The David A. Beeler Family - Family Histories

      David A. Beeler and wife, Mary Lucinda, came to Coleman County in February of 1907 by train from Granger County, Tennessee. With them came eight children, all of whom were born in Grainger County: Ethel T., October 21, 1893; Ermin Cleo, May 25, 1895; Mossie V. Ella, February 1, 1897; Laura A. Hallie, January 5, 1899; Benton Frazier, November 1, 1900; Valan J. Shubert, October 10, 1902; Jacob Tipton, September 28, 1904; Mattie Frances, November 4, 1906; Jewell Louie, September 25, 1909 and Dumas "D. A.", October 16, 1911, both in Coleman County. David A., born November 28, 1871 in Grainger County, the son of Jacob C. Beeler, June 15, 1828- December 12, 1896, and Mary T. Satterfield, who married September 28, 1865 in Grainger County. Jacob C. served in Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Mary Lucinda, born September 5, 1869 in Grainger County, the daughter of John Jackson Johnson, June 3, 1837- January 30, 1892, and Elizabeth N. Fox, born February 27, 1838, who married January 16, 1860 in Grainger County.

     In 1907, the David A. Beeler family lived on a farm west of Burkett, owned by W. C. "Billy" Henderson. The children attended Live Oak School. Families living as neighbors to the Beeler family were W. L. Gould, Isaac H. Neff, and Marion Neff. Mrs. I. H. Neff and Mrs. David A. Beeler were sisters. Marion Neff was the father of Isaac H. Neff. In 1908, they moved to a farm owned by Corum Beeler (a nephew) in north Coleman County, near Caddo Peak, which is in Callahan County. In 1909, they moved to a farm owned by Chris Parsons located between Echo and Burkett. The children attended the old Rae School. One of the teachers was Mr. Laws. Families living as neighbors were Henry Tisdale and Will Stanphill. About 1910, they moved to another farm owned by Chris Parsons, which was a few miles northeast of Echo. David A. died September 11, 1911, buried at Burkett. The older children attended school at Echo. The teachers were L. Emet Walker, Forrest Walker, and Emma Helms. David A.'s widow was left with ten children, and the only close relative was her sister, Mrs. Isaac H. (Loutisha) Neff. In November, 1911, Mrs. M. L. Beeler bought a seventy-five acre farm from O. M. Parsons, located a few miles northeast of Echo. Families living as neighbors to Mrs. Beeler were John L. Hall and Walker Newman. The family lived there until February, 1915, when she sold the farm to C. C. Parsons, Jr. In 1916, the Beeler family moved to a farm located in south Coleman County, owned by J. W. "Preacher" Gates. The children attended Starkweather School and one of the teachers was Miss Lester Patton. Shubert entered the school track meet at Voss and won second place in the mile run. Benton, Shubert and Tip went by wagon to Rockwood to get coal to burn in the stoves, since fire wood was scarce in that part of the county. Mrs. Beeler paid three dollars per acre money rent for the farm she rented and was the first person to sell cotton for twenty cents per pound in Coleman County. In 1917, they moved back to Echo to a farm owned by W. A. Shelton, and in 1918, moved to the J. P. Morris Upper Ranch, and lived east of the old Baird road and north of Jim Ned Creek. The children attended Honey Hill School, which was also known as Morris School. During the drought of 1918, the family, accompanied by Charlie, Cleo, Edith, and Edna Mae Gould, traveled to East Texas, past Dallas, on the Trinity River to pick cotton. Benton and Shubert took typhoid fever and their mother brought them home by train from Fort Worth to Brownwood, and hired a car to bring them to Coleman. In 1920, Mrs. Beeler and the six youngest children moved to a farm owned by J. P. Morris located about two miles southwest of Echo. The children attended school at Echo. Y. B. Johnson was a teacher at Echo. The family attended the Baptist Church there. In the late '20's and early '30's, several of the young men of the Echo community formed a baseball team. Team members included Benton and Shubert Beeler; Sam Arrowhead; Louie Miller; Bee, Doss and Mose Maples; Claud Coffee; Everett Davis; Claud DeBusk; Walter Fry; Jay Hunter; Jim Stanphill; Ed Teague; Joe Thompson; Cody and Herman Trent and Walter Walker.

     (1) Ethel T. married William T. Stanphill, December 24, 1912. (See William P. Stanphill).

     (2) Ermin Cleo married Charlie C. Gould, September 11, 1913. Children:
Edich, Edna Mae and Charlie C. Charlie C. died November 19, 1979 in Santa Anna and Cleo, March 11, 1982 in Brownwood, both buried at Burkett (see William Lyman Gould).

     (3) Mossie V. Ella married William A. Shelton, March 21, 1914. Children: Aurelia, Herbert and Mary Clem (see Arthur Wilkinson). Dolph died October 27, 1944 in Coleman County, buried at Coleman.

     (4) Laura A. Hallie married David Andrew Altom, April 23, 1916. Children: Audrey, Marshall, Alvin, Merlyn and Wayne. Dave died March 12, 1957, west of Bangs, buried at Bangs.

     (5) Benton Frazier married Lorene Bassett, August 4, 1926. (See Robert Crow Bassett, Sr.).

     (6) Shubert J. married Vera Hipsher, March 22, 1928 (see James W. Hipsher). He and Benton lived on farms located near their mother. Shubert J. and Vera had one daughter, Willie Doris, who married Hugh B. (Tommy) Williams. (See Hugh B. Williams). Shubert farmed land for about 30 years owned by Josephine M. Ballard and then owned by Mattie B. Rogers in the Echo-Cross Roads community. In 1959, they moved south of Coleman and farmed land owned by Frank and Mary Alice Stringer. They bought a home in Coleman in 1961. In 1967, they moved to Coleman and Shubert continued to farm until 1975. Shubert and Vera celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in March, 1978.

     (7) Jacob Tipton (Tip) married Ina Mae Smith, March 26, 1927, two daughters, Louise and Zelma. Tip died December 12, 1981, buried at Coleman.

     (8) Mattie Frances married Jesse B. Cason, February 5, 1944. They had no children. Jesse died January 18, 1957, buried at Coleman.

     (9) Jewell Louie and (10) Dumas (D. A. ) never married. They lovingly cared for their mother, Mary Lucinda, until her death, April 13, 1953. She died at her home southwest of Echo, where she had lived about 33 years, buried at Coleman.

pictures to be added

David A. Beeler

Children of David and Mary Lucinda Beeler [1915] front row: Tip, Dumas, Jewell, Mattie, back row: Benton, Mrs. Beeler, Hallie, Shubert

Children of David A. and Mary L. Beeler [about 1947] front row: Jewell, Mrs. Beeler, Cleo, Ethel, back row: Hallie, Shubert, Mattie, Tip, Mossie, Benton

Shubert and Vera Beeler [1983]