Family Group Sheet for MRIN-3

______________________________________________________________________________________Husband: Husband: Harry Lee (Jr.) Chaffins

AKA: Bennie Chaffins/Bennie Bennett

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• Born: 11 Nov 1930 in: Lackey, Floyd County, Kentucky
• Married: Abt. 1952 in: [unknown location]
• Died: 20 Feb 1960 in: Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona
• Burial: 24 Feb 1960 in: The Wickenburg Cemetery, Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona
• Cause of Death: Morbid Condition was “Acute Nephritis”. Actual cause of death was “Pyogenic Abscesses right lung”. In layman terms: he was dying of Kidney failure and contracted pneumonia, which took his life.
• Father: Harry Lee (Sr.) Chaffins
• Mother: Emma Jean Willoughby

Notes

Bennie became very ill about Christmas time in 1959 and was taken to the Fort Whipple VA Hospital in Prescott where he later died. Bennie’s half-sister, Shirley (Bennett) White, had shared with me that she blamed his death on a chemical called Carbon-Tetra Chloride. This was a common chemical used in many household degreasers before it was found to be toxic. Unfortunately, it was also used at the Fort Ord Military Base by the Motor Pool Department, where Bennie was stationed, as a degreaser to clean engine parts. Although Bennie died in Prescott, he was a resident of Wickenburg where he was buried.

Harry L. "Bennie" Chaffins, Monterey, CA, circa 1952

Harry L. "Bennie" Chaffins with son, circa 1954

Marriage Notes

I have not been able to locate a marriage record for Bennie and Carolyn. I’m estimating that they were married around 1951-1952 in Blythe, CA. or Wickenburg, AZ.

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Wife: Carolyn Rose Ball

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• Born: 13 Nov 1935 in: Longmont, Boulder County, Colorado
• Died: 29 Jun 1987 in: Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona
• Burial: Cremated – No Cemetery Marker
• Cause of Death: Heart Attack
• Father: Perry Eugene Ball
• Mother: Martha Melvina Summers
• Other Spouses: [private]

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CHILDREN

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1. Name: [private]

2. Name: Lloyd Eugene Chaffins

• Born: 13 Oct 1954 in: Springerville, Apache County, Arizona
• Died: 02 Oct 2010 in: Sacramento, Sacramento County, California
• Burial: Sacramento, Sacramento County, California
• Cause of Death: Drowning

3. Name: Ronald Perry Chaffins

• Born: 08 Nov 1955 in: Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona
• Died: 15 Nov 1955 in: Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona
• Burial: 18 Nov 1955 in: The Wickenburg Cemetery, Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona
• Cause of Death: Complications from Influenza

Notes

Although Ronald’s obituary, funeral home record and death certificate all state that he was buried in the Wickenburg Cemetery – the cemetery records (which are kept by the funeral home) do not have a record of burial for him. My theory is that perhaps he was buried on top of his uncle, Victor Ball, who died a couple of months earlier at the age of 11. Ronald’s funeral cost a total of $75 (extremely low, even for 1955). Hopefully someone can help clarify for sure if this is what happened or not.

4. [private]

5. Kenneth W. “Kenny” Chaffins

• Born: 31 Jul 1959 in: Riverside County, California
• Married: [unknown date] in: [unknown location]
• Died: 25 Feb 2005 in: Las Vegas, Clarke County, Nevada
• Cause of Death: Heart Attack
• Burial: Cremated – [no known cemetery marker]
• Spouse: [private]

Sources:

1. The Wickenburg Sun Newspaper (Wickenburg, AZ), 26 Feb 1960,  Page 2, Obituary for Harry Chaffins (Jr)
2. Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vitals Statistics, Kentucky Vital Records, Certificate of Birth, Record No. 57258, Harry Chaffins Jr.
3. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, Application for Social Security Account Number, Harry Lee Chaffins Jr. (Applied as Bennie Lee Bennett)
4. Arizona Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, State File No: 1907, Harry L. Chaffins
5. Wickenburg Cemetery (Wickenburg, AZ),  Section: 2, Lot: 1, Row: 36, Name: Harry Lee Chaffins Jr
6. The Wickenburg Sun Newspaper (Wickenburg, AZ), 09 July 1987, Page 2, Obituary for Carolyn (Ball) Garilli
7. The Wickenburg Funeral Home (Wickenburg, AZ), Record of Funeral  for Carolyn (Ball) Garilli
8. The Wickenburg Sun Newspaper (Wickenburg, AZ) , 18 Nov 1955, Obituary for Ronald Perry Chaffins
9. The Wickenburg Funeral Home (Wickenburg, AZ), Record of Funeral for Ronald Perry Chaffins
10. Arizona Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, State File No: 6757, Ronald Perry Chaffins
11. California Birth Index 1905-1995, Kenneth W. Chaffins
12. Conversations with the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office (Sacramento, CA), Case No: 10-04772, Lloyd Chaffins (Note: This is not a Public Record)
13. Family Members

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