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John F. Benner
Born 1742 Died 1833
St. Paul’s Lutheran cemetery, Red Hook. A rectangular marble tablet with a Revolutionary War stick marker under cedars in the fenced-in Benner plot at the center of the cemetery.
Revolutionary War Veteran, Private with the 6th Dutchess County Militia, also Land Bounty Rights
Early in life, this man’s name was recorded as Hans, short for Johannes. As our area became more Anglicized, Johannes (as many other men with names like his did) went with “John” instead. His surname is most often spelled Benner, but also Bender. His middle name is a doozy.
John’s gravestone reads “John Felta Benner” which some have thought is a misspelling or corruption of Fulton. It has been recorded over the course of his life as Felton, Felten, Felta, Fecte, Velde, Veltin, Valentin, and Valentyn. The name originates from his grandfather, Valentyn Benner. Perhaps between German, Dutch, and English speakers, this seemingly simple name became utterly twisted into what ended up being engraved on his tombstone.
John F. Benner was baptised March 2nd, 1741/42 (Julian calendar) as “Hans Velde” to Johannes Benner & Magdalena Streid in what would become Red Hook. He married Alida Weydman (Weitman/Whiteman), sister of another Rev. War vet, Jacob Whiteman, also buried in this cemetery. They had several children including John, 1779, Wilhelmus, 1794, Helen, 1769 (who married Capt. David Sipperley and unfortunately died in childbirth at 33 years of age), Elizabeth, 1785 (who married Jacob Sipperley), and Jacob, 1791 (who married twice and whose wives are also buried with him in this cemetery).
In 1780, John F. Benner was a deacon of the Reformed Church in Rhinebeck (later Red Hook). He died on July 13th, 1833 at 91 years of age.