Ava Maria Stapleton was born in Shell Lake, Wisconsin on May 6, 1908. Ava lived in Shell Lake until she finished grade school.
Ava's father, Edward Stapleton, was a carpenter and worked in the Shell Lake boat factory. Ava's father died of tuberculosis and, at the age of 12 or 13 Ava, her older sister Leona, her older brother James and her Mother Elizabeth (Lannon) Stapleton moved to Duluth Minnesota.
With the little bit of money Ava's Mother had saved, the family purchased a house at 59 West and Waldena Streets. Family survival called for taking in borders and required that James, who was only 16, forgo his education and obtain employment to help support the family.
Ben first saw Ava at a Saturday night dance at the Shrine Auditorium on 2nd Avenue East and 1st Street in Duluth. He had noticed this beautiful girl, whose green bloomers showed ever so slightly below her dress line, while she was dancing.
Ben went to many other dances at the Auditorium to watch this young lady. Ben, however, could not build up enough courage to approach her. When the winter was over, the dances shifted to the Amphitheater and Ben finally decided that the time was right. He approached Ava and asked her to dance. Ava promptly replied that her dance card was full. Undaunted Ben asked her again the next week and he finally had his chance. Pressing the point the following Saturday night he asked Ava if he could drive her home from the dance. As fate would have it, Ben had to also give two of Ava's friends a ride, but this act earned him the honor of taking Ava home every Saturday night from then on.
Ava loved to dance and would go to dances every night a dance could be found. Often Ben would have to be Ava's second date of the night, just to get to be with her.
Ava and Ben were married for over 50 years and raised three children. Ava was a wonderful wife and a loving mother. She was a strong, outgoing person with a great sence of humor.