Jane Wheeler Bentley 1790-1858 (Low Cemetery)

Jane Wheeler Bentley

Jane was born in Conneticut in 1790 to Simeon and Anna Sanford Wheeler. She was from a family of 6 children, probably the 3rd child. In 1802 or 1803, at the age of 12 or 13 yrs., she traveled with her parents, Simeon and Anna and her 5 siblings by ox-cart through New York and Pennsylvania, crossing the Allegheny Mountains to reach Vienna Twp, Trumbull County, OH,

In 1812, at the age of 22 yrs in Trumbull Cnty, OH, Jane married George Bentley, born in Washington County, PA on 28 June 1790 to Benjamin Bentley and Mary Baldwin Bentley. George served as an officer in the War of 1812 in the Ohio Militia.

The couple had 8 children, all born in Trumbull County, Ohio. In 1836, the Bentley family moved to La Porte Co., IN. One son, Ambrose Dudley Bentley, a farmer who resided on and farmed the old homestead, and one daughter, Candace Bentley, are buried at Low Cemetery.

One of Jane and George’s sons, George Judson Bentley, worked as a millwright until he saved up $1000, then he studied medicine and graduated from Rush Medical College in 1852. He practiced medicine in Michigan City until 1862 when he went into the army as a surgeon. On his return in 1864, he was appointed by the governor as physician and surgeon at the Northern Prison in Michigan City. Six years later he moved to San Jose, CA and set up practice. He was still practicing at the age of 75.

Jane Wheeler Bentley died on 4 Dec 1858 in La Porte Co., IN. George died on 7 Oct 1865. While Jane and two of their children are buried here, where is George?

Much of the information about Jane Wheeler and George Bentley was taken from a small book found online which was published on June 20, 1905 by General Roeliff Brinkerhoff, a Bentley in-law, entitled OHIO BENTLEYS and known as THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN.

Researched and presented by Dorothy Germain Palmer, 6/11/2013