” Benson has lived at University Village since 2008. Her favorite hobbies? Playing bridge, taking walks around the fish pond and spending time with friends. “I like it here very much; they really have a lot to offer,” Benson said. “I’ve got lots of friends here.”

By all accounts, Marion Benson is an anomaly at 100 years old - and it's not because she's one of few centenarians in the world. "Every time I take her to a doctor's appointment and they find out her age, they almost faint," said her son, Kent O'Brien, 70, of Camarillo. "She looks about 70 she doesn't even have wrinkles. And to everyone that meets her, she's an absolute marvel. Whatever it is, I want it to rub off on me." Benson, who turned 100 on Saturday, is just as surprised as most folks about celebrating this very special and uncommon birthday. "I'm amazed myself," said Benson, who lives at University Village Thousand Oaks. "I don't feel any different today than I did 50 years ago. It's just that I try to keep a positive attitude; I wake up every morning just looking forward to the day. And if I don't have anything already planned, I get busy and plan something so I get out. I don't stay cooped up at all; I'm on the move." Born as Marion Pratt in Richland Center, Wis., she graduated from the University of Wisconsin before heading west to California with her first husband, Stan O'Brien, in the 1940s. Kent recalled, "My father had come out to be in Hollywood; he was a tremendously talented guy who sang in nightclubs in Wisconsin." His father died in 1955, when Kent was 16.About 20 years later, his mother attended her 50th high school reunion in Wisconsin. "When she was out there, she struck up a conversation with a gentleman she grew up with as kids. They even double-dated together when they were kids," Kent O'Brien said. The gentleman - Homer Benson - was a married doctor living in Honolulu at the time. After the reunion, "his wife passed away, so a few years go by and he starts sending my mom boxes of anthuriums from Hawaii." Benson also started making trips to Texas to see his brother, during which time he'd travel through California to visit Marion. "The next thing you know he comes through (California) again," O'Brien recalled. "My mother calls me the next day. She says, - Homer told me, "Marion, I have always been in love with you since we were kids, but when we were kids, you never gave me a second look." With that, "she married him on Valentine's Day; she was in her late 80s." Benson closed his doctor's practice in Honolulu, and the couple moved to Walnut Creek. "He loved her dearly," O'Brien said. "But he passed away after six years. They had a great six years." At this point, Benson was in her early 90s, "and still driving her car," her son said. "She was the designated driver for all of her 70-year-old friends." When she had to renew her license at age 92, she took the written and driving tests and passed them both. "She just gave her driver's license up two years ago," said O'Brien, who now does the majority of driving for his mom. "It was her decision to quit driving. She just felt like it was time to quit because I'm nearby and she really doesn't need a car." (Benson also has a daughter, Patricia Major, as well as four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.) Just a few months ago, when Benson went to the doctor after hitting her leg on a high-end table, the physician and his staff were shocked to discover her true age ? coupled with the fact that she healed as fast as someone many decades younger. "She got this ulcer with a little blood clot in it," recalled Dr. J. Thomas Millington of Thousand Oaks. "When she said she was 99, I could have fallen off the table. I thought, we're probably going to have trouble with this healing because of her age and circulation. But when I felt the pulse in her foot, it was like someone in their 50s or 60s." When he saw her again a couple of weeks ago, the injury was "about half the size as it was; it's almost totally healed," Millington said. "Instead of healing in the amount of time it usually takes for someone her age - which is about three months - she healed in just about a month." Terrie Schumacher, Millington's office manager, said: "I don't think I'll ever see anybody else like Marion in my life. This is a lady who walks in with no assistance, has all her mental bearings about her, she doesn't wear hearing aids and she lives in an independent living facility. She is incredibly classy and beautiful - and just amazing." For Benson, age is something that rarely comes to mind. "I don't dwell on my age - it doesn't occur to me to think about it; I never do," she said. "I just try to look on the positive side of everything. I'm here - for how long I don't know - but I'm not going to worry about it."

LONG-LIVED—Marion O’Brien Benson, thought to be Thousand Oaks’ oldest-living resident, died last month at the age of 109. Above and right: pictures taken of Benson in 2016 after her 107th birthday. Acornfile photos

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH - Spry until the end, Benson enjoyed reading mystery novels, playing bridge, assembling puzzles and dining with friends. “I like it here very much, ”she said of University Village in 2016. “They really have a lot to offer. I’ve got lots of friends here.”