Ben – Tracy and Family

Ben Donald Price was born on April 18, 1925. He was the eldest child of Benjamin Franklin Price and Ethel Ann Hopson. He often when by the name Don or Donald Price.

Ben Donald Price was born in what was then known as Grayson, in Jefferson county. However today the town is known as Waurika, Oklahoma.

His social security number was 526-24-0943, which can be found on the on the US Social Security Applications and Claims Index.

He was married to Elwynne May Lynell on June 4, 1949. They were very big into the Baptist church.

He died at the age of 79 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and was buried at the Resurrection Memorial Cemetery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (find a grave page) His exact date of death was April 23, 2004. That means he died just a week after his 79th birthday.

Benjamin Franklin Price was my great-grandfather. He’s my grandmother’s father.

He was born on August 08, 1901 in Mineral Wells, Texas. It’s a place most people have never heard of. Mineral Wells, Texas is located west of Fort Worth. It’s best known for its mineral springs and well that’s about it. It’s not really a big town.

On October 18, 1922 he married my granny, Ethel Ann Hopson. Unlike most people of this time, they didn’t have children right away. In fact they wouldn’t have their first child for years.

In all they had 5 children, only 4 of which would grow into adulthood.

Ben Donald Price (1925)
Glen Edward Price (1927)
Kenneth Price (1929)
Alice Joann Price (1935)
Gloria Sue Price (1943)

Their youngest child, Gloria Sue was born on December 3, 1943 and died on February 26, 1945.

It was sometime right after they got married that they moved to Waurika, Oklahoma. I can still remember visiting them in that house when I was a little girl. I don’t know how old I was in this picture, but here is me with my two sisters (Melody and April) sitting on their back porch.

Benjamin Franklin Price died at the age of 81 (May 16, 1983) and is buried in the Waurika Cemetery.

The 1940 US census shows us that the highest grade he completed was 8th grade and that his address was 119 West E, Waurika, Oklahoma. I don’t think that’s right. I’m checking with my grandmother to see if she remembers what it actually was.

After speaking with her she said the actual address was 103 West F, Waurika, OK 73573. While that address shows up in Google Maps, no actual house is there anymore. I guess they tore it down. When they first built the house, it didn’t even have indoor plumbing.