Mandana Phoebe Boleman nee Benner

Was Mandana the Mrs. M. Bulman of the 1874 letter announced in the Waukesha Freeman? I do not think so. We have quite a bit of information given us in her obituary that would seem to suggest otherwise. I found this information listed for the Scrapbooks of Newspaper Clippings Concerning Eau Claire & the Chippewa Valley Vol. 2, pages 157-158.

The item is dated for 27 October 1926:

MRS. M.P. BOLEMAN 

Died on October 25, at the home of her son at Connersville, Wis., Mrs. M. P. Boleman. 

Mrs. Boleman was born at Machias, Maine, November 12, 1850. Her parents, Phoebe E. Benner, and N. H. Benner, moved from Maine to Eau Claire during the early days. Her father joined the Union army and died at Cold Harbour. Mrs. Benner soon followed him. Mrs. Boleman was educated in Eau Claire and taught school for a few years; was married to N. Boleman in 1872. He died in 1896. 

She leaves two children, Mrs. George Schlough, of Wheeler, Wis.;  Herbert W., of Connersville; also two great grandchildren, three sisters, four grandchildren and other relatives. 

The funeral was held at the Methodist church of which church Mr. and Mrs. Boleman were members. Interment was at Connersville Cemetery.

So, it is likely that Nathaniel and Mandana were in Eau Claire in 1874.

The following information can be gleaned about Nathaniel H. Benner from the Civil War records:

He joined the 36th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He was a private in Company K and was a musician.

National Park Service. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

Original data: National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, online <http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/>, acquired 2007.

His residence at his enlistment was Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin. He enlisted on 29 February 1864 as a musician in Company K, 36th Regiment Wisconsin and died of disease on 10 June 1865 at White House, VA.

Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.

Interestingly, in the pension data for 1861-1934, a Nathaniel H. Benner of K Company, 36th Wisconsin Infantry left a widow, Phebe E. Benner who filed a claim on 5 December 1864! There is also a minor by the last name of Dickerson, G. (?) who made a claim on 1 March 1870.

(U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934)

Grisel Bullman, the cousin of Nathaniel Bullman, was in a near company of 36th Wisconsin.