Thursday, July 30, 2015

Grover Kenneth McDougall - grandfather



      Clara Janet was Grover Kenneth McDougall's older sister, born two years before him. Grover was my paternal grandfather. Clara married Leslie C. Davis, from Illinois, and they eventually moved to Oregon. They had a daughter. This daughter had two children and her son, Don, got in touch with me. He had heard about me through his sister's daughter. I can't remember how I initially connected with her, but I think it was through my website - www.relativesintheattic.com.
     Don has been going through family pictures and came across a young looking Grover. It appears to be a high school graduation picture. I have never seen a picture of a young Grover except in a larger family group where you really couldn't see his face clearly. I think he looks like a young Jimmy Stewart. What a treasure this is for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have this picture. Thank you so much, Don.

 
     Grover Kenneth McDougall was born in Superior Township, Ypsilanti, Michigan, in Washtenaw County, on November 12, 1888. He was the ninth child of eleven eventually born to John A. McDougall and his wife, Delphine E. Fowler. They lived on a large farm. His grandparents, George S. and Mary (Muir) McDougall lived across the road and Delphine's parents, George W. and Hester (Halstead) Fowler were nearby.
     Grover married, Bessie Mamie Court, on October 18, 1911, in Ypsilanti. Bessie was the daughter of John Madison and Mary E. (Klopp) Court. Bessie was born in Ypsilanti, on June 10, 1892. Grover and Bessie would eventually raise five children. My father, G. Kenneth, Jr. was the oldest and was born on July 15, 1912, nine months exactly after his parents' wedding.
     Bessie died when she was 42 years of age on March 20, 1935. She had diabetes and there was no insulin in those days, but according to her third son, John A. she fell and broke her hip one morning getting ready to drive the school bus, as she did during the school year. The death certificate says "Diabetic Acedosis" and "Acute Nephsitis." No mention is made of a broken hip. Grover was left with five children, the three oldest (boys) included my father (23), who was married. Court and John were 20 and 18 at the time. But he had two daughters, Phyllis (14) and Mildred (11). He raised them himself, never marrying again.
     Grover died in 1972, on December 27, at the age of 84. He was a kind man, gentle and quiet. My dad watched over him the last few years of his life. Grover would occasionally babysit my younger sister and me when we were younger. He would take us to the drive-in movie. In those days, you would go to the move, buy food, play on the playground equipment until it got dark and then go back to the car and watch the movie.
     My Aunt Mildred has provided stories and memories over the years, I have gotten some wonderful stories from her and I am most grateful. One memory was that Grover (her dad) loved to dance. When she and Phyllis were little, they would stand on his shoes and he would "dance" them around the room. Mildred said: "Sometimes if a neat song came on the radio he would clog or tap dance to it. What fun! When we were teenagers we went to a lot of square dances with him. I was pretty young when mother died, so I don't remember whether she and Dad went to dances."  Mildred mentioned to me one time that because she and Phyllis were quite young with their mother died, it would have been easy for Grover to walk away and leave their upbringing to someone else. He didn't, he was there for them. She always appreciated him for that.
     I asked Mildred for some comments when writing this column. She sent me the following:

"When I was really little – and before I was born - they lived on a big farm on the edge of Ypsilanti. I understand that later (Henry) Ford bought it for the first plant in Ypsi.  Dad had a farmers market stall in Detroit and took vegetables in a couple of times a week to sell.  Later they bought a farm out near Whittaker and still later, (have no idea what years) bought a farm from Jay Talladay, a couple of miles down the road from the first one. They had a mortgage on both farms to purchase the second one….so the story goes.  Then the depression hit and they lost both farms, but continued to live on the Talladay farm.  About a year after mother died, Dad rented the converted school house on Bemis Road. We lived there until I graduated  in 1942. John was still home when we first moved there. I think Court lived with Grandpa and Bannie Court (James and Mary E.) and they helped him go to college.  Eventually, Court went into the Army and John, the Coast Guard.
     I don’t really remember a lot about the Depression, but I heard them tell about not being able to sell the vegetables in Detroit and so on the way back through Ypsilanti they would drop off the excess vegetables on a street corner there. About the time the Depression was going full swing, someone recommended Dad for the job as head of the vegetable gardens at the Ypsilanti State Hospital. I’m sure there was a lot of celebrating at our house when that happened! Mother also got a job driving a school bus. That must have been something…most women couldn’t drive a car, say nothing of a bus!!
     Dad was great at that job….he not only knew how to grow vegetables, but he was very good with the patients. The patients wanted to come out on “work parties” for Dad. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they laid under a shade tree!! One old patient had been a “mule skinner” and missed working with mules. The State bought a mule and let him come out in the sunshine and “do his thing."  I doubt that would happen these days…..that wouldn’t be permitted to “make” those poor patients work!!"
      What wonderful stories and memories come to the surface from one picture. Thank you again, cousin Don.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Civil War Soldier - Robert Beckington



     Robert was five years old when his family immigrated from England in 1847 and settled in Spring, Boone County, Illinois. He was born on May 18, 1842 in Kewstoke Parish, in Somersetshire, England. I have written about this family, or certain members, in previous posts on this blog, and in an article about the family's journey to the United States which appeared in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 4, Winter 2014 issue.
     Robert's Civil War Service started at the age of 19, on May 5, 1861, when he enlisted in the Union Army in Lyons, Clinton County, Iowa. He may have been living with his older sister, Anna, her husband, Henry J. Wright and family, at the time. He served as a Private with Company I, 2nd Infantry Regiment, Iowa. This regiment mustered in on May 28, 1861 at Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. Robert was promoted to Full Corporal on July 28, 1861 and discharged on July 29, 1862. Highlights of this regiment's service include distinguished actions at the Battle of Fort Donelson and at the Battle of Shiloh (both in Tennessee), where 80 members of the regiment either died or were wounded. The regiment then fought in the Battle of Corinth (Mississippi) and later in the Atlanta Campaign. The regiment was at Camp Montgomery, Corinth, Mississippi, when Robert was discharged. According to his physician he was found "incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of tubercular disease of the right lung caused by Pneumonia from exposure while in the service of the United States and his condition being so far affected by the disease as to totally destroy his health and render him entirely unfit for strenuous labor and which has become a permanent disability."
     There is quite a detailed history of the service of the men of the 2nd Infantry Regiment on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Iowa_Volunteer_Infantry_Regiment.  Guy E. Logan has provided great detail on this Iowa Infantry in Roster and Record of Iowa Troops in the Rebellion, Vol. 1, and at: http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan/mil302.htm.
     But, despite the disabilities described above, Robert re-enlisted as a Private on May 7, 1864 with Company K, 141st Infantry Regiment, Illinois. This regiment, was part of the "hundred-days men," an effort to augment existing manpower for an all-out push to end the war within 100 days. They were mustered in on June 16, 1864, at Elgin, Kane County, Illinois and mustered out on 10 October 1864 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. The 141st moved to Columbus, Kentucky for garrison duty in that district. They remained there for the 100 days. During that time, they lost 21 (some sources say 30) soldiers to disease. 

     Robert received a pension for his service. Under the Pension act of June 27, 1890, he received a pension of $6.00 per month for partial inability to earn a living. Under the Pension act of 1900, his pension increased as did his inability to work. Robert first applied for a pension on December 31, 1891 at age 49 (received January 2, 1892). He requested an Increase of Pension and provided additional information to the Bureau of Pensions on July 29, 1902, June 15, 1904 and January 2,  1915.  In July 29, 1902, was his physical description: Height 5' 9 1/4", weight 160 lbs, blue/gray eyes, brown (now gray) hair, light complexion. On October 29, 1923, he applied again for an increase of pension under the Pension Act of  May 1, 1920. This application now included his fourth wife, Helen. On February 12, 1926, Helen, as the widow of Robert, applied for the pension which had accrued to her husband now deceased.
     Included with the pension papers was an affidavit from his son Robert Clare Beckington sent after Robert's death stating that Robert had been married four times. It also stated that Robert had his pension checks sent to his son's house because Robert did not trust his 4th wife, Helen. Robert Clare thought that Helen poisoned him.
     After the war, Robert became a lawyer, practicing in Chicago. He did not have an easy life, including probably four marriages. In the 1870 Census, we see him with "Laura." Since it does not give us a relationship, we are not sure Laura is his wife although she is listed with Robert under the name Beckington. No marriage record can be found. They are living in Chicago and she is from Maine and works as a dressmaker. By the 1880 Census, he is married to Jennie Scoville and has a son, Robert Clare, age 1. They married on September 5, 1878  and divorced in 1892. They had three children, Robert and sisters, Maud and Grace.
     The following article was found in a newspaper regarding Robert and Jennie and a scuffle with the law, but NOT as a lawyer. The Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illinois) · Fri, February 21, 1879 · Page 8:
            
                       

     A newspaper notice dated February 11, 1891, under "Divorces," filed the day before, states: Beckington, Jennie A. against Robert, for cruelty. Then there is an article, dated January 12, 1892 under "Divorces" states: Beckington, Robert from Jennie, for adultery.
     In 1895, Robert and a woman named Anna E. Beach took out a marriage license in Chicago. They probably did not actually marry as the "return" was not filled in.
     On December 31, 1901, Robert and Mary A. (Rogers) Seymour, married. She was 10 years his senior, born in New York on September 25, 1832. Mary's first husband was Charles H. Seymour, a physician, as was Mary. They had two children who died in early childhood. After their move, they practiced together in the Belvidere, Illinois area for 20 years. Charles died in 1896 shortly after they took up residence in Chicago. Mary was active in many public matters including as a worker in the W.C.T.U. (Women's Christian Temperance Union). She was the author of the anti-spitting ordinance for Chicago and suggested the establishment of the Chicago Tuberculosis hospital. She was also prominent in the campaign for woman suffrage. Mary died on January 17, 1921, some months after having fallen and suffering injuries to her hip and spine, which may have led to her death. Mary is buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Chicago.
      Then Robert married a final time on July 3, 1923, to Helen (Wheaton) Tibbitts, who was 30 years younger. Helen was previously married to Edward Tibbitts, and was probably divorced. She had two children, Nadine A. and Frank Wheaton Tibbitts. Robert passed away February 1, 1926 in Chicago. Helen died a few months later in September. Robert was buried by the G.A.R. in the Rose Hill Cemetery. Helen is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery as well.