1900 US Census, Comanche CO
Benjamin Luker listed in household of John Williams
S Son Age 4

Obituary appeared in Sioux Falls, South, Dakota Newspapers:

From August 13, 1929 Sioux Fallss Argus Leader--”Word was received here today of the death of Benjamin F. Luker, professor at the University, Gainesville, Fla., who died Sunday forenoon at that place and funeral services were held there Monday. The body will be brought to Sioux Falls arriving here Thursday morning. The only service for the deceased to be held here will be a brief graveside rites at 10 o’clock Thursday forenoon. The wife of the deceased was formerly Miss Flora McCartney, an old resident of Sioux Falls.”

From Thursday, August 15th, 1929, Sioux Falls, Argus Leader --”Funeral services for Dr. Benjamin F. Luker, Gainesville, Fla., whose wife was Flora McCartney, a former resident of Sioux Falls, will be held at the Miller Funeral Homes at 4 o’clock Friday afternoon, with Dr. John F. Robertson, pastor of the First Methodist church, officiating. Burial will be made in Woodlawn Cemetery. Members of the American Legion will act as pall bearers as the deceased was in the service during the World war. Dr. Luker’s only brother, David Luker, arrived today from Wibaux, Mont., for the last rites. Dr. Luker did August 11 at Gainesville following a lingering illness. The deceased was head of the department of French at the University of Florida for four years, but was forced to resign three years ago on account of ill health. Accounts in Florida papers stated that he was popular with the students at the uniiversity. Dr. Luker received his A. B. and M. A. degrees at Washington and Lee University, did graduate work at Leland Stanford University, and received his Ph. D. degree at Columbia. Previously to assuming his duties at the University of Florida, he taught at Vanderbilt university, Nashville, Tenn., Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and tat the University of Texas. He was an ex-serviceman and a member of the Methodist church. Surviving are his widow, Flora McCartney Luker, who he married in Sioux Falls in 1920, a brother David, Wibaux, Mont., and two sisters, Mrs. W. D. Sturkie, Proctor, Tex., and Mrs. Robert Caraway, Fort Worth, Tex.”40

BENJAMIN LUKER BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:

Flora G. McCartney and Benjamin F. Luker were married when they were both teaching at Ann Arbor, according to Flora’s cousin, George J. Lowell.

Ben received his A.B. and M.A. degrees from Washington and Lee University. He did graduate work at Leland Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, where he first met Flora McCartney. He then received his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

LUKER’S Ph.D. THESIS (WAS ALSO PUBLISHED AS AN INDEPENDENT WORK):

Luker, Benjamin Franklin, 1886-
The use of the infinitive instead of a finite verb in French, by Benjamin F. Luker.
New York, Columbia University Press, 1916.
113 p. 19 cm.

Series: Columbia University studies in Romance philology and literature.
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1916.
Pub. also without thesis note.


OBITUARIES APPEARING IN SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA NEWSPAPERS:

From August 13, 1929 Sioux Falls Argus Leader-- "Word was received here today of the death of Benjamin F. Luker, professor at the University, Gainesville, Fla., who died Sunday forenoon at that place and funeral services were held there Monday. The body will be brought to Sioux Falls arriving here Thursday morning. The only service for the deceased to be held here will be brief graveside rites at 10 o'clock Thursday forenoon. The wife of the deceased was formerly Miss Flora McCartney, an old resident of Sioux Falls."

From Thursday, August 15th, 1929, Sioux Falls Argus Leader-- "Funeral services for Dr. Benjamin F. Luker, Gainseville, Fla., whose wife was Flora McCartney, a former resident of Sioux Falls, will be held at the Miller Funeral Home at 4 o'clock Friday afternoon, with Dr. John F. Robertson, paster of the First Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be made in Woodlawn Cemetery. Members of the American Legion will act as pall bearers as the deceased was in the service during the World War. Dr. Luker's only brother, David Luker, arrived today from Wibaux, Mont., for the last rites. Dr. Luker died August 11 at Gainesville following a lingering illness. The deceased was head of the department of French at the University of Florida for four years, but was forced to resign three years ago on account of ill health. Accounts in Florida papers state that he was popular with the students at the university. Dr. Luker received his A.B. and M.A. degrees at Washington and Lee University, did graduate work at Leland Stanford University, and received his Ph.D. degree at Columbia. Previously to assuming his duties at the University of Florida, he taught at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., Lafayette college in Pennsylvania, and at the University of Texas. He was an ex-serviceman and a member of the Methodist church. Surviving are his widow, Flora McCartney Luker, whom he married in Sioux Falls in 1920, a brother David, Wibaux, Mont., and two sisters, Mrs. W.D. Sturkie, Proctor, Tex., and Mrs. Robert Caraway, Fort Worth, Tex."

DISCHARGE PAPERS--" Headquarters G.I.S.D. American E.F. France. Special Order No. 168 (?) [Note, part of this is missing as indicated by ...] ...Extract- Par. 36 By ... of the President, and under the authority contained in SO ... 27 headquarters, Base Section No. 1, S.O.S., 2 July 1919, qu ... graphic instructions, Headquarters, S.O.S., 7 June 1919 and ... contained in 8th Ind., G.H.Q., A. E. F., 11 June 1919, the following ...ed Civilian Employee, Quartermaster Corps, is honorably released from the service of the United States, services being no longer required-- Benjamin Franklin Luker, Civilian Employee (Q.M. Clerk, Quartermaster Corps. By order of Colonel Lott-- H.S. MacKirdy; Captain. C.A.C., Adjutant. Bonus of $60 due civilian employee under authority of Federal Revenue of 1918, section 1406, approved Feb. 24, 1919, entered upon final pay account presented to this office for payment. Chas. F. Eddy, Majr. Q. M. Corps.

University of Florida Course Catalog for 1923-24 lists Benjamin Franklin Luker, A.M., Ph.D. (Columbia), Assistant Professor of French.

University of Florida Course Catalog for 1926-27 lists Benjamin Franklin Luker, A.M., Ph.D. (Columbia), Professor of French.

Gainesville Street Directory for 1927-28 lists Luker, Benj F (Flora G) Prof U of Fla h224 W. Arlington. The 1930-31 directory has no listing for the Lukers.

G. R. Lowell
Dec. 7, 2003

Our Luker family history cannot adequately be told only by the tools of the genealogist: deeds, birh certificates, censuses, death certificates. Descendants of James B. Luker are fortunate to have two family histories which detail the richness of the lives of Comanche County Luker’s. 

New bio
Three Luker siblings, John Wade, George Washington and Susan Buckler moved their families from Alabama to Central Texas in the late 1870’s. Two other siblings, Benjamin Franklin and James B., Jr. also moved to Texas--James to East Texas and Frank following Capt. W. A. D. Ewing to Comanche County. The Lukers made the trek from the Tom Bigbee Valley, Choctaw County, Alabama.

The years following the Civil War had been bad ones in the deep south. Much destruction
DESCRIPTION OF POST WAR ALABAMA



John Wade and his younger brother, Benjamin Franklin, married daughters of Capt. Ewing. The familes lived very close together in the green farmland of Comanche county. When John Wade’s wife, Sarah, died in 1885, her two youngest children, Julia and Mack, went to live with their Aunt Molly. While the two youngsters were still living there, Frank Luker died.

After Frank’s death, Molly moved into her brother-in-law’s Hill Top Farmhouse with her three children, Dave, Lula and Bennie. Mollie sewed for Julia and made her nephew’s shirts. The children were double cousins and constant companions as they were growing up. (Yeoman, p. )
Mollie.

The youngest child of Benjamin Franklin Luker and Molly C. Ewing, Benjamin Franklin, Jr., grew up without knowing his father. Frank Luker died of pneumonia in 1886 before Ben was born. The Luker family in Comanche County, Texas, was large and supportive giving the young widow help in caring for her family. Siblings, David, and Mattie Lou were older than Ben, Jr. Whatever the family dynamics were, Ben blossomed as he grew into a bright and competitive young man.

Flora and Ben met when they were both at Leland Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.

from email of Gerald Lowell