Footsteps to the Past

by Charlene Bakkensen

BENEFIELD 

BENNEFIELD 

BEDINGFIELD

Footsteps to the Past

written and published by

Charlene Francis Gifford Bakkensen

$60 each - free mailing to U.S.A. destinations

750+ pages Family trees make up the majority of pages, but Charlene includes hundreds of pages containing pictures, letters and articles from relations and print sources.  These combine to present  a personal touch to what she learned about her Benefield, Bennefield and Bedingfield families. 

Footsteps to the Past is being sold by Charlene’s daughter, Judith Bakkensen, from New Earth Bookstore in historic downtown Kent, WA.  

Preface, Footsteps to the Past

“In the summer of 1964, I took my Mother, Ella Marsh White, to visit her Aunt Elsie Lou Cindy Bennefield Cantrel (Aunt Alie).  Aunt Alie was a petite lady of 95 with a keen memory of the past.  Aunt Alie’s life trek started in Georgia, then on to Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon, California and back to Oregon.  As stories were told, Mother said, 'This will be forgotten unless someone writes it down.'  I wrote all afternoon exhausting my Great Aunt with questions.

This was the start of my quest gathering information of our ancestors from coast to cost.  Gathering information for this book has been an enjoyable experience and is being written to keep alive the may living memories and footprints of our ancestors.  Unfortunately many records have been lost, burned or otherwise destroyed.

It is my intention to share this information I gathered from relatives, courthouse records, archives and census. 

As we traveled from coast to coast, we visited with many good people of the family that we would not otherwise had the pleasure to know.  When I could not prove information beyond doubt, I have included my reasons for placing this person with a family unit. 

Some important facts, some elusive dates, remain unfound to make links from the Mother Country to North Carolina, but the time has come to share my findings with you.”

Charlene Frances Gifford Bakkensen, author, Footsteps to the Past

The preceding is an excerpt from the Preface of Footsteps to the Past.  Charlene authored and self-published this 750 page book before she passed away in 2000.  Family trees make up the majority of pages, but Charlene includes hundreds of pages containing pictures, letters and articles from various relatives and print sources.  These indeed help bring a personal touch to what she learned about her Benefield, Bennefield and Bedingfield familes. 

Footsteps to the Past is being sold by Charlene’s daughter, Judith Ann Bakkensen, from New Earth Bookstore in historic downtown Kent, WA.  Each book costs $60 that includes shipping destinations in The United States.