Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Edgar & Minnie Johnson Beam


Minnie Johnson was the granddaughter of Henry Johnson and Sarah Ingle, both early Itawamba County settlers. Henry Johnson was born about 1810-1812 in Cumberland County, North Carolina and came to Itawamba County around 1840. It has been said that Henry's father and brother also came to Mississippi with him but went back to North Carolina after a short time here. Henry stayed, as did his sister, Mary Jane, who married Gray Partin.

Minnie's parents were Thomas Jefferson Johnson and Laura Elizabeth Jamerson. Laura's father (also named Thomas Jefferson!) was a Delaware native who moved to Alabama, then to Itawamba County around 1855 or so.

Elbert Edgar Beam was the son of Samuel Thomas Beam and Nancy Jane Cromeans. Click here for a picture and post about Nancy and her sisters. The Beams came to Itawamba County from Georgia, arriving a little bit later than the Johnson and Jamerson families. Edgar's grandfather was Elijah Feaster Beam, and family legend indicates that he caught cold while hunting in a snowstorm and died from choking.

While the Beams lived closer to the Salem community, the Johnsons and Jamersons and Cromeans settled to the west of Salem around the Mud Creek area of northern Itawamba County. Many descendants of these families are buried at Sandy Springs Church, including Edgar and Minnie.

1920 Census
Itawamba County, Mississippi
Copeland precinct
Edgar E. Beam 39 MS GA MS farmer
Minnie 35 MS MS MS wife
Meardy 14 MS son
Mittie 13 MS daughter
Narcie 9 MS daughter
Irena 7 MS daughter
Carl 4 MS son
Ivy 5 mo MS daughter (listed as daughter, but actually was son!)

In addition to the children shown in the census household above, Edgar and Minnie also had sons Wencil and Wilbert, born in the 1920s, and a daughter Aucy who died as an infant.

Let's count the connections my immediate family has to Edgar and Minnie and their extended families. Minnie's uncle, John Norman "Jack" Johnson, was my husband's great-great grandfather on his paternal side of the family. Minnie also was the great-grandmother of Don Dulaney, first cousin to my husband on his maternal side of the family. Minnie's aunt, Betty Johnson, was my daughter-in-law's great-great-great grandmother. And those are just the Johnson connections! I think I'll stop there!

3 comments:

Ken Dulaney said...

Mona, what a great post! Thank you for sharing this. I am at Mother's and Don actually asked me to read it. I am so glad he did. I remember well Grandpa Carl and Grandma Lemer talking about the family. They really had some great stories. I still miss them.

Once again, thank you very much for sharing this. Great job! KEN

Don Dulaney said...

U never cease to amaze me. And mom is glad she didnt have to wait on me to read about her family.

P Webb said...

I am as just trying to locate my Delaney connection! Thank you.
My Grandmother was named for her own grandmother Lenora Delona Bowen-Kitchens. Delona being used as the feminine form of Delaney. Thank you!