Manfred History & Preservation, Inc.
Benjamin and Sennev Whipple
Husband's Full Name: Benjamin Franklin Whipple
Husband's Place of Birth: Alden, Iowa
Husband's Father's Name: Charles Crary Whipple
Husband's Mother's Name: Ella E. Hackett
Husband's Siblings' Names: Louis, Delia, Ella, Stella, Harvey, George, Dora
Wife's Full Name: Sennev Nertrost Whipple
Wife's Place of Birth: Jessie, Dakota Territory
Wife's Father's Name: Mads Nertrost
Wife's Mother's Name: Sigrid Strand
Wife's Siblings' Names: Bertha, Mads, Anna, Nels
Sennev Nertrost Whipple was a resident of North Dakota since territorial days, being born in Griggs County October 29, 1882. She moved with her parents to rural Manfred where the family homesteaded in 1894.
She graduated from Valley City State College and taught school in the Manfred District, in Kindred, Bottineau, Hamilton, MT and Chehalis, WA. In McHenry County at Towner, Mrs. Whipple served as field deputy Superintendent of Schools and was elected Superintendent of Schools in Wells County for 4 terms from 1914 to 1922. While superintendent, Mrs. Whipple instituted the first countywide declamation contest, athletic contest and playday.
She was appointed chairman of Women's Liberty Loan Drive in World War I and the American Junior Red Cross. After her retirement she attended school in Los Angeles. She was a longtime member of the Order of Eastern Star in Inglewood, CA. She devoted her time in later years to writing pioneer history and poetry. She had been a resident of the Harvey Nursing Home for sometime. She married her husband, former Wells County Judge B. F. Whipple in 1929; he died in February 1970. [Taken from her obituary] Sennev was a great historian, writing a number of stories about Manfred and its beginnings.
B. F. Whipple served as Wells County Judge for 29 1/2 years. He died at the Connor Hotel, where he had been making his home the past couple years. Funeral at 1st Lutheran Church. Born at Alden Iowa, filed on a homestead in southern Wells County in the fall of 1901. He taught school briefly in the county and graduated from UND in law in 1904. After practicing in Sheyenne for a year, the young lawyer moved to Fessenden in 1905. He became a law partner of J. J. Youngblood. In 1913, Mr. Whipple became Wells County State’s Attorney and served through 1924.
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In 1937, Mr. Whipple was appointed judge of the Wells County Court of Increased Jurisdiction. He served as judge until retiring in 1967. That year Mr. Whipple was honored at Old Settlers Day at the Wells County Free Fair.
It was noted at the Old Settlers Day that Mr. Whipple had served as city attorney of Fessenden for two terms, had been clerk of the Fessenden School District for many years, and had been a president of the Fessenden Civic and Commerce Association. Following his retirement Mr. Whipple continued to hunt and to play golf.
In 1967 Mr. Whipple donated a tract of land to the Fessenden school for the purpose of a football field and track and field events. The school appropriately named the sport area Whipple Field.
His wife, the former Sennev Nertrost, who lives at Harvey, survives, as does on sister Mrs. Fred Buttschke, Vallejo, CA and 25 nieces and nephews.
B. F. Whipple died in Fessenden in February 1970. He is buried at the Hillside Cemetery. Sennev died in the Harvey Nursing Facility in July 1970 and is buried at Vang Cemetery, Manfred.