Beerbower Family-

The sad news of the death of dear Ollie Beerbower at the young age of 23 must have been devastating to the family.

It is understandable that the family would have wanted to take her back to Marion, Ohio to be buried with her ancestors, and so the family could congregate and share their grief as well as their happy memories. No parent should have to watch their child die, and they would need the loving embrace of family to help them get through the early days of their loss.

Ollie’s father Samuel Beerbower took ill suddenly after her death, so the family decided not to travel to Marion, Ohio for Ollie’s funeral. Nancy Jane Huggins Beerbower, Ollie’s mother, must have had a very difficult time with the loss of her child and her husband so ill. We do not know if any of the Marion or Indianapolis family attended the Winterset funeral, as the newspapers for Winterset are not yet online, but we have found no mention in the Marion papers of the family traveling to Iowa.

Ollie had been ill for just a brief time, with the cause of death listed as “a low-type of fever” and “nervous prostration.” One definition of ‘nervous prostration’ is “An emotional disorder that leaves you exhausted and unable to work.” With having a fever as well, there would have been issues other than just emotional- one type of typhoid causes a ‘derangement of the nervous system’ as well as fever, and there are many types of fevers that can be lethal, especially in the days before antibiotics.

Ollie’s obituary was carried in the Marion, Ohio newspapers due to all the family she had there, and the friends she would have made growing up in Marion.

It is always nice to know a bit about the personality of a relative, and Ollie’s final tribute informs us of her kindness and her “gentle and true nature.” The family did lose a family treasure.

The sympathy of the community was not limited to Winterset, Iowa- those in Marion also expressed their sorrow and support to Samuel T. Beerbower’s family. (Ollie’s grandparents had already passed on.) Olive passed away on 04 March 1879, and, in addition to the food and cards that probably were provided very soon after that date, about 3 weeks later the community “surrounded” the family, and gave them an opportunity to enjoy themselves and begin to move on after the untimely death of a loved one.

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) There is a wonderful article on the emotional toll of the loss of a loved one post-Civil War in JSTOR Daily, called “Forgetting Abraham Lincoln.” Martha Hodes is the author, and it was published 25 March 2015. It may be read here:

https://daily.jstor.org/mourning-abraham-lincoln/?utm_source=internalhouse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jstordaily_04022015&cid=eml_j_jstordaily_dailylist_04022015

2) Definition from Wordnet per “Archaic Medical Terms” website: https://www.antiquusmorbus.com/English/EnglishN.htm

3) Marion Daily Star article citations in captions.

 

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Beerbower Family-

Mary Emma Beerbower and Olive Beerbower were not siblings, but instead, children of two siblings, our direct ancestor Eleazer John “E. J.” Beerbower (1815-1882) and his brother, Samuel Beerbower (1824-1890); this made them cousins.

Olive Beerbower was the daughter of Samuel Beerbower (1824-1890) and  Nance “Jane” Huggins Beerbower (1834-1930- she was 96 when she died!). Born on 13 March 1855 in Prospect, Marion County, Ohio, Olive was the first of three children born to Samuel and his wife.

Olive probably helped out at home when her brother, Caspar Samuel Beerbower, pictured above, was born four years later, in 1859.

“Ollie” as she was affectionately known, grew up in Marion, Ohio with her brother.  They lived next to her uncle E. J. and his family, and she would have played with her cousins, particularly Mary Emma Beerbower, who was just 3 years older, but who only had brothers. Ollie’s father was a marble cutter, and they likely were fairly comfortable, as the 1860 census notes that he owned $1500 in real estate and had $850 in personal value. Her uncle E. J. was also a highly skilled craftsman, as he was a buggy upholsterer. Neither family was rich, but they probably had enough to get by.

Mary Emma Beerbower, or “Emma” as she was called (Germans often used their middle name on a daily basis, rather than their first Christian name), was the daughter of Eleazer John Beerbower and Matilda Louise McKelvey Beerbower. She was the eighth of nine children, born 10 March 1852 in Marion. Her brother John E. Beerbower, above, was the baby of the family.

The early 1860s were an unsettling time for both families, as it was for the whole nation as southern states seceded and war broke out to preserve the Union. Emma’s brother and Ollie’s cousin, Samuel T. Beerbower, decided to enlist for a term of 3 years in the Union Army beginning October 23, 1861; he was just 19, and 10 years older than Emma. The Underground Railroad operated through Ohio, and much of the state had northern sympathies. The family would have closely followed the news of battles and Samuel’s unit, hoping to not hear the bad news so dreaded by families who have members serving their country.

The terror of the War of the Rebellion really came home to Ohio in July of 1863, when Morgan’s Confederates entered southern Ohio as part of their 46-day, 1,000 mile raid through Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. Thankfully the Raiders did not get as far north as Marion, but they were close enough, and people were afraid they might get that far. Although captured in Ohio (but they escaped), the Confederate Raiders successfully diverted Union troops from southern campaigns, and definitely did strike fear into the population as part of the psychological warfare of the time. Ollie was just eight, Emma eleven- it must have been very frightening to children, especially with so many young men away fighting, and not there to protect their families.

Even more frightening was what happened next, just four months after the Raiders hit Ohio-  Samuel T., who had fought in many of the War’s battles, was wounded on November 25, 1863. He was charging up the mountain bravely at Mission Ridge, Georgia, when a ball went through him near his shoulder blade and spine, lacking an inch or so of paralyzing him from his chest down for life. He spent three months recuperating in military hospitals, until his arm was more usable, and then requested a discharge home to more fully recover. It was granted, and he mustered out March 23, 1864. It must have been quite a homecoming!

Emma’s brother Stephen Russell Beerbower, age 19, enlisted just six weeks after his brother Samuel T. came home. Emma was probably heartbroken, but grateful that her two little brothers were too young to enlist.

And then Ollie’s nine-year-old world really fell apart- her father, Samuel Beerbower, enlisted in the Union Army on the same day, in the same unit as Stephen: May 2, 1864, Co. B, 136th Ohio.

The mix of emotions must have been so difficult for the two girls- pride in their family serving the Union (and going to get those Rebs who hurt their Samuel!), fear for the safety of their loved ones, especially after seeing Samuel’s injury, and that hole in their heart as the 136th Ohio marched off to war.

Why would they enlist- especially Samuel, at age 39, and a husband and father?

As the war continued and more soldiers were needed, conscription was begun in 1863 for men between 20 and 45 years old. Samuel was thus eligible- maybe he enlisted, knowing that he might be drafted, or perhaps he felt he needed to help the Union finally win the war.  All the men in his unit were mustered in on that same date, with those in higher positions knowing the Union was preparing to launch a massive campaign on many fronts to try to finally end the war.

Samuel and Stephen had 100-day enlistments, and those units generally did guard duty at facilities and strategic places, such as Washington, D.C., freeing up the trained troops for actual fighting elsewhere. It wasn’t quite as dangerous as being in the field, though at times it could be a dangerous, possibly even lethal, situation.

 

It was probably a very long 100 days for the whole family, including Ollie and Emma.

 

To be continued…

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) 1860 US Federal Census for Samuel Beerbower: Year: 1860; Census Place: Marion, Marion, Ohio; Roll: M653_1006; Page: 326; Image: 123; Family History Library Film: 805006. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

2) Morgan’s Raid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan%27s_Raid

3) Civil War conscription: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_the_United_States#Civil_War

4) Wilson Peters, who would later become Samuel T. Beerbower’s brother-in-law, was in the 136th Ohio as well. There are other familiar last names on the roster as well, which shows that the company was tight-knit, and all from the same area.

5) See “Those Places Thursday: Bertha Beatrice Beerbower and her World Travels” to learn more about Ollie’s youngest sister Bertha. https://heritageramblings.net/2015/03/19/those-places-thursday-bertha-beatrice-beerbower-and-her-world-travels/

 

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Beerbower Family

In 1868, General Ulysses S. Grant, then President Grant, appointed Samuel T. Beerbower Postmaster of Marion, Ohio. He was reappointed in 1872 by President Grant, and again in 1876 by President Rutherford P. Hayes.

Samuel T. Beerbower was the Postmaster in Marion, Ohio, for 13 years.

His youngest brother, Eleazer John (or John Eleazer/Johnny) Beerbower worked for him in 1879-1880.

 Marion, Ohio, had a population of about 2,500 in 1870, but it grew 54% by 1880, to about 3,000 persons- they would use a lot of stamps, since people wrote to each other so frequently! By 1890, there was a 113% increase, to a population of over 8,300. Marion became a major industrial center in Ohio, with companies such as the Marion Steam Shovel Company, which later built the Panama Canal. By 1911, Marion, Ohio produced 80% of our country’s steam and large earth-moving equipment, which was likely the cause of some of the population increase, plus the increased need for postage stamps filled by Sam Beerbower.

Prior to his stint as Postmaster, Sam had been a cashier in the store of Lucas & Seffner after he recovered from his Civil War wounds. (He had enlisted at age 18.) He also clerked at Reed & Yake for about a year, in 1867.

Sam was just 39 when his tenure ended as Postmaster in 1881. In 1883, he owned 2 acres for his residence, 2 town lots, and a ‘business room’ adjoining the People’s Store, which he built for $4,000 in 1881 at the corner of Main and South St.; it also had an apartment above. He probably received rents from these business locations.

By the 1900 US Federal Census, Sam was listed as a farmer. His wife and his only living son, Cornell R. Beerbower, lived with him, Cornell working as a ‘watch repairer.’

Sam was referred to as “our former Postmaster” in the local newspaper for the rest of his life. He died in 1902.

More to come about Sam in future posts.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Newspaper articles cited in captions.

2) Sam’s youngest brother, Eleazer John/Johnny Beerbower, was the father of Elsie Janis, the vaudeville child star, “Sweetheart of the A.E.F.,” actress, singer, song writer, and film writer.

3) 1900 US Federal Census, Samuel T Beerbower Head of Household:

 

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Beerbower Family

 

TRANSCRIPTION:

Zena Prettyman     [born] Feb. 11, 1927

Gene Prettyman       [born] November 10, 1930

 

Helen M. Beerbower born February 24th, 1906.

[Note: The above appear to have been added at a different time- likely later- than the information from the Nathan Peters bible below.]

 

Family record coppied from Bible of Nathan Peters.

purchased in Marion Ohio August 9th 1828.

 

Marriages

Married on Thursday February 10th 1825

Nathan Peters to Alice Wilson

——————————————————-

Married January 1840

Nathan Peters to Mary C. Ballantine. (Mary Cady Russell,

Charlotte A Peters to Alonzo W. Baker March 12th 1850

Married April 6th 1858. Bradford R. Durfee to Pauline M. Peters

Jane Peters and John D. Haney were united in Marriage

Nov 22nd 1860.

———————————————————-

Mary Ellen Peters [“to” OR “&”] Wm M. Camp married Oct 13th 1864

Irene L. Peters to Samuel T Beerbower. married Jan 13. 1867.

Married Wilson Peters to Mrs. Olive S. Southwick Jan 22nd 1881

Mary Cady Russell born Sept 4th 1820 either in

Reading Vermont or Connecticut: Bottom [“Bottom” lined through.]

(Births-)

Nathan Peters born June 20th 1799 in Baltimore

Black Rock Co. Maryland

Alice Wilson born Dec 15th 1798- acording to

Aunt Pauline in Carlisle Pa_

Wilson Peters born Nov. 27th 1825 in Fairfield Co. Ohio

Harvey Peters March 4th 1828 in

Pauline Peters born July 7th 1834.   in Marion Ohio

Jane Peters   ” August 29th 1836 ”       ”         ”

Infant born Oct 14th dead 1838

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Bible images courtesy of the Marion County Historical Society, Marion, Ohio. We appreciate their generous spirit of sharing!

2) Transcription completed by the author and includes any misspellings, errors, etc. as written in bible. Please advise of any errors known in transcription or to information in bible.

 

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Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.

 

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Beerbower Family

TRANSCRIPTION:

 

Samuel T. Beerbower     and

Irene L. Peters married January 18th 1867

 

Cornell R Beerbower   and

Mabel Barnard     married April 26th 1904

 

Helen M. Beerbower and

Paul M. Prettyman married Sept. 24th, 1929

TRANSCRIPTION:

 

Grandpa Willard Russell died November 3rd 1872.

Wilson Peters Beerbower died August 18th 1877.

Father Nathan Peters died Sept 22nd 1881

Alice Peters Williams died 8 Setember [“85” written in pencil] 1889

Lucia Cady Russell died June 17th 1890

Samuel T. Beerbower died July 12th 1902

Mother- Mary C. Russell- Ballantine died Dec 18th 1850.

Harvey Peters died January 1st 1883

Jane Peters Haney   Mch. 3rd 1863.

Wilson Peters died Aug. 8th 1908

Pauline Peters_Durfee- Hummer died 1923

Irene L. Peters Beerbower died Nov 18th 1924

Mary Ellen Peters-Camp died Aug 14, 1927

Olive Southwick Peters died Jan. 1925

Cornell Russell Beerbower- died May 18 1929

Paul M. Prettyman   Dec. 3, 1949

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Bible images courtesy of the Marion County Historical Society, Marion, Ohio. (Thank you for your generosity.)

2) Transcription completed by the author. Please advise of any errors known in transcription or to information in bible.

 

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Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.

 

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