Treasure Chest Thursday - January 14, 2009

Since most of my “treasures” are found in the photographs I own, I will show you one I am quite proud to have in my possession.

John Monroe Bean

1866-1954

Actually, this isn’t even a photograph. It is a negative for a photograph, that was taken by my Uncle Richard Harriff [“Dick”]. Uncle Dick made his own negatives, and developed his own photographs. This helps to explain the poor condition of this self-made negative [that and the fact that the negative was found lying in the bottom of a trunk, fully exposed to all matter of junk and what-not, yellowing receipts, and papers, where it had lain for over 60 years.]

The photograph was taken in the 1930’s, and the subject is my paternal grandfather, John Monroe Bean.

While the negative is certainly not in the best condition, I am clearly able to see his face more. And to see the man whom my Dad called his father.

The photograph was taken between 1935 and 1939, roughly between the time John was 69-73 years of age.

When I look at this photograph, I see my own Dad today, who is roughly the same age. The resemblance is uncanny!

Dad with two of his grandson’s this past Christmas

Tombstone Tuesday - January 12, 2010

Ada Burdette Bean

15 Dec 1883 - 15 August 1929

Ada Burdette was born 15 December 1883 to Hugh H. Burdette and Annie S. Level in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. She was the eldest of twelve children born to the couple. The other children were: Sarah Ozella, Edgar, Susan, Anderson, Isabelle, Charles, George, Dwight, Fred, Bessie and Harry.

Ada married widower, John Monroe Bean [1866-1954] on 04 March 1907 in Greenbrier County. [John had three children from his first wife, who had died in 1902.] Ada became an “instant” mother to Rita, Lama, and Pauline [who was ill her entire life with tuberculosis].

Ada and John began having children the following year. The couple had nine: John Jr. [1908], Emmette [1910], Blanche “Audrey” [1912], Anna “Margaret” [1914], William “Bill” [1917, Samuel Maxwell “Max” [1919], Ada “Eleanor” [1921], Dorothy “Eloise” [1923] and Jack [1929].

The couple was faced with heartache, not once, but three times during their marriage. In 1923 little Max died from whooping cough. Then on 14 February 1925, little Eloise, who had slept with her big sister, Pauline, died from tuberculosis. Pauline died just 4 months later.

On 10 August 1929 Ada gave birth to Jack. She had not received any pre-natal care. She was 45 years old, and had developed toxemia. She died just five days after Jack’s birth.

Ada was laid to rest in front of the three children she had seen buried. Her tombstone a sentinel watching over their little graves. They are buried at Carmel Cemetery in Gap Mills, Monroe County, West Virginia.

Treasure Chest Thursday - January 7, 2010

The above journal is one that was kept by my grandfather, John Monroe Bean, Sr. from Waiteville, Monroe County, West Virginia. It was his farm journal from 1940.

This interesting journal tells us about the prosperity, or lack thereof, of his farming not only for himself, but of the farm he ran for another individual as well.

In 1940 he kept a farm for "Cousin Georgie Minter". Georgia Belle Bruffey Minter [b. 1885] wasn't really a cousin to my grandfather, even though he and she would both have argued that she was! Pay close attention - or I might lose you!.She was the daghter of Roena Porterfield's sister, Margaret. Roena was the wife of Grandpa's brother, William, who had died when only in his 30's. Roena had gone to marry three more times. Each time the relationship between the Porterfield's and the Bean's was brought closer, in tale, by the individuals who knew Roena. Somehow, as in many family tales, Roena's children by her subsequent marriages, and her kinfolk, suddenly became related to the Bean's. Even today when shown there is no familial tie, there are those old-timers who will argue the case, simply because "My grandpa told me we were related!"

Georgia Bruffey Minter was a Methodist minister. She was a traveling evangelist. While I haven't been able to locate her death place as of yet, it is believed she may have died in Ohio, where much of her evenagelism took place. And while she was traveling, my grandpa took care of her old family farm near Hollywood, in Monroe County.

This journal lists the bushels of corn he grew, the lambs he purchased and butchered, and those he sold, the beef he bought for veal, and that he raised for beef and stock and sold. He listed his profits. His gains. And his losses.

Unfortunately, as in most other avenues he dared to venture, John Bean was not a profitable farmer.

He was more of a wandering soul. Never settled in any thing, or any place. Except his family. He was never one to stay long in one home before the wanderlust lead him to another. He was never to stay with one business before being lead to do another. He was a farmer and a merchant. And the grass was forever greener on the other side of the fence. [We all have those individuals in our families, don't we?]

John lead a wonderful paper trail for me to cover. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in December of 1866 at the close of the Civil War, and his family returned here when he was but an infant. As he grew into a man, John kept every receipt he ever received, every bank statement, every cancelled check. A wonderful farm journal. Mercantile journals. Letters. I have been blessed in having been able to scan all of these. My Dad now has the originals. John lived to be an elderly man of 87, nearly 88. His life was full. And he suffered many hardships and loss of many family members. Of his 15 children, 11 survived to grow into adulthood, marry and have children, and live into the old age of their father. Five of those 11 still remain. Two of these are in ther 90's today!

I am blessed to be able to know so very much about this man, who passed from this life 5 years before I was even born. His oral stories of the family he passed on to my Dad, who happened to be born when John was 71, and in his aged years. He would sit for hours and tell my Dad the stories of the family's past.

How blessed I am that the youthful son sat dutifully and listened to those stories! Today's children would have had to run to play video games, or be at sports events! But without any luxuries, my Dad sat by his father's side and listened for hours.

I hope I have recorded most, if not all of the family's stories. I'd hate to lose a single one of them!

I am fortunate, indeed.

Tombstone Tuesday - November 10, 2009

Dorothy Eloise Bean

22 Oct. 1923 - 14 Feb. 1925

"Eloise" was the 11th child born to John Monroe Bean, Sr., and the 6th born to his second wife, Ada Burdette Bean.

John's first wife, Blanche Crosier Bean, had died in 1902, leaving him with 3 very small children; the youngest, Pauline, was exactly 3-months old when her mother died of "consumption" [tuberculosis]. The doctors had tried many "home remedies" to cure Blanche, including drinking large quantities of creosote in milk. [Today we know those "cures" probably hastened her demise.]

In 1907, John then married Ada Burdette. The couple was plagued with heartache!

Samuel Maxwell Bean was born to the couple on 27 April 1919. "Max" was a very young 4-years old when he developed whooping cough and died on 16 December 1923.

Young Pauline, who aspired to become a missionary, and who attended God's Bible College in Ohio, developed tuberculosis. While it did not affect her lungs, she developed a kind then known as "scrofula". Her body developed huge boil-like lesions all over it. She was racked in pain. Her college roommate also developed tuberculosis, but was sent west to a sanatorium, and survived. [She went on to have a large family, and lived until the 1980's.]

Pauline, loved her step-mother and the brothers and sisters her father and step-mother added to the family. But little Eloise was her favorite. She'd sit for hours and cuddle with the baby. She even took the wee one into her bed with her at night, to help care for her.

Of course, poor little Eloise contracted tuberculosis, from being so close to her big sister, Pauline. The baby died on February 14, 1925 [Valentine's Day].

Pauline lived only until June 25th of the same year, when she succumbed.

On 10 August 1929, Ada gave birth to a son, Jack. Ada, who had not received proper pre-natal care, developed toxemia during the pregnancy. She died 5-days after the birth of her son.

Ada, Max, Pauline, and Eloise are all buried in the Carmel Cemetery at Gap Mills, Monroe County, West Virginia.

Almost Wordless Wednesday - October 28, 2009

That's the Texicanwife on the left [hmmm...we won't say what year this was!] And my baby sister, Eydie, on the right. In the middle is my beautiful grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Faudree Bean [1897-1975]. This is a rare of photograph of her with the only two grandchildren she got to know. The year she died [11 months later] my parents adopted 2 little boys, so there were two more from our family. Several years later, my Uncle married and had 2 more children.

Mary was the daughter of Stephen Ledford Faudree and Elizabeth Carnifax. She married John Monroe Bean, Sr.[1866-1954] in Alleghany County, Virginia. The couple lived in Monroe County, West Virginia. They had three sons: Walter Maxwell [b. 1937], Edsel Ford [b. 1939], and Roy Edwin [1943-1946].

Mary and John are buried in the New Zion Union Church Cemetery, Waiteville, Monroe County, West Virginia. Roy Edwin is buried at Carmel Cemetery, Gap Mills, Monroe County, West Virginia.