Frank Benjamin Couch Jr., P. E. (1937 - 2017)

Born 17 Jul 1937 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Son of Frank Benjamin Couch Sr. and Rosa Louvenia (Pewitt) Couch

Husband of Nancy Elaine (Hines) Corlew — married 8 Aug 1958 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States

Husband of Beverly Ann (Appleby) Davis — married 8 Apr 1967 in Robertson County, Tennessee, USA

Descendants

Died 31 Jan 2017 at age 79 in Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ben Couch [send private message]

Biography

Education:

• Jun 1959, B. E. in Civil Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.
• Jan 1966, Master's Degree in Civil Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

Memories:

• After 30 years of service, many as the Chief of the Geotechnical Branch, U. S. Army Engineer District, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, Ben retired from the Corps of Engineers. The following excerpts are from pages 2 and 6 of a speech given by Marv Simmons at the retirement luncheon for Ben on 14 July 1992:

Now any of you that have known Ben for any length of time are fully aware that he is no dummy. This was apparent even in the early days at Harvard. Over the years I have heard many of his fellow Corps class mates express their dismay at how hard they had to work to get through the strenuous courses conducted by Arthur Casagrande while Ben just glided through...

Ben has not only been a great geotechnical engineer, I would say on a par with the best if not the best in the Corps...

• I, Couch-3906, remember my dad saying, "School was the easiest thing that I ever did." I also recall how easy math was for him. It was almost like breathing. The old farmer that cut and baled our hay used to fancy challenging Daddy. Lee Caldwell would use his calculator and see if Daddy could beat him multiplying large numbers in his head. I do not recall my dad ever losing, and I witnessed this multiple times.

See the James A. Yeargin Family Bible

Sources

• BGMI: "Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)"
  Gale Research Company; Detroit, Michigan; Accession Number: 967933
  Ancestry Record 4394 #5872186 (accessed 19 February 2024)
  Frank B Couch Jr born 1937. Source: Who's Who in Engineering. Seventh edition, 1988. Edited by Gordon Davis. Washington, DC: American Association of Engineering Societies, 1988. (WhoEng 7) Who's Who in Technology. Sixth edition. Two volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1989. (WhoTech 6) Who's Who in Technology. Seventh edition. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995. (WhoTech 7)
• Baby book: made at the time by his mother, Rosa Louvenia Pewitt Couch. It contains birth name, date, place of birth, hospital, footprints, birth weight, hair, nurses' names, doctor's name, and the parent's names.
• 1940 Census: "1940 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1940; Census Place: Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee; Roll: m-t0627-03976; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 99-181
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2442 #35121345 (accessed 28 May 2023)
  Frank B Couch Jr (2), single son, in household of Frank B Couch (35) in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee. Born in Tennessee.

Name	Sex	Age	Status	Relation	Occupation	Birth Place
Frank B Couch	M	35	Married	Head	Piano	Tennessee
Rosa L Couch	F	32	Married	Wife		Tennessee
Frank B Couch	M	2	Single	Son		Tennessee
Charles F Couch	M	1	Single	Son		Tennessee

• 1950 Census: "1950 United States Federal Census"
  United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee; Roll: 999; Sheet Number: 3; Enumeration District: 99-231
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #106210507 (accessed 28 May 2023)
  Frank B Couch Jr (12), single son, in household of Frank B Couch (45) in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, USA. Born in Texas.

Name	Sex	Age	Status	Relation	Occupation	Birth Place
Frank B Couch	M	45	Married	Head	Private Tuner	Tennessee
Louvinia P Couch	F	43	Married	Wife		Tennessee
Frank B Couch Jr	M	12	Never married	Son		Tennessee
Fred C Couch	M	11	Never married	Son		Tennessee
John W Couch	M	10	Never married	Son		Tennessee

• 1955 School Yearbook Picture: "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016"
  "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: West End High School; Year: 1955
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1265 #286640727 (accessed 21 March 2024)
  Name: Frank Ben Couch Jr; Estimated Age: 18; Birth Year: abt 1937; Yearbook Date: 1955; School: West End High School; School Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Grade Completed: Senior.
• Marriage to Elaine: "Newspapers.com"
  The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) Sun, Jul 27, 1958, page 39
  Newspapers Clip: 128066539 (accessed 11 July 2023)
• Marriage to Elaine: "Newspapers.com"
  The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) Sun, Jul 27, 1958, page 39
  Newspapers Clip: 128066308 (accessed 11 July 2023)
• Marriage to Elaine: "Newspapers.com"
  Nashville Banner (Nashville, Tennessee) Wed, Aug 13, 1958, page 46
  Newspapers Clip: 78196661 (accessed 29 May 2023)
• Marriage to Beverly: "Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780-2002"
  Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1169 #116183 (accessed 26 June 2023)
  Frank Ben Couch Jr (29) marriage to Beverly Ann Appleby on 8 Apr 1967 in Robertson, Tennessee, USA.
• Personal knowledge of son, Couch-3906
• Certificate of Death. Copy at home of his son, Couch-3906
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #175919144 (accessed 26 June 2023)
  Memorial page for COL Frank B “Ben” Couch Jr. (17 Jul 1937-31 Jan 2017), citing Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by bbarnhill (contributor 47395133).
• Obituary: "Newspapers.com"
  The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) Thu, Feb 2, 2017, page A6
  Newspapers Clip: 107414339 (accessed 28 May 2023)

DNA Confirmation

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on MyHeritageDNA who share a 10.4 cM segment on chromosome 5, consisting of Ben Couch, Jr., and CRHO, his 4th cousin 1x removed, and CJW, his 4th cousin 1x removed. (CRHO and CJW are 4th cousins 2x removed.) These matches have been verified via the MyHeritage Chromosome Browser. Their most-recent common ancestors are Jacob LaRue and Mary Frost, the 4x great grandparents of Ben Couch and 5x great grandparents of CRHO and 3x great grandparents of CJW.

• Paternal and Maternal relationships are both confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and CFC, his uncle. Their most-recent common ancestors are Ben Couch, Sr. and Rosa Pewitt, the grandparents of Ben Couch, III and parents of CFC. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: Uncle, based on sharing 1,490 cM across 42 segments.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and SAC, his 3rd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are Edgar Couch and Mary Myer, the great great grandparents of both Ben Couch and SAC. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 3C, based on sharing 121 cM across 6 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Frank Couch, the grandson of the common ancestors Edgar Couch & Mary Myer.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and SGH, his 3rd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are William Williams and Mary Yeargin, the great great grandparents of both Ben Couch and SGH. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2C-3C, based on sharing 117 cM across 5 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Frank Couch, the grandson of the common ancestors William Williams & Mary Yeargin.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and CBG, his 3rd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are William Williams and Mary Yeargin, the great great grandparents of both Ben Couch and CBG. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2C-3C, based on sharing 103 cM across 5 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Frank Couch, the grandson of the common ancestors William Williams & Mary Yeargin.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and AAC, his 1st cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are Orrigen Couch and Rachel Williams, the great grandparents of Ben Couch, III and grandparents of AAC. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 1C!R, based on sharing 553 cM across 21 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch, III is the son of Ben Couch, Jr., the son of Ben Couch, Sr., the son of the common ancestors Orrigen Couch & Rachel Williams.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and RDCJ, his 2nd cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are William Pewitt and Margaret Owings, the great great grandparents of Ben Couch and great grandparents of RDCJ. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2C-3C, based on sharing 92 cM across 7 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Rosa Pewitt, the granddaughter of the common ancestors William Pewitt & Margaret Owings.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal MyHeritageDNA test match between Ben Couch, Jr. and KDP, his 2nd cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are William Pewitt and Margaret Owings, the great grandparents of Ben Couch and great great grandparents of KDP. Predicted relationship from MyHeritageDNA: 2C1R, based on sharing 152.5 cM across 7 segments. Ben is the son of Rosa Pewitt who is the granddaughter of the common ancestors William Pewitt & Margaret Owings.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and SJSG, his 2nd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are Isaac Pewitt and Dona Peach, the great grandparents of both Ben Couch and SJSG. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2C, based on sharing 248 cM across 9 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Rosa Pewitt, the daughter of the common ancestors Isaac Pewitt & Dona Peach.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and Jud, his 2nd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are Isaac Pewitt and Dona Peach, the great grandparents of both Ben Couch and Jud. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2C-3C, based on sharing 153 cM across 7 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Rosa Pewitt, the daughter of the common ancestors Isaac Pewitt & Dona Peach.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and PPew, his 2nd cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are Isaac Pewitt and Dona Peach, the great grandparents of Ben Couch and great great grandparents of PPew. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2C-3C, based on sharing 97 cM across 4 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Rosa Pewitt, the daughter of the common ancestors Isaac Pewitt & Dona Peach.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and KJPL, his 2nd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are Isaac Pewitt and Dona Peach, the great grandparents of both Ben Couch, III and KJPL. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2R, based on sharing 360 cM across 11 segments.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal MyHeritageDNA test match between Ben Couch, III and MarD, his 2nd cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are Isaac Pewitt and Dona Peach, the great grandparents of Ben Couch and great great grandparents of MarD. Predicted relationship from MyHeritageDNA: 2C-3C, based on sharing 209.8 cM across 8 segments. DNA test taker Ben Couch is the son of Frank Couch, the son of Rosa Pewitt, the daughter of the common ancestors Isaac Pewitt & Dona Peach.