Carol,
I believe you and I have corresponded before. I am descended from John Streibig, Stephen Bender's business partner in Cincinnati. I'm trying to solve a small mystery and am wondering if you know anything relevant:

John Streibig's wife was Rose Burns, and her original family consisted of the following (per 1870 census):
Sarah, wife, age 52, born Ireland, cannot read nor write.
Philip, age 12, son, born PA
Mary, age 11, born Ohio
Rosanna, age 2, born Ohio.
There appears to also have been one older sister Julia Burns who married a John Lawrence.

Here's my mystery: My deceased father once told me that Rose Burns had a sister who married Stephen Bender, and that they had a daughter Hilda. My dad's sister (also now deceased) told me separately that Stephen Bender married Lilly Burns, sister of Rose Burns. This is all supported by the will of Rose Burns' mother Sarah Burns, who lists an Ed Bender as a grandson (but no Lilly as a daughter). There is, however, no other public record that I am aware of to support this story.

So, my question.... do you have any evidence or reason to believe that your gr-grandfather Stephen Bender was married to a Lilly or Julia Burns prior to his marriage to Katherine Kuntz ??? Do you have a marriage record or marriage date for Stephen Bender and Katherine Kuntz ?

Thanks again. contact me by direct email if you prefer: hweller - at - aol.com