Benjamin Oscar WILSON

Sources:

1930 Census Buchanan County,Iowa
1920 Census Buchanan County,Iowa
1870 Census Jefferson,Buchanan,Iowa
Client's Famiy Record - Descendant List of Benjamin Oscar Wilson
150 Years of History of the Wilson Family in and Around Brandon, Iowa
1900 Census Jefferson, Buchanan, Iowa
The Geist Relation, 200 years in America

Notes:

                      He was a mail carrier, barber, shoemaker and harness maker. He also owned the general store in the 1920's and early 1930's. When he became ill, Jessie M. George and Alma Irene Wilson George took over the business. Jessie and Irene bought the business after Benjamin's death.

He rented the old frame building that was his grocery and hardware store for many years, from two old bachelors that lived north of town. This building is still being used and has been a feed store and has been converted to two apartments. This building is a two story false fronted frame building sitting on the north side of Main Street in Brandon. This building was also a theatre at one time in the 1920s. The International Odd Fellows used the second story as their meeting hall. He built a home about five blocks east of the store and a block north. It sets on a two lot piece of land and is a two story house with a very steep pitched roof. The house was built by Bert Fiester, also a long time resident of Brandon.

Benjamin originally started his store in the west side of what is now the old bank building next to the old frame building. His business involved selling some groceries and hardware, he had a barber shop in the store and did shoe and harness repair. He had a large oil barrel in the basement in which to oil the harnesses and an elevator to bring them up to the main floor. 

Ben was quite a tobacco chewer and had several spittoons sitting around the store. The spittoons were apparently located so that he could hit at least one of them from anywhere in the store. Even when the store was bought by Jesse he still had a spittoon sitting in the back by the stove which was used by the old fellows that came to sit and jaw.

The certificate of death for Ben Wilson #7918, State of Iowa, lists his cause of death as cardiac failure and coronary thrombosis with contributory cause paralysis agitan s? He died at 9:30 a.m., 21 Nov 1933. He was attended by Dr. R. Knipfer of Brandon, Iowa.
In his will, opened and publically read on the 25th day of November, 1933 and dated January 10th 1931 (located in the Buchannan Co. Historical Society in Independence, IA) he leaves his property and possessions to his sons and daughters as follows: Alma Irene George, Lawrence Leonard Wilson, Dorothy Elane Wilson, Mildred Evaline Wilson, Della mare Wilson, Donald Leo Wilson, each to share and share alike. He specifically excluded form any share of his estate the following; I have heretofore assisted them to the full amount of their share. Jesse Earl Wilson, Fred B. Wilson, Buleah Raftis, Blanche E. Nevin, Leroy Wilson and Laverne W. Wilson. His son Lawrence Wilson and daughter Irene George were name executors of his will. 

An article, probably appearing in the Brandon Bee newspaper, entitled Brandon merchant Changes Location date Nov, 10 (no year given) stated: Special: B.O. Wilson is moving his hardware stock to the west room of the Brandon State bank building. Mr. Wilson had a hardware store in this building before but sold it to C.V. Christopher. Christopher moved to LaPorte Tuesday and Wilson is going back to his location. 

Family records copied by Jesse M. George.