nelson b. bender
1929-1991
Life Story
Farmer and Member of the Lawrence Community
The life of Nelson B. Bender, whose name was sometimes recorded as N.B. Bender or Nepoleon Bender, reflects the experiences of many rural families in mid-twentieth-century Mississippi—rooted in agriculture, family, and community life in Newton County.
Early Life and Family
Nelson B. Bender was born on February 19, 1929, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Leo Bender and Bessie Lee Harris Bender. He first appears in the 1930 Federal Census as a one-year-old child living with his parents in Beat 4 of Newton County.
He grew up in a farming household where both of his parents were Mississippi natives. As the years passed, Nelson was joined by several siblings, including:
- Eva Lois Bender
- Joe Lee Bender
- George Edwards Bender
Like many children raised in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression and World War II era, Nelson grew up in a family where agriculture shaped daily life and responsibilities.
Life on Poor House Road
By 1950, Nelson was twenty-one years old and still living at home with his parents along Poor House Road, east of Winona in Newton County. Census records show that he worked as a farm helper, laboring approximately 50 hours per week without pay. Such arrangements were common in farming families where children contributed to the household economy and the upkeep of the family farm.
Although one census entry mistakenly listed his race as white, all other records identify Nelson and his family as African American residents of the Newton County farming community.
Marriage and Family
After 1950, Nelson married Christine McNair, the daughter of John McNair and Candis Beddingfield McNair of the Newton–Conehatta community.
Together they established their home in Lawrence, Mississippi, where they raised their family and remained active members of the local community. Among their children was Sandra Bender, Evelyn Bender, Alice Bender, Johnny Lee Bender, Glenn Bender, Deloris Bender and Lawrence Bender. The couple’s family connections extended widely throughout Newton County.
Later Years
Nelson spent most of his life in Newton County, remaining closely connected to the Lawrence community where he had grown up. Records from the 1980s indicate that he lived at Route 1 near the Citizens Bank building in Lawrence.
Throughout his lifetime, his name appeared in records under several variations—including Nepoleon, N.B., and Nelson—reflecting the common inconsistencies found in mid-century documentation. Later Social Security records recognized him under the name Nelson B. Bender, the name by which he was most widely known.
Death and Burial
Nelson B. Bender passed away in November 1991 at the age of 62.
He was laid to rest at Green Grove Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in the Tanglewood community of Newton County, Mississippi, remaining close to the land and community where he had spent his life.
Legacy
Nelson B. Bender’s life reflects the enduring story of the Black agricultural communities of central Mississippi. Through decades of work, family life, and community ties, he remained connected to the same rural landscape that had shaped generations before him.
His descendants continue to carry forward the legacy of the Bender and McNair families in Newton County and beyond.
Resting Place
Green Grove Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- The Newton Record, Bessie Lee Bender Obituary, Wed, Jan 10, 1968 ·Page 11
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- The Newton Record, Johnny Bender Completes OSUT Training, Wed, Jan 24, 1979 ·Page 10
- U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
- Scott County Times, Bender-Battle Wedding Planned, Wed, May 11, 1983 ·Page 2
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
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