George Bennard

Short Name: George Bennard
Full Name: Bennard, George
Birth Year: 1873
Death Year: 1958

George Bennard was an American hymn composer and Methodist Episcopal minister, best known for writing “The Old Rugged Cross”. He was born on February 4, 1873, in Youngstown, Ohio. During his childhood, his family moved first to Albion, Michigan, and later to Lucas, Iowa. Following the death of his father, Bennard supported his mother and sisters while nurturing a calling for Christian evangelism.

He became active in the Salvation Army, preaching throughout the United States and Canada, and was later ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Bennard spent much of his ministry in Michigan and Wisconsin, composing hymns throughout his life. His most famous hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross”, was written in 1913 at Albion College in Albion, Michigan. He continued to write hymns until 1956.

Bennard married twice. His first wife, Araminta Statler Beeler, bore him three children: Fay George Bennard (1899–1938), Zoe Bennard (1903), and John Paul Bennard (1913–1991). After her death, he married Hannah Dahlstrom in 1944. He retired to Reed City, Michigan, where a museum commemorates his life and ministry. George Bennard died on October 10, 1958, and is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery, California.

His legacy endures through his hymns, particularly “The Old Rugged Cross”, which remains a central hymn in evangelical and Methodist worship worldwide.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bennard