This is Alta Faye (Gergen) Bennett (1896-1979), the third child of Jacob and Leah Gergen. When she was 15-years old, she married Bruce Bennett in 1911 at Alma, Nebraska. Alta sold realestate in California shortly after World War II. She is buried at Sunnyside Memorial Park in Long Beach, California (gerg-jpg/jgergen8.jpg).

This is Bruce Bennett, husband of Alta Faye Gergen Bennett. He was born in 1893 in Boone County, Indiana. (gerg-jpg/jgergen9.jpg). He worked in the shipyards in California. Alta and Bruce had four children between 1914 and 1933.

The four children of Alta and Bruce Bennett were:

1) Charles Oren Bennett, Sr. (1914-1985) was the first child of Alta and Bruce Bennett. He was born in Phillips County, Kansas. (gerg-jpg/jgergen1.jpg). He married Marjorie O. Ryan. He worked as a detective inspector for the Long Beach Police Department. He was considered one of the best policemen/detectives on the force and was offered Chief of Police on several occasions, but he refused. Among the cases he worked on was the grusome murder of a young woman in 1947 in Los Angeles. It became known as the Black Dahila case. Charles was sent from Long Beach to assist. Over the years books and movies were made about the case and some 50 men and women confessed to it. But the case was never solved. Charles also was involved in policing the five-day, August 11-15, 1965, Watts riot. Before the National Guard calmed things down, 34 people died . Charles died of congestive heart failure and is buried at Homeland, California.

This is Marjorie O. Ryan, wife of Charles Oren Bennett, Sr. She worked for Van de kamps bakery and managed several grocery store bakery sections.(gerg-jpg/jgergen3.jpg)

2) Raymond Ronald Bennett (1915-1950) was the second child of Alta (Gergen) and Bruce Bennett. He was born in Smith County, Kansas.

3) Marvis Hope Bennett (1921-1988) was the third child of Alta (Gergen) and Bruce Bennett. She was born in Colorado Spring, Colorado.

4) This is Bruce Duane Bennett (1933-2006), the fourth child of Alta (Gergen) and Bruce Bennett. (gerg-jpg/jgergen5.jpg). He was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bruce Duane married first Judy Bittle and then Eleanor Miller in 1958. He had one child by each wife.