The Widow Beals: Elizabeth (Poe) Beals (1856-1935)

My maternal 3rd-great grandmother,  Elizabeth Caroline (POE) BEALS, was widowed when her husband, Nathan Thomas BEALS died at age 58, on February 16, 1915 in Leola, Grant County, Arkansas.  


Elizabeth and Nathan had married on September 26, 1876 in Hamilton County, Indiana.  Their first child, a daughter, Pearl May BEALS, was born May 11, 1878 in Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana.  Shortly thereafter, they moved to Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska, where two more daughters were born: Nellie Myrtle BEALS born August 30, 1880 and Ethel Mabel BEALS born November 27, 1885.


I find it strange that Nathan's obituary and funeral notice in the Noblesville Ledger fail to mention the widow by name at all.  She was simply the widow.


At the time of his death, daughter Pearl was married to Charles LAMBERTSON and living in Cicero, Hamilton County, Indiana and daughter Nellie was married to Arthur Edward STOEBER and living in Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana.  Ethel had died February 11, 1900 at age 14 in Hamilton County, and was buried in the Cicero Cemetery.


I do not know where Elizabeth was living after the funeral of her husband until the time of the 1920 census, when I located her living in the Marion BLANTON household in Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana.  She was listed as widowed, age 63, working as a servant in a private home.

 

I'm curious as to why she wasn't living with one of her daughters in the 1920 census.  By 1920, daughter Pearl and family were living in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana and had a full household.  Daughter Nellie and family were living in Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana.  Perhaps Elizabeth was financially able to provide for herself, but then why would the census show her working as a servant.  I will definitely have to see if I can locate any city/county directories during the 1915-1920 time period to see if they will shed some light on this.

By the 1930 census, Elizabeth was living in Indianapolis, Center Township, Marion County, Indiana.  Living with her are her widowed daughter, Nellie, and granddaughter, Ruby.  Elizabeth was renting her home for $23 per month at 1963 Tallman Avenue.

Elizabeth died September 27, 1935 near Greentown, Howard County, Indiana, at the home of her daughter, Pearl LAMBERTSON, according to her obituary.  In her obituary, she was referred to as the widow of the late N.T. Beals of Cicero.  This obituary was in the Tipton, Indiana Tribune - there may be other more detailed obituaries to discover. 


Elizabeth was buried in the Cicero Cemetery beside her husband, and next to her daughter Ethel.  Later, daughter Nellie would be buried in the same cemetery, as well as daughter Pearl and her husband, Charles.


The census records just start to scratch the surface, now I need to locate her in the in-between years.  There are also court records to search in Howard County, Indiana for an estate.

Family Milestones: February 10th

My maternal 4th-great grandaunt, Minerva P. PIERCE, was married on this date in 1829 to Jethro HATCH.  Minerva was born January 25, 1803, the daughter of Gordon and Thirsa (SMALLEY) PIERCE, and the older sister of my Francis S. PIERCE.  Jethro was born circa 1791 in New York.  They raised 5 children in Kane County, Illinois.  Jethro died February 7, 1875.  Minerva died after the 1880 census of Kane County, Illinois.  Nothing further known at this time.

My maternal 4th-great grandaunt, Martha Ann CROCKETT, was married on this date in 1850 in Owen County, Indiana to Washington M. ABERNATHY.  Martha was born in 1831 in Owen County, Indiana, the daughter of David and Mary Ann (NOSLER) CROCKETT, and the older sister of my Mary Ann CROCKETT.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Washington.  Nothing further known at this time.

My maternal 7th-great grandfather, Deacon John WRIGHT, was born on this date in 1717 in Freuchie, Falkland Parish, Fife Scotland..  John was the son of Robert and Elizabeth (HENDERSON) WRIGHT.  John married February 15, 1753 in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to Hannah FESSENDEN, daughter of William and Martha (BROWN) FESSENDEN.  Hannah was born August 15, 1732 in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  They had 5 children.  John was a medical missionary, and served in the French & Indiana war as a surgeon's mate.  John died in a shipwreck in June 1772 near Anamaboo, New Guinea.  Hannah died December 9, 1800 in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

My maternal 4th-great granduncle, William B. JACOBS, was born on this date in 1813 in Adams County, Ohio.  William was the son of James Thomas and Isabella (FEILY) JACOBS, and the younger brother of my Elizabeth JACOBS.  William married September 6, 1834 in Brown County, Ohio to Mary Polly EDWARDS.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Mary.  William died February 9, 1898 in Brown County, Ohio.

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, William J. JACOBS, was born on this date in 1800 in Fleming County, Kentucky.  William was the son of William and Sibell (LITTELL) JACOBS, and the younger brother of my James Thomas JACOBS.  William married September 27, 1821 in Brown County, Ohio to Zoa WILKS.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Zoa.  William died June 23, 1879 in Brown County, Ohio.

 

Down The Rabbit Hole: Discovering the Backstory of N.T. Beals death

My recent success in locating the death date and the obituary of my 3GGF, Nathan Thomas Beals has left me with more questions and sent me chasing some interesting rabbit trails in my family history search.

Starting with the obituary itself, I'm left with some avenues of research to explore.  For example, why exactly was Nathan T. Beals in Arkansas, where exactly was he at, and for how long?  

The why appears to be answered by the obituary: that he was engaged in the sawmill and lumber business with Ed and Luther Hinshaw.  Who are Ed and Luther Hinshaw?  They were Nathan T.'s nephews, and will be discussed at length later.

Where exactly was Nathan T. Beals at?  The obituary states that the telegram came from Leola, Arkansas.  When John T. Beals, Nathan T.'s father died two years later in 1917, Nathan T. was referred to as being 'late of Leola, Ark.'  Leola is in Grant County, Arkansas.

How long was he there?  The obituary states he went to Arkansas ten years before his death, the funeral notices states it was five years.  Since Nathan T. Beals died February 16, 1915, and I've located him in the 1910 census living in Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, the funeral notice seems more accurate.  Sometime between 1910 and 1915 he must have gone to Arkansas.

The obituary stated that "for many years he was a resident of Cicero.  At one time, he was interested in a hardware store there, but later spent most of his time traveling for a wholesale hardware firm."  Cicero is located in Jackson Township of Hamilton County, Indiana, where we find Nathan living most of his adult life.  In the 1900 census, his occupation was listed as "dealer in hardware", and in the 1910 census, his occupation was listed as "superintendent of lumber yard."  

I need to research city directories at the Hamilton East Public Library in Noblesville to see if I can locate more information and maybe even find out the name of the hardware store and lumber yard that he worked for.  I've contacted the Grant County, Arkansas Museum looking for any information they might have about him or the Hinshaws in Arkansas.  


I searched the Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950 at Ancestry.com for a record of Nathan Thomas Beals without any success.  According to the database, compliance with statewide record keeping was not complete for about three decades.  


Who were Ed and Luther Hinshaw?  They were Nathan T. Beals' nephews, the sons of his older sister Elizabeth and her husband, Solomon Hinshaw, of Westfield, Indiana.


According to the Chronology of the Beals Family, written in 1912 by Nathan's father, John T. Beals, two sons were born to Solomon and Elizabeth (Beals) Hinshaw: Edwin M. Hinshaw and John Luther Hinshaw.  The book states that Edwin M. "is in the banking business.  He served as State Bank Examiner for six years or more.  He is interested in several other enterprises in this and other states."  


Digging around on the internet, I was able to find quite a bit of information on the Hinshaw brothers, as well as another nephew, Elmer Sturdevant, also mentioned in the obituary.  Apparently, these men were all prominent businessmen of Hamilton County, Indiana at one time, and their paths seem to have crossed a number of ways.  In future days, I hope to be able to piece together all of the puzzle.


In working on this puzzle, I've learned that there is so much more about Nathan Thomas Beals and the other members of his extended family that I need to discover.  For instance, after their marriage, Nathan and his wife, Elizabeth moved to Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska where two of their daughters were born.  Why were they living there, and why were they back by 1900?


The decades after Nathan's death will provide more fodder for research, as his widow was back in Indiana, yet she wasn't living with family members in the 1920 census, as I would have suspected.  

The public downfall of his nephews in a bank scandal shortly after his death is a story for another day.