Fiegenbaum, Benjamin Friedrich

Other Events:

• Census: 1870, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, USA
• Degree: 1890, Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, USA; Ph.G; Address:
  University of Kansas
• Occupation: 11 Jun 1890; registered as a pharmacy assistant
• Residence: Feb 1914, Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, USA
• Occupation: 1918, Kansas, USA; appointed a drug inspector for the State Board of Health
• Residence: Apr 1923, Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, USA

Notes:

Census:
According to the 1870 enumeration, Benjamin, age 4 (born in Iowa), lived with his parents, Frederick (age 39) and Louisa (age 37), and eight brothers and sisters, ages 17 years to 6 months.

Degree:
The Ph.G, or Graduate of Pharmacy, was granted by the School of Pharmacy at the University of Kansas from 1886 to 1896.

Occupation:
With two years of work experience and having passed an examination administered by the State Board of Pharmacy in the State House at Topeka, Kansas, Benjamin F. Fiegenbaum, of Lawrence, Kansas, was registered as an assistant pharmacist.
     In 1920, Benjamin joined the American Pharmaceutical Association. At the time, he was living at 937 Kentucky Street, Lawrence, Kansas.
     According to a 1945 obituary for his brother, Theodore, Ben was a pharmacist at Western and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Occupation:

     The Ninth Biennial Report of the Kansas State Board of Health reported on business conducted between 30 June 1916 and 30 June 1918. One item concerning changes in personnel had a bearing on our family history.
     At the Second Quarterly Meeting of the State Board of Health, held in the City of Manhattan on 2 November 1917, "the appointment of Mr. F. E. Rowland as assistant chief food and drug inspector was unanimously confirmed" (see page 56).
     Mr. Rowland's promotion triggered a search for his replacement, which in turn initiated a state-wide examination for eligible candidates.

     "Following the promotion of Drug Inspector Frank E. Rowland to the position of assistant chief food and drug inspector, by which a vacancy in the drug inspector's working force was made, application was made to the State Civil Service Commission for an eligible list of drug inspectors, whereupon the Commission called for a competitive examination, which resulted in certifying to the department the name of Mr. Benjamin F. Fiegenbaum as the only person who had passed the examination and was eligible for appointment. Accordingly, the following letter was sent to Mr. Fiegenbaum:

                                        December 13, 1917.
Mr. Benjamin F. Fiegenbaum, 937 Kentucky Avenue, Lawrence, Kan.:
     Dear Sir -- I have to advise that the State Civil Service Commission has certified to me your name as eligible to the position of drug inspector for the Kansas State Board of Health. The salary of this position is $100 a month and traveling expenses for the first year, $110 for the second year, and $125 per month thereafter.
     Under the rules of the Board, three names should be certified in the eligible list, but inasmuch as only one name certified, which leaves no choice of applicants, I am, therefore asking you to accept the position of drug inspector for the State Board of Health under the following conditions:
     First: A six months' probationary period, after which, if the work is agreeable to you and your work is acceptable to the State Board of Health, a permanent appointment shall be made.
     Second: Inasmuch as the appointing power is the State Board of Health, the final appointment by the Board cannot be made until their next meeting, which would be in March, 1918, or it may not be until in June 1918. There is no doubt, however, but what the Board will confirm the appointment if by that time the situation is satisfactory to all parties concerned.
     If, then, you wish to accept the appointment of drug inspector for the State Board of Health under the above conditions, please to advise me, and report for duty at Topeka on the morning of January 2.
                                                  Respectfully,          S. J. Crumbine, M.D., Secretary.

     "Mr. Fiegenbaum accepted the conditions of the appointment and is now at work, and thus far his work is entirely satisfactory."

     Later in the biennial report, the minutes of the meeting of the Kansas State Board of Health on 29 March 1918 recorded that the secretary recommended and the Board unanimously approved the "appointment of Mr. Benjamin F. Fiegenbaum as drug inspector upon the conditions named in his letter of notification" from December 1917.

Buried:
Funeral services were held on Tuesday afternoon from the Masonic Temple in Lawrence, Kansas. Burial was in Eudora Cemetery at Eudora, Kansas.

Died:

     The following are transcriptions supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of obituaries for Benjamin Friedrich Fiegenbaum. Gretchen Leenerts reported that the first obituary had appeared on 22 January 1934 in the Lawrence Daily Journal World, of Lawrence, Kansas.

Funeral services for Benjamin F. Fiegenbaum, 68 years old, prominent Douglas County resident who died suddenly Saturday at his country home in Eudora, will be held Tuesday at 2 o'clock from the Masonic Temple. Dr. R. A. Schwegler will deliver the sermon and the services will be in charge of the Masons. Burial will be in the Eudora Cemetery. Mr. Fiegenbaum was a member of Acacia Lodge No. 9. He graduated from the Kansas University School of Pharmacy with the class of 1890 and formerly was in the drug business here. Since 1918 he has been with the State Board of Health as a food and drug inspector. Mr. Fiegenbaum had been in good health and his death was a shock to his relatives and friends. Friday evening he returned from a business trip and appeared to be in the best of health. Surviving are the wife, Mrs. Myrtle Fiegenbaum, two sisters, Mrs. Minnie Sexauer, Ankeny, Iowa and Mrs. Emma Miller, Wathena; three brothers, Theodore Fiegenbaum of Lincoln, Nebraska, Henry Fiegenbaum of Springfield, Nebraska and Edward Fiegenbaum of Geneva, Nebraska; Alice Darling, sister-in-law, and Geneva Ogden, a niece, of the home, and Ray Ogden of Eudora, a nephew, and other nephews and nieces.

Gretchen Leenerts reported that this obituary had appeared on 25 January 1934 in the Eudora Weekly, of Eudora, Kansas.

Benjamin F. Fiegenbaum, 68, of 937 Kentucky Street, died Saturday morning at his country home in Eudora. Mr. Fiegenbaum was a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy with the class of 1890 and formerly was in the drug business in Lawrence. Since 1918 he has been with the State Board of Health as a food and drug inspector. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the Masonic Temple in Lawrence. Dean R. A. Schwegler read the service and burial was in the Eudora Cemetery.

Benjamin married Darling, Myrtle Maud 20 Dec 1893, Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, USA. Myrtle (daughter of Darling, T. C. and [---?---], Sarah) was born 15 Apr 1870, Eudora, Douglas County, Kansas, USA; died 14 Feb 1954, Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, USA; was buried 17 Feb 1954, Eudora, Douglas County, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet]