Transcribed by Pat Stubbs

This Article Appeared In The Times

But Was Not Actually In Cal’s Column

January 26, 1950- Reprinted April 11, 1978

The Bean Family

I, Jim Bean, will try to write a history of the Bean family as best I know how. I have no dates to give as far back as the first Beans. My grandfather, Thomas Bean, came from North Carolin as a young man. He had three brothers and two sisters, their names being James, Walter, Billie, Frankie and Nancy. James married Hawkins Ross, who bore him five daughers but no sons. Their daughters were Tempie, Sallie, Margaret, Jane and Jerusha Bean.

Walter Bean married Frankie Whitley, and from the best information available, they had one son, Franklin and a daughter, Ida. Just whom they married is not known. My uncle, Billie Bean, married a lady whose last name is unknown to me, but her first name was Martha. Frankie Bean married John Kirby, seven children blessed this union. Their names were, Walter, Flippin, Bob, Clabe, Late, Betsy and Polly Ann.

Nancy, the last of the children of my grandfather, married Hadley York, two sons, Hewlette and Billie, being born to this marriage.

My Grandfather married Mahala Moore, of Clay County. Nine children were born to them, six boys and three girls, Pete, Jerry, Jim, Walter, John, Thomas and Becky, Geuner and Fannie Bean. Uncle Pete Bean died rather young, and I have no history of his family. Uncle Jerry Bean married Cenia Davis, ten children blessing this union. They were, Sidney, Alex, Marion and Herman, the son; and Rena, Hailey, Tennesse, Ona, Fannie and Betly, the girls.

Uncle Walter Bean married Polly Borden, four children being born to them. They were Thomas Relford, and Leona, Sylvania and Frona Bean. Uncle John Bean married Martha Leonard, with five sons and three daughters born to them. Their names were Pate, Bish (perhaps Bishop), Thomas Jefferson, Ephriam and Andrew Bean and Burnettie, Rosetta and Maxey Bean.

Aunt Becky Bean married France Browning, with one son, William Browning, born to them. Aunt Geuner married Calvin Pedigo. Aunt Fannie married Clabe Kirby. Fannie and Clabe had seven children. Pate and Enock Kirby; and Hailey Frances, Evie, Susan, Lucy and Maggie Kirby.

My father, Thomas Bean, married Margaret Chitwood, with nine children born to them, five boys and four girls. Rosetta married Charlie Slate, with six boys and two girls born to them. Herbert, Ottis, Cordell, Marck, Willie and Boyd Slate; and Deedie and Louise Slate, the girls. Armissie married Bedford Wilson, with four children, one of whom died in infancy, born to them. The surviving children were Berta, Harley and Carlos Wilson.

Zora Belle married Smith York, and bore him four children, two boys and two girls. Their names were Herman and Landon, and Della and Delphia. Lucinda married Will Freeman, with seven children, four girls and three boys, born to them. Their names were Corman, Gordon, and Perkins Freeman, and Margarat, Mary, Martha and Rebecca Freeman.

Jerry Bean married Susan Moore, with six children, five boys and one girl, blessing this union. The daughter was named Ada, and the boys' names were Norman, Thurman, Hobart, Delbert and Jesse Bean.

Mack Bean married Belle Sweezie, with ten children born to them. They were Carlie, Arnold, Brade, Drew, Tom, Ed, Otto and "Purge" Bean, and Pearl, Ersie and Versie Bean.

Mason Bean married Alice Davis, with two sons and three daughters born to them, the boys' names being Dexter and Baxter, and the girls' names being Myrtle, Lillian and Mildred Bean.

Colonel Bean married Anise Jackson, with two sons and two daughters born to them, Foster and Billie, and Mai and Alma Lou.

I, Jim Bean, married Mary Jackson, eight children blessing our union, three sons and five daughters. The names of the boys are Berley, Garland and Esley Bean, and the girls' names are Lula, Ora, Ida, Edna and Zina Bean.

Lula married Melvin Leonard, with 11 children born to them. Ora married Harley Owen, with six children born to them. Ida has never married. Edna married Fred Parhurst and became the mother of two children. Zina married Houston Wilkerson, with four children born to them. Two of these are dead and two still live. Berley and Esley both died in infancey. Garland married Mamie Snowe, with four children, Jimmy Neal, Ann and the twins, Hugh and Sue, born to them. After the death of his first wife Garland married Bonnie Ruth Russell.

My father was born in 1845 and volunteered for services in the Civil War at the age of 17. After serving for three years, he was discharged in January, 1865. The 14th day of next May, he married my mother. They lived together for 54 years, my father living to be 85 years of age. I remained with my parents until I was 21 years of age, when I hired to Uncle Gov. Whitley and spent seven years in his home. When I married, I moved to one of Uncle Gov's houses and lived there five years. When this place was sold I went to another place and spent eight years. Later I spent three years at another place and again moved to another location where I remained three years. Each place where I had been located was sold, which caused me to have to move. I bought the place where I now live on Route 2, out of Red Boiling Springs, and have been here for 34 years.

If any reader can add anything to this brief history of the family, I would like to hear from you. I felt that this bit of information would be of interest to a lot of folks who might know part of the Bean family. I am now 82 years of age and am still able to go and to wait upon myself. My wife and I were married in 1896 and lived together for 51 and a half years. I have spent many dark days since she went away. My youngest daughter, Zina, and her family have moved into my home since the death of my wife.

With every good wish to all the readers, I am

Sincerely yours,

J. M. Bean

Route 2,

Red Boiling Springs, Tenn.