Max Carlyle Bennett
born Jan 30, 1964, Greencastle, Putnam Co., Indiana
Father is James Hamilton Bennett, Sr.  Mother is Kathlyn Joahne Forney

married, Camby, IN 1983 (divorced)

Tina Rae Warner

children include:
Shannon Renee Bennett

married, 16 April 1988, 
Kültür Park, Izmir, Republic of Turkey

Neşe Şimşir
born Aug 2, 1960, Izmir, Republic of Turkey
Father is Mustafa Şimşir, Mother is Meziyet Arabaci

children include:
Kevin Bertan Bennett, Alexander Serkan Bennett

Biographies

Max Carlyle Bennett, maxcbennet@aol.com , born Jan 30, 1964, Greencastle, Indiana (Putnam County). Graduate of Good Shepherd Baptist Academy (High School) in 1982. Served in the US Army, 1985 - present, attained the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. Masters of Business Administration Degree in Technology Management (MBA, TM) from the University of Phoenix, 1999. Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from the State University of New York (SUNY). Associate of Arts Degree from Harold Washington College. Electronics Technology Certificate from ITT Technical Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1983.
                    Married Tina Rae Warner, 1983, Camby, IN. Divorced 1987.
                             Children are Shannon Renee Bennett
                    Married Neşe Şimşir, 16 April 1988, Izmir, Turkey. Neşe born 2 August 1960, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey.
                             Children are Kevin Bertan Bennett and Alexander Serkan Bennett
   
Nese Şimşir, born 2 August 1960, Izmir, Republic of Turkey. Neşe's father is Mustafa Şimşir, born 1929. Mother is Meziyet Şimşir, born 1932.

    Neşe became a U.S. citizen on 21 April 2000 at a ceremony at the Department of Justice's Department of Immigration and Naturalization Services in the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial Building in Atlanta, Georgia.

    On the day of the swearing-in, Nese was tested on her ability to speak English as well as her knowledge of American history. She had to know the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. She was quizzed on who her Senators were as well as the Governor of the state of Alabama. She also had to prove her proficiency at writing in English.

(Click HERE to test YOUR knowledge of American History. These are the actual questions Nese had to know to become a citizen!)

        Before she could even apply to be an American citizen, there was a 5 year waiting period where she had to live and work in the United States. Any crime or misdemeanor from any potential immigrant could result in their deportation.

The Ceremony to make Nese an American Citizen

     59 people took place in the swearing-in and filed into the courtroom with their family and friends.  Each person was called to the rear of the room and turned in their "Green Card". The Green Card is an identification card that each immigrant must have that identifies them as an immigrant and not a citizen. They also reviewed their Certificate of Citizenship to ensure there were no errors. Each person was then told to sit in a numbered seat that placed the petitioners at the front of the courtroom.
    The room had a huge American flag hanging on the wall and an American Flag on a traditional stand up by the podium. The podium was wood and at the front of the room. Behind the podium was the Seal of the Department of Justice.
    The clerk of the court came in and told everyone that gentlemen who were wearing a hat could now take it off. Also, that all would rise during the playing of the National Anthem, citizens would place their hand over their heart but petitioners and other non-citizens need only stand in respect. He then introduced the Director, Thomas P. Fischer. They played the National Anthem and all were seated.
    Mr. Fischer spoke for about 20 minutes and was very inspiring. He first apologized for the coldness and callousness of the Immigration process. He acknowledged that it is not a very friendly process and that it takes a long time to become a citizen but justified the process by explaining that only those who truly want to be a citizen ever achieve it.
    Mr. Fisher then went on to explain the difference between himself and the Petitioners. He described himself as a "Citizen by Chance", whereas the Petitioners were "Citizens by Choice". He acknowledged that all of the Petitioners had been looked at by the Department of Justice, that their backgrounds had been checked, and that he was sure that they were good, decent, and moral people. He also noted that he saw 59 success stories when he looked at the Petitioners because many of them had come from less-than-desirable countries and they probably had to fight long and hard to make it this far.
    Mr. Fisher then had the Petitioners stand and swore them in as citizens of the United States of America. Click HERE to see the Oath the petitioners had to swear to God that they would uphold.
    The clerk then called them forward one by one to receive their citizenship. The first person called was an 82-year old blind woman from the Ukraine. Her son led her up to receive her certificate. She whispered something in Mr. Fisher's ear which he told to everyone. She said, "Today, I am so happy to be an American."
After the ceremony, we all stood and said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Click HERE to see the Pledge to the Flag.
        The ceremony was very well done and very patriotic. We are all very proud of Nese and glad to be able to call her an American.  

Click HERE to see the Letter Nese (and all Petitioners) received from the White House.

Shannon Renee Bennett, born 13 August 1983, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Kevin Bertan Bennett, born 2 May 1990, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

Alexander Serkan Bennett, born 2 February, 1994 at Carthage, New York.