Bena (Corless) Black 

Mrs. Bena Black Dead. Another of Brinkley’s Pioneer Citizens Passes Away. At the ripe old age of 67 years, Mrs. Bena Black, one of the first citizens of Brinkley, passed to the great beyond on Saturday morning at 11 o’clock…. The funeral was at the church, Rev. Father Henry Frommen officiating on Monday morning at 10:30. The body was buried alongside that of her beloved husband, Maj. Wm. Black, in the Catholic cemetery, a large concourse of friends being in attendance. The floral remembrances were very elaborate. Born in New York, May 25, 1847, Miss Bena Corless removed to New Orleans at an early age and in May 1862 she was married to Maj. Wm. Black, and twelve children were born to them, four of whom died prior to the death of Maj. Black. Mrs. Black, with her beloved husband, came to Brinkley in 1872 before there was any town here and with him, began the pioneer work of building a town. Maj. Black was without a doubt a natural born leader and city builder,….. until his death on Nov. 26, 1895.