William Thomas Beals was born on May 31, 1873 in Rodgersville, Hawkins, Tennessee. He was the fourth child of John Simpson Beals' and Frances Elizabeth Frances Dyer's eleven children.
In September of 1893, he married Josie Caroline Hicks. Josie was from Elk Park, North Carolina, but they were married in LaJara, Colorado. Their first child, Rosie Verdeame, was born 9 Aug 1894 in Fox Creek, Colorado. Their second child, Arthur was born in Fox Creek, Colorado on 5 October of 1896. Arthur died at the age of 17 months of age. This union ended in divorce.
Those members of his immediate family that had come to Colorado when he did moved on to Pima, Arizona.
William married Abbie Ellen Patterson 1 March 1898 in LaJara, Colorado. They had two boys. Joseph Arthur was born 16 December 1899 in Conejos, Colorado and James William born 7 Aug 1901 in Mogote, Conejos, Colorado. About two years after William married Abbie, he went to gather wood and never returned.
He married Eddie Jane Viars on 24 Jan 1902. In Tennessee, they had four children, Rosie Virdie 28 Oct 1902 born in Sullivan, Tennessee, Theodore born 8 April 1904 in Paintrock, Tennessee, William Thomas born 24 Jan 1906, and Mary Elizabeth born 1 January 1909. I also find a marriage recorded for this couple 31 May 1913.
William eventually returned to Colorado. I have a book that he dedicated to his first biological daughter when she was 35.
I want to understand this man better. Why did he have such a hard time staying in a marriage? Why did he name new children after children from previous marriages. Why did his last wife die in Tennessee when he returned to Colorado at the end of his life.
3 comments:
as you find out more let us know. I thought this was interesting in the 1900 Census: "states birth year as 1862, married for 3 years to Abiline E Beals age 28, with one child William A age 2, occupation is a Teacher."
1900 Census of San Rafael, Conejos, Colorado listed William T Beals age 38, born in North Carolina as were his parents.
He was a teacher! What did he teach?
I don't know what he taught, but I imagine that he probably taught all subjects as these were not large communities. I wish that we had family alive that could remember and tell us.
I remember Grandpa Beals. He came back to LaJara in his old age. He lived with Grandma Vance. All of the children were upset with his being there. He abandoned his family,Grandma Vance and Grandma Winters, when she was a small child. It is too bad that there has to be the kind of feelings that there were. When I was a child he lived in Romeo for a time and we were afraid of him.
I have always felt bad for the feeling of Arlos brothers and sisters. Non of them went to his funeral. I should have gone. Grandma Vance was there alone. She was not supported in the decision she made to take care of her father in his old age. I loved Grandma Vance and should have been a better support for her
When Arlo was a child Grandpa Beals talked Grandpa Vance into Going to Oregon. They sold their homestead and bought the model A. Richard was born in Oregon. That didn't work out for them and they came back to Colorado broke. I think the the older children were angry about the whole thing. There are times in our lives when forgiveness is necessary to go forward.
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