Benjamin Joseph Clift
1891 - 1965 (74 years)1. Benjamin Joseph Clift was born on 14 Feb 1891 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 22 Dec 1965 in Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida; was buried in Soddy Presbyterian Cemetery, Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Notes:
1930 US Census
Name: Ben J Clift Age: 36 Estimated birth year: abt 1894 Birthplace: Tennessee Relation to head-of-house: Prisoner Race: White Home in 1930: Brushy Mountain Penitentiary, Morgan, Tennessee
DEATH: Name CLIFT, BEN J. Date DEC. 23 1965 Newspaper TIMES
MILITARY: Prairie I
(Aux. cruiser: dp. 6,620; l. 404’9”; b. 48’3”; dr. 20’9”; s. 15 k.)
Prairie, formerly Morgan Liner S.S. El Sol, was built in 1890 by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, Pa. She was purchased by the Navy 6 April 1898 from the Southern Pacific Co., and commissioned 8 April 1898 at New York, Comdr. C. J. Train in command.
MILITARY: Prairie was converted into an auxiliary cruiser and assigned at first to the Northern Patrol Squadron and later to the North Atlantic Fleet. During the Spanish-American War, she served in Cuban waters July and August 1898, and returned to Fore River, Mass., 28 August. She decommissioned 15 March 1899 at Philadelphia.
MILITARY: Prairie was placed in reserve commission 23 March 1899 and cruised with the Naval Militia off the Atlantic coast until she decommissioned at New York 18 February 1901. She carried government exhibits to France at the turn of the century for the Paris Exposition. She recommissioned at Boston 9 November 1901 as a training ship, and remained with this mission until she decommissioned at Boston 14 June 1905.
MILITARY: She recommissioned 26 September 1906 at Boston as a transport and was attached to the Atlantic Fleet. She protected American interests in Cuba, March to April 1907. Later she resumed her training duties with the Naval Militia from May to September 1907, July to August 1908 and July to August 1909.
MILITARY: Converted to a destroyer tender in late 1917, Prairie served as one during World War I.
Prairie decommissioned 22 November 1922 at San Diego, Calif., and was struck from the Navy List. She was sold 22 June 1923 to Louis Rothenberg, Oakland, Calif.Benjamin married Mary Lillian Hunter on 18 May 1918 in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Mary (daughter of James McFarland Hunter and Mary Alice Watson) was born on 17 Aug 1899 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 14 Apr 1991 in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried in Soddy Presbyterian Cemetery, Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 2. Benjamin Eric Clift was born on 11 Apr 1919 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 9 Oct 2005 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee.
- 3. Mary Alice Clift was born on 10 Nov 1921 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 5 Jul 2015 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried on 9 Jul 2015 in Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee.
- 4. James Jay Clift was born on 30 Aug 1924 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 3 Jun 2019 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried on 7 Jun 2019 in Hamilton Memorial Gardens, Hixson, Hamilton County, Tennessee.
- 5. Dorothea Pauline Clift was born on 17 Jul 1926 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 23 Feb 1986 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried in Soddy Presbyterian Cemetery, Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee.
- 6. Charles Gene Clift was born on 11 Nov 1931 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 5 Nov 2009 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
- 7. Dewey Leslie Clift
- 8. Betty Carolyn Clift
Generation: 2
2. Benjamin Eric Clift (1.Benjamin1) was born on 11 Apr 1919 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 9 Oct 2005 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Family/Spouse: Virginia Jo Wilson. Virginia (daughter of Clyde Asbury Wilson and Marie Davis) was born on 22 Jul 1928 in Hixson, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 6 Nov 2018. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
3. Mary Alice Clift (1.Benjamin1) was born on 10 Nov 1921 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 5 Jul 2015 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried on 9 Jul 2015 in Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Mary married Theodore Winfred Mills on 30 Jun 1951 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Theodore (son of Rees Mills and Margaret Norris) was born on 24 Apr 1923 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 30 Dec 2017 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
4. James Jay Clift (1.Benjamin1) was born on 30 Aug 1924 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 3 Jun 2019 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried on 7 Jun 2019 in Hamilton Memorial Gardens, Hixson, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Family/Spouse: Pauline N. Ford. Pauline (daughter of Charlie I. Ford and Carrie E. Jones) was born on 17 Dec 1925 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 7 Oct 1997 in Hixson, Hamilton County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 10. Brenda Sue Clift
- 11. Carol Ann Clift
- 12. James Benjamin Clift
James married Ethel Ruth Holcomb on 1 Jan 2002 in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Ethel (daughter of James S. Holcomb and Minnie M.) was born on 23 Jul 1928 in Deer Head Cove, De Kalb County, Alabama; died on 12 Dec 2008 in Hixson, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried on 15 Dec 2008 in Hamilton County Memorial Park Cemetery, Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
5. Dorothea Pauline Clift (1.Benjamin1) was born on 17 Jul 1926 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 23 Feb 1986 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried in Soddy Presbyterian Cemetery, Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Family/Spouse: Warren Theodore Gann. Warren (son of James Lon Gann and Lena Stella Creasman) was born on 10 Dec 1921 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 14 Nov 2000 in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; was buried in Soddy Presbyterian Cemetery, Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 13. Pamela Jean Gann
- 14. Patricia Ross Gann was born on 12 Feb 1949; died on 24 Sep 2015.
6. Charles Gene Clift (1.Benjamin1) was born on 11 Nov 1931 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 5 Nov 2009 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Family/Spouse: Dorothy Patricia Foster. Dorothy was born on 29 Mar 1930 in Soddy, Hamilton County, Tennessee; died on 19 Dec 2009 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 15. Sandra Clift
- 16. Patricia Clift
- 17. David Clift
7. Dewey Leslie Clift (1.Benjamin1) Family/Spouse: Vernell McCarver. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 18. Karen Lynne Clift
- 19. Leslie Hunter Clift
8. Betty Carolyn Clift (1.Benjamin1) Family/Spouse: Robert Watson. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 20. Jason Watson
- 21. Mary Carolyn Watson
Generation: 3
9. Sharon Leigh Clift (2.Benjamin2, 1.Benjamin1) Sharon married Troy Letchworth [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 22. Troy Keith Dixon
- 23. Tyson Clift Dixon
Family/Spouse: James R. Dixon. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 22. Troy Keith Dixon
- 23. Tyson Clift Dixon
10. Brenda Sue Clift (4.James2, 1.Benjamin1) Brenda married Richard Dean Craig [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
11. Carol Ann Clift (4.James2, 1.Benjamin1) Carol married George Clayton Tankersley [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
12. James Benjamin Clift (4.James2, 1.Benjamin1) James married Tamara Dawn Christian [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 25. James Eric Clift
Family/Spouse: LaVonda Pearson. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
13. Pamela Jean Gann (5.Dorothea2, 1.Benjamin1) Family/Spouse: Wayne Keith. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
14. Patricia Ross Gann (5.Dorothea2, 1.Benjamin1) was born on 12 Feb 1949; died on 24 Sep 2015. Family/Spouse: Samuel Curtis Petty. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
15. Sandra Clift (6.Charles2, 1.Benjamin1) Family/Spouse: Matthew Salisbury. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 28. Bethany Salisbury
- 29. Kate Salisbury
16. Patricia Clift (6.Charles2, 1.Benjamin1) Family/Spouse: Deerwester. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
17. David Clift (6.Charles2, 1.Benjamin1) 18. Karen Lynne Clift (7.Dewey2, 1.Benjamin1) Karen married Wilmoth Sanford Respress [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
19. Leslie Hunter Clift (7.Dewey2, 1.Benjamin1) Leslie married Elizabeth Lee Turner on 27 Dec 1991 in Hamilton County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
20. Jason Watson (8.Betty2, 1.Benjamin1) 21. Mary Carolyn Watson (8.Betty2, 1.Benjamin1)
Generation: 4
22. Troy Keith Dixon (9.Sharon3, 2.Benjamin2, 1.Benjamin1) 23. Tyson Clift Dixon (9.Sharon3, 2.Benjamin2, 1.Benjamin1) Tyson married Melody Williams [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Children:
- 30. Iris Belle Dixon
24. Kellie Tankersley (11.Carol3, 4.James2, 1.Benjamin1) 25. James Eric Clift (12.James3, 4.James2, 1.Benjamin1) 26. Lauren Marie Clift (12.James3, 4.James2, 1.Benjamin1) 27. Sara Elizabeth Petty (14.Patricia3, 5.Dorothea2, 1.Benjamin1) 28. Bethany Salisbury (15.Sandra3, 6.Charles2, 1.Benjamin1) 29. Kate Salisbury (15.Sandra3, 6.Charles2, 1.Benjamin1)