Eli
Warrington Beard was my 1st cousin 3 time removed as he was a 1st
cousin of my great-grandmother, Mary Magdalene (Hockett) Albertson.
Eli's mother was Margaret Hockett, the 2nd oldest sister of Mary's
father Francis Hockett. Margaret was married to Enoch Beard and Eli
was their 2nd child, born 22 Feb 1836 in Randolph County Indiana.
As
the majority of the Hockett family did, they soon moved to Henry
County, Iowa. According to a newspaper article published in
September, some months after his death 8 Jan 1913, he had received an
inheritance while in his teens of two oxen which he sold for $25 so
he could attend school. Eli became a teacher and when he died the Des
Moines newspaper stated that he was probably the oldest school
teacher in Iowa at age 78 (the math doesn't quite add up) and had
been teaching for 58 years. It seems he had taught many of the
businessmen and other leaders in the community. His obituary also
stated that he had remained a Quaker and was a regularly ordained
minister of the church.
It
appears Eli followed the lead of his father who was married 3 times.
Eli was also married 3 times: 1st to Susan or Susanna Iola Pickett in
1857 who died in 1884; 2nd to Mary Winslow in 1885 who died in 1897;
and 3rd to Mary E McNeil in 1899 who was a number of years younger
than him and survived him.
Apparently
all of his children were with his first wife Susan. His obituary
shows 5 surviving children; a daughter and 4 sons, the daughter and 1
son were living in Alberta Canada and the other 3 were in various
parts of Iowa. Quaker records show that 2 children died as infants,
in 1860 and 1861. From Find a Grave it shows 2 children who died in
1879, a son age 3 and a daughter 15.
It
is probable that Eli was buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Indianola,
Warren County Iowa. There is a stone which reads:
IN MEMORIAM
ELI W. BEARD
A TEACHER
1836--1913
ERECTED BY HIS PUPILS
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