Harshbarger line: The Joseph Withers family

This is one of the most challenging lines in the Harshbarger family, because the earliest known family head, Joseph Withers, was born in 1804 in Pennsylvania, and so far has not been traced back any further.  There are quite a few trees giving him a birth in England, and a death in England.  I am not at all sure that this is the same Joseph Withers, although I am not totally ruling it out.  But if the birth date and location would happen to be accurate, why is there no parent listed.  Would his birth record, if there is one, not show that?  I have a hunch, which may be totally off the wall, that he somehow belongs in the line of Augustine Withers, whose family line is German.  But proof is lacking, so for now he can perhaps be assumed to have dropped from a space ship into Pennsylvania, which is where the 1850 census shows that he was born.  

His wife, Mary Gearhart, is equally mysterious.  The first record I can find of her, or for that matter, for Joseph, is their 1832 marriage in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  And the mysteries continue.  We know that the family went to Ohio by 1840, when son William was born in Knox County.  We know the names of their children, or at least of their surviving children, from the 1850 census.  But as the family grew up, the children moved on-some apparently back to Ohio (the 1850 census was in Marion, Iowa), some to Allen and Whitley County, Indiana, and some possibly to Missouri.  Others, I am not at all sure about. This is what I think I know:

Joseph and Mary's first child was a daughter, Sarah Jane.  She was born in October of 1833 and died in 1913 in Newark, Licking, Ohio. She married Robert Mills, who may be the son of Robert Mills of Belmont County, Ohio.  Their children are John, Mary, Charles, Catherine, James, Anna or Annabel, Jane, and Harry.  There is a possibility that William and Edward are also their children, but I have not seen their names on a census.

John was the first son, and because of naming patterns, there may be a John in Joseph's family tree, either a father or a grandfather.  He was born about 1836 but I haven't located a death date or location; the last place I can state that he lived was in Whitley County, Indiana in 1880, and then possibly in 1886 in Huntington County.  His wife was Linna or Lena Roberts, who died in 1885.  There is a marriage record for John Withers and Marie Roberts in Huntington County, Indiana, in 1886, and I'm not positive that this is our John Withers.  I don't know whether the two Roberts' women are related, as I can't find information about Lena.  Lena, however, was the mother of John's children, who included Anna, Cleason, Lloyd, Mary, Elza, William, Charles, and Franklin.

Samuel was the next child, born about 1838 in Ohio.  I think he is the Samuel Withers found in 1860 in Perry, Richland County, Ohio, but after that the trail is cold.  There are marriage records and Civil War records for a couple of men by that name in Ohio but I'm not ready to say that either of these men is our Samuel.

William was born in 1840 and died in 1912 in Whitley County, Indiana.  He married Barbara Cook, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Brown Cook.  Their children are Wilson, Willie, William, and Della (why not Willa, I wonder?).  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

Andrew was born about 1842, although some give him a birth date of 1839.  He was married twice, first to Mary Milburn.  Their children are Christopher and Sarah.  His second wife was Sarah Jane Eggbury.  I have not been able to trace either of the wives yet.  Andrew and Sarah's chldren are Mary, Louise, Fannie, Oscar, John, and William.  Andrew served on the Union side in the Civil War, and I would love to trace his service records.  

Mary Ann was born about 1842.  She married twice, first to William Oberlin, son of William and Susanna Gallagher Oberlin.  Their children are Cora, Amy, Hettie, Sarah, and Ida.  Apparently there was a divorce, because William lived until 1921 and in 1978 she married John Hooten, a Civil War veteran.  She had at least one child with him, George, and they moved to Texas. I have not located a death date for her, but it was after the census in 1900.  She may have married again, to a James Garrison, but I am not sure this is the same person.

Joseph was born in 1844 and that is all I know about him.  He is in the 1850 census but I can't find him after that.  Perhaps he died young.

Finally, there is Eliza, born in 1849.  She is yet another mystery.  I have seen several names listed as husbands for her but none make sense, geographically or time wise.  So at the moment, she also goes on our list of unsolved mysteries.

Once again, it is hard to accept that so many people born not so very long ago, at least in a family historian's view, left such few records.  I guess it's another case of the glass being only half full.  But I'm grateful for that half!

 

Beeks family revisited-Christopher Beeks is not ours

 I sure was surprised to get a message from one of the premier Beeks researchers, Dawn Beeks, who advised me that DNA had proven that Christopher Beeks, the Revolutionary War vet and all around interesting character, is not the father of William Beeks, long believed to be his son.  This set me back on my heels a bit, as you can imagine.

DNA seems to point to a man by the name of Hendry as William's father.  This leads to all sorts of speculation as to how William "Beeks" arrived and was raised in the family of Christopher and Catherine Barnes Beeks.  Is Catherine the mother of William?  And if so, was he from a previous marriage, or from a relationship with the Hendry gentleman that is not yet defined?  Affair, one night stand, forceful?  There are so many questions.

As of now, there is not a smoking gun to show who William's father is.  There is an interesting man named William Hendry who had at least three wives, and a relationship (and children) with an enslaved woman.  I have not determined whether the Beeks family and the this Hendry lived in close enough proximity to make this a possibility.  The search continues, but it's going in an entirely different direction now!  

However, we should not forget that William was raised by Christopher, that he would have heard the stories Christopher told, and that his life was influenced by Christopher. 

The family of John W Beeks 1867-1946

 Some of the Beeks men have large families, and some don't.  This is one of the men with a smaller family, and this will be a very short post.  John Beeks was born in Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana to William and Mary Wise Beeks, the subjects of last week's blog post.  John died in 1946 in Andrews, Huntington County, Indiana.  (Lagro and Andrews are about 6 miles apart, so he didn't travel far.)  John's first wife was Elizabeth Wise, the daughter of David and Matilda Martin Wise of Lagro, and she was the mother of his three children. 

Charity, their only daughter, was born in 1890 and died in Andrews in 1956.  She married Howard Humphrey, whom I have not been able to trace further.  This couple had no known children.  

Chester, known to the family as "Bud", was born in 1893 and died in 1973.   He married Myrtle Swindell, daughter of Arthur and Ellen Collins Swindell, and widow of Grover Bullinger.  Although "Grover Lee" is shown as a son on the 1930 census, he was Myrtle's son and Bud's step son.  I have been unable to locate a divorce date for Bud and Myrtle, and it is possible that they didn't divorce.  Myrtle died in 1940 and the 1940 census lists Chester as single.  He was a World War I veteran, serving in France.

Wilbur, the last son, was born in 1895 and died in 1970.  He also stayed close to Andrews for most of his life, except for the time he spent in Russia during World War I as part of the "Michigan" Polar Bears.  He married Gretta Cleo Aldridge, the daughter of Harvey and Margaret Dunham Aldridge, and they had 16 children, 8 of whom died as infants or toddlers.  Charles, Vivian, Kenneth, Eldon, Evelyn, Maxine, Raymond, and Phyllis, sadly, were all in this category.  Those who lived to adulthood are James, Anna Mae, Mary, Norman, Norma, Bonnie, Donald, and one other still living.  All of these had children, but since many of the grandchildren of Wilbur and Cleo are still living, I will not mention any of their names.  (Also, I doubt that I have them all. There were nearly 50 grandchildren.  Some of these grandchildren are now great grandparents themselves.)  Therefore, this is my last post about the Beeks family.

Elizabeth  died in 1922 and five years later, John married Winifred Knight, daughter of William and Elisabeth Boxell Knight.  She had been married twice before, to William Rowland, who died, and to William Gwynn, who filed for divorce in 1918.  Her 1943 obituary refers to only her first marriage, and she died in Dayton, Ohio, so there was possibly another divorce or at least a separation from John.  

John and Elizabeth left only one child who had children, to the best of my knowledge.  But the Beeks family is alive and thriving, many still in Huntington County or nearby, and some in locations such as Florida and Texas.  There have been many sad funerals to attend as age and accidents take their toll, but this is a family that loves and supports each other.  

The family of William Beeks 1833-1888

William Beeks is next in the line of Beeks ancestors.  He was born about 1833, most likely in Greene County, Ohio, where his parents, John and Mary "Polly" Carter Beeks had married in 1830.  By 1850, William was in Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana, where he stayed for the rest of his life, except for a brief time when he served in the Civil War in 1865.  

William (I don't know if he had a nickname, I've only seen "William" in recorded documents) was married twice.  His first marriage was to Fannie Dils (also seen as Dilts), the daughter of Isaac and Mary (maiden name unknown) Dils.  They had two children but Fannie died shortly after the birth of the second son.

Elias, born in 1859,  married Anna Enyeart, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Hillegas Enyeart.  The 1910 census reports that Anna had five children, but that none of them were living at the time of the census.  I could find names for only one, Mary.  Drat that missing 1890 census!  Elias died in 1933 in Lagro, Indiana.

Their second son was Isaac, born in 1860 and died in Lagro, Indiana in 1928.  He married Rebecca Enyeart, also the daughter of Joseph and Mary Hillegas Enyeart.  They had quite a large family-Joseph, Charles, Mary, Ida, Bessie, Bertha, Levi, John, Elias, and Fannie. 

After Fannie's death, William married Mary Wise, the (possibly adopted) daughter of Jackson and Charity Botkin Wise, in 1863.  They had 10 children together, per the 1910 census.  I can identify seven of them.  There is a reference in the Wabash Plain Dealer of September 23, 1881, regarding the "Beeks twins" who had died at Lagro, with no mention of the parents names.  It's possible they were Mary's children.  (It's also possible they were the children of Elias and Anna, above, who have missing children also.)  

Jackson was the first born, in 1862.  He lived just a short time, until 1863, but he may have been a reason that William and Mary married when they did.  

Charity was born in 1864 and died sometime after 1884.  I haven't located her in the 1900 census.  She married Henry Stephenson, so far not further identified, and they had two known children.  Glenn was born three months after their marriage, and then a daughter, Mary was born.  

Sarah Beeks was born in 1867 and that is all the information I could find about her.  She probably died young, but I've found no record of that.

John was born in 1867 and died in 1946.  He married Elizabeth Wise, the daughter of David and Matilda Martin Wise.    John and Elizabeth's children are Charity, Chester, and Wilbur.  I will briefly follow this family in my next blog post.  

George was born in 1867 and married Mary Ellen Wise, the daughter of Philip and Elizabeth Grimes Wise.  (David and Philip Wise were brothers, the sons of Andrew and Mary Searfass Wise, so these two wives are cousins.  William's wife Mary was also part of this extended family, but that line goes back a couple more generations to connect).  George and Mary's children are Rosa, Iva, Edith, Gracie, Elmer, Alma, Pauline, and Vern.  George died in 1953 in Wabash, Indiana.

Rachel was born in 1872 and died in 1957 in Lagro.  She married William Ballard, the son of Henry and Minerva Meadows Ballard.  Their known children are William, Sarah, Viva, Freida, John, Sheridan, Glenn, Dale, Margaret, Rachel, and Gordon.  

And finally, there is Martin, who was born in 1875 and died in 1949 in the Wabash County Hospital, Wabash, Indiana.  He also had lived his entire life in Lagro.  He apparently never married, but lived with his mother for many years.  He has no known descendants.

The Lagro cemetery (IOOF) is full of Beeks and related families.  William and Mary's children stayed local, and contributed to the growth, and the stories, of their community. 

The family of John Beeks 1809-1872

We are in for another mystery tour of another Beeks ancestor.  I can identify only two of his children "for certain", and I'm not at all sure about the name of one of those two.  But here is what I think I know as of this point.  

John was born about October, 1809, in or near Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia.  His parents are William and Mary Elizabeth Nimerick Beeks.  He married Mary, known as Polly, Carter in 1830 in Greene County, Ohio.  Her father or relative may be John Carter, who lived in Xenia, Greene County in the 1830 census (taken before John and Polly married) with two females that would have been of marriageable age at that time.  This is not proof, and I'm still looking for proof of the relationship, if any, between John and Mary/Polly.  I haven't located John in the 1840 census, but by 1850 he was in Wabash County, Indiana, with his wife Polly, and son William and daughter Tacy.  He died in 1872 in Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana.

William was their first born child, in 1832.  Some trees show him as William Duane, but I've found no proof that he had this middle name, and there is a William Duane Beeks in Clinton County, Ohio, who was a Civil War veteran.  Our William was a Civil War veteran, also, but for just a few months in 1865.  There were two different William Beeks and we need to keep our eyes on our man.  He was married at least twice.  There was a William Beeks who married a Vellona Moore in 1855 but I'm not sure this is his marriage.  He did marry Fanny/Francis Dils, the daughter of Isaac and Mary (unknown) Dils in 1858.  They had two children, Elias and Isaac.  Francis died soon after Isaac was born.  William then married Mary Wise, the daughter of Jackson and Charity Bodkin Wise.  Their children are Jackson, Charity, John, George, Rachel, Martin, and Sarah.  I will follow William's family in my next post.  

Tacy is the other child I can identify through census and other records.  She married Martin Willis, the son of Fielding and Margaret Crider Willis.  The only child I can identify for this couple is Ida. She died in 1900 in Lagro, Wabash County, Ohio.  

Here is what is confusing about Tacy, or her possible other siblings.  She may have had a sibling, possibly a twin, identified as a male, named Casey.  There is a listing by that name in the 1860 census.  There is also no Tacy in 1860, nor, actually, is there in 1850.  There she shows up as "Lucy".  And she is listed on Find a Grave as "Macy".  I am leaning toward the idea that these are all one and the same, and I am not actually sure what name she answered to.  

There is a "P Beeks" listed in the 1870 census, whom several trees have identified as being Polly Beeks.  I don't know if this identification is correct and I can find no information about a Polly Beeks.

The final mystery is that in 1850, a three year old child named Anna Meadows was living in the John Beeks household.  I cannot identify her, nor can I locate her in a later census.  She may be a niece of either John or Mary/Polly, but that is speculation.  

So even someone who died a little over 150 years ago, and who is buried just a few miles from our home managed to keep some family secrets.  Unless, of course, there is someone out there who knows more than I do at this point?  If you do, please contact me! 

 

 

The family of William Beeks 1786ish to 1864(?)

 I have some answers about William Beeks and his family, and I have more questions, too.  His birth date is not firm, but is thought to be about 1786, in or near Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.  He was the oldest son of Christopher and Catherine Barnes Beeks, and later moved to Greene County, Ohio, near Xenia.  In a letter written by his grand nephew, he is said to have died in 1864 in Worth County, Missouri, killed by a runaway horse.  He would have been about 78 years old at the time.  I have been unable to trace him in the 1840 or later census, unless he is the William "Beach" found in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois in 1840.

His marital history is something of a mystery, also.  He is said to have married a Miss Puckett, a Margaret Baker, and our ancestor, Mary Elizabeth Nimerick.  There is some confusion about which children belong to which wife, but based on the October 27, 1808 marriage date of William and Mary, it looks to me like all the children belong to Mary.  I am as always open to documentation showing otherwise.  

I have seen mention of a George Beeks, born in 1807, who is the son of William.  I have not found anything further about him and am not sure he existed.  If he did, perhaps he was the son of Margaret Baker, and perhaps neither he nor his mother lived long after the birth.  This paragraph is speculation only.

John is the first known son of William and Mary.  He married Mary "Polly" Carter, who possibly was the daughter or other relative of John Carter, who lived near the Beeks family in Greene County, Ohio.  They have four children-William, Casey, Lucy, and Polly.  John died in 1872 in Wabash County, Indiana, and I will follow this family further in my next blog post.

There may have been a daughter, Elizabeth, born about 1813.  There is an Elizabeth Beeks who married Andrew Downing in 1829 in Clinton County, Ohio.  I don't know if this is our Elizabeth, and I can't trace Andrew Downing further.  

Samuel was born in 1814 and died in 1891 in Klickitat County, Washington.  He fought on the Union side in the Civil War in Missouri.  I haven't followed his story particularly, but I do know that there were bitter battles in Missouri between Union and Confederate forces, and he may have also served elsewhere.  He would have been rather old to have served, but that wasn't unheard of.  His wife was Hannah Beal, the daughter of Jacob and Mary Lowrey Beal, whom he married in Greene County, Ohio.  Their children are James, Perry, Isaac, Emma, William, Leander, and Mary.  What stories he could have told to his grandchildren!  

Catherine is still a mystery.  She was born about 1815 and may have married Jacob Bower, or Robert Stoops, or both of them. The Catherine who married Robert Stoops in 1831 seems to have had at least two children, Mary, and John.  I have been unable to locate this family in the 1850 census, so it is possible that Catherine had died by then.  The Catherine who married Jacob Bower was in Randolph County, Indiana, and again, I am not locating information about them.  Perhaps someone reading this can help me.

Sarah was born in 1816 and died in 1893 in Randolph County, Indiana.  She married William Boone, the son of John and Sarah Pierson Boone, apparently not related to the Squire Boone family, although at least John and Sarah were Quakers.  Sarah and William's children are Sarah, Finley, Anna, Susannah, William, Mary, Aseneth (many spellings seen), Joseph, and Lydia. 

William was born in 1818 and died in 1888 in Klickitat County, Washington.  His wife is Christiana Clenny, the daughter of Curtis and Polly Milner Clenny,  Their children are William, Antrim, John, Benjamin, James, Mary, and Levi.  

I know very little about Caroline, born in 1819 and died in 1893 in Brookville, Indiana. She married William Maholm in Greene County, Ohio, and then they both seem to have disappeared from history.  In 1850, I've found a William Maholm of approximate age, but he is married to a Margaret.  Did William and Catherine divorce?  I sure would appreciate information about Caroline's adult life!

Silas, who is often referred to as Jacob, was the last son born. in 1820.  He led an interesting life, having arrived in what became Klickitat County, Washington in 1847, after having traveled the famous Oregon Trail.  He married Mary Ann Beal in 1843 in Clinton County, Missouri, so he was already on the move.  Mary Ann Beal is believed to be the daughter of George and Rosanna Norris Beal, although one family historian says that she is a sister to Hannah Beal who married Samuel Beeks (above), which would make her the daughter of Jacob and Mary Lowrey Beal.  I can't say for certain which is correct.  At any rate, Silas and Mary Ann have children named WIlliam, Philip, Rosanne, Mary Ann, Josephine, Charity, Jacob and Susan.  A year after Mary Ann Beeks died in 1888, Silas married Mary Johnson.  This was a late in life marriage for both of them and no children were born to this marriage.  Silas died in 1902 in North Yakima, Yakima County, Washington.  

And finally, there is Nancy, who was born in 1823 and died in 1900 in Pike County, Illinois.  Nancy had quite a large family, with one or more children from each of her three marriages.  First she married James Knox, the son of John and Nancy Dickson Knox.  James and Nancy's children are Susan, Mary, Jonathan, and James.  She next married Isaac Gentry, the son of "Roaly" (possibly Rollie or Roland? my speculation) Gentry.   Cornelia was the daughter born to this marriage.  Lastly, she married Lewis Parrick, the son of Thomas and Margaret Short Parrick.  Her children by this marriage are Theodore and Ida.  

William and Mary Beeks had at least 44 grandchildren.  Some of them would have been caught up in the Civil War, most likely.  Their children and grandchildren scattered through several states, a long way from what was probably a "holler" in West Virginia.  They saw, and helped, America become a nation of greatness.  

I would be remiss if I did not state that much of the information here is from work done and published by Cathy Gannon.  There are times when I have deviated from her information, or questioned it, or simply added to it, but much of the work, and much of the credit, goes to her.