Berryman - Gowens - McClure - Martin - Family Histories

     Benjamin Henry Berryman of Glasgow, Kentucky, was born January 5, 1826, moved to Iowa in 1850. He married Mrs. Alice (Gowens) Statler, a widow with two daughters, on April 10, 1862, at Glenwood, Iowa, the daughter of James Gowens, born in Kentucky, June 9, 1810, and Mary Jackson of Kentucky. Alice's daughters were Mary Anne, born April 3, 1856, married Sam Hale, and Alice, October 9, 1857, married Lyman Dosh. Benjamin and Alice moved to Nebraska soon after their marriage. To this union seven children were born, five boys and two girls. They were: James Freelove, April 2, 1863; William Henry, May 11, 1865; George Carroll, May 25, 1867; Benjamin, April 17, 1869-February 16, 1874; John Green, May 23, 1871; Minnie, December 4, 1873-December 23, 1873; and Ida Belle, February 15, 1876. They came to Coleman County in 1882, settling first in the White Chapel community and then the Pleasant Valley community in 1890. They were members o the Home Creek Baptist Church and later the First Baptist Church at Talpa. Mrs. Berryman's father and his second wife, Luvisa Ann Jackson (sister to his first wife, Mary) had come to Coleman County from Iowa in the late 1870's, along with son-in-law and daughter, J. T. and Julia (Gowens) Hamilton (see John Thomas Hamilton), and J. T.'s daughter, Mary Ann, and her husband, Tommy Hollinger and their son, Aaron. (See Hollinger-Hamilton). Also, a son. George Washington Gowens, who married Rachel Ann Needham of Coleman County; and another daughter, Susan, and her husband, Daniel P. Turner. They all settled in the White Chapel community, with the Hollingers later moving to the Pleasant Valley community and Talpa. Alice (Gowens) Berryman died October 24, 1891; James Gowens, October 5. 1898; Luvisa Ann (Jackson) Gowens, May 31, 1892; Rachel Ann (Needham) Gowens, April 3, 1891; Daniel P. Turner, March 9, 1894; and Benjamin Henry Berryman, October 2, 1915, all buried at White Chapel.

     James Freelove Berryman was issued a certificate to teach the third grade in Coleman County by W. O. Reed, County Judge, on April 6, 1883. It is not certain where he taught or when he moved to South Dakota. He married there, and is buried there; George Carroll married Cora Bird. He died in Lincoln, Nebraska; John Green married Tennie Bird. He died in Eunice, New Mexico; Ida Belle married William Rutus Thomason son of William K. and Susan Carolina (Hughes) Thomason) on June 19, 1894. They had six children born in Coleman county, and the two youngest in Coke County. They are: Mabel, Rodney, Hazel, Verna, Olan, Belva, Kenneth and Glenn. Ida Belle, William Rufus, Mabel, Rodney and Kenneth are buried at Robert Lee. (See Thomason-Hughes); William Henry married Miss Annie Rebecca McClure, June 1, 1898, the daughter of William Bradley and Clarinda E. (Brown) McClure, both from Georgia. W. Henry and Annie R. had one child, a daughter, Clara Odessa, born January 24. 1900. (See Robert Oscar (Bob) McClure). William Bradley, who served in the Confederate Army, died in 1912, and Clarinda E. (Brown) McClure, September 23, 1922; W Henry, January 22, 1941 and Annie R., June 13, 1959, all
buried in lalpa.

     Clara Odessa married George Dewey Martin, son of William F. and Mary E. (Canada) Martin, June 11, 1919 born January 6, 1899, in Hill County. The other William F. Martin children were Onie, Bessie L. (see Rae Family), Princes (all born in Tennessee), Marvin, Charley, Carlie (born in Hill County), Nora and Della (born in Coleman County). Mr. and Mrs. Martin came from Tennessee and settled here in the early 1900's. They bought the Tommy Hollinger place at Pleasant Valley.

     Clara Odessa and Dewey had one daughter, Willie B., born May 25, 1920, and two sons, Henry Irvin, October 26, 1921, and Kenneth Dewey, January 26, 1936. Willie B. married August Powe, son of Oliver and Mary Frances (Andrews) Powe, on February 3, 1951. They had two children, a son, William August, born July 6, 1952, and a daughter, Martha Sue, September 22, 1955. (See Powe Family). Irvin married Gay Norris, daughter of Ray and Ima Rae (Beaver) Norris of Talpa, January 1, 1949, they had three children, Rebecca Ann, Patricia Lynn and Irvin Wayne. Irvin died February 18, 1968, buried in Talpa. (See J. A. Norris and Rae Families). He served as Corporal in the U. S. Army in World War II. He was in General Douglas McArthur's honor guard in Japan. Kenneth married (1) Annella Streetman, daughter of Noah and Myrtle (Hudson) Streetman of Coleman, and they had a daughter, Kathy Ann, and a son Kenneth James. He married (2) Millie Ball, 1966, in Reno, Nevada. She has M&M Real Estate in Coleman. No children.

     George Dewey Martin died September 20, 1962, buried at Talpa. Clara Odessa still lives on the Berryman homeplace.

pictures to be added

James Gowens

Benjamin Henry Berryman

Wedding picture of Mr. and Mrs. William Henry Berryman

The William Bradley McClure Family
Front row, left to right; Rube, Mr. W. B. McClure, Mrs. W. B. [Clarinda Brown],
second row: John, Bob, Bill and Annie McClure

The first B. H. Berryman house-built 1892,
B. H. Berryman by grape vine, William Henry Berryman, by side of house, and John Green Berryman, by big rock with the year 1892 inscribed. The rock is still there.
[Note: birdhouse for Purple Martins on other side of horse]

Wedding picture of Mr. and Mrs. George Dewey Martin

Children of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Martin
left to right, Onie [Martin] Brown, Bessie [Martin] Rae, Princes [Martin] Walden, Dewey, Marvin, Charley
and Carlie Martin, Nora [Martin] Kirk and Della [Martin] Harshbarger