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Chase County Kansas Historical Sketches
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Beedle
Beedle Family In Chase County
By Dorotha (Beedle) Blankenship
In 1882, Ezra Richardson Beedle and Emma (Meade) Beedle settled near Thurman, Southeast of Matfield Green.
Ezra Beedle, the son of Soloman and Eleanor (Dutcher) Beedle was born at Momence, Illinois, on February 14, 1854. Emma Rene Meade, his wife, was born in Fairbanks, Iowa, on February 18, 1856. They were married at Elgin, Illinois, on December 21, 1876. Mr. Beedle's father came to the United States from Scotland. Mrs. Beedle's ancestry was English and Irish.
Ezra and Emma farmed in Illinois before coming to Kansas. Two of their six children were born on the Illinois farm. These are Guy Gus, born November 22, 1877, and Mabel L., born August 11, 1879.
Ezra homesteaded 80 acres of land in the Thurman Community in 1882, where the family lived for about ten years. In 1884 he added to his homestead with the purchase of 180 acres of Santa Fe Railroad land, at a cost of $3.60 per acre. Three children were born here�Carl Custer on September 24, 1883, Ezra Ruben on December 12, 1885, and Edna E. on December 16, 1890.
Discouraged by years of drought and low prices, Ezra and Emma and the five children moved to Aberdeen, Washington, in 1892. Their sixth child, Roy C., was born in Aberdeen on July 25, 1892.
The family grew homesick for Kansas and Chase County friends and returned to the Thurman Farm in 1895. In 1910 they moved to a larger farm near Bazaar. Here they lived until 1919 when Ezra and Emma moved to Cottonwood Falls. Ezra passed away May 6, 1928, and Emma on July 15, 1937. They are buried in Bazaar Cemetery.
Ezra Beedle was a successful farmer who enjoyed working with livestock. In the early days on the Kansas farm he herded his cattle all day and penned them at night. He raised millet, corn, and alfalfa and cut prairie hay for winter feed. Emma is remembered especially for her beautiful sewing and needle work, for her gardening, and for her ability as a nurse in time of need. Both were active in church work. They helped build High Prairie Church and the Methodist Church in Matfield Green. Ezra was Justice of the Peace at Matfield Township for many years.
Guy Beedle married Margaret Osborne on January 1, 1906. Their children are: Esther Emma, born April 13, 1907; William Osborne, born February 24, 1909, deceased July 25, 1930; Margaret Nell, born September 17, 1910; Kenneth Guy, born August 17, 1913; Dale Dean, born May 27, 1915, deceased February 28, 1945; Roas Jean, born September 21, 1922. Guy and Margaret Beedle moved to Willard, New Mexico, from Chase County. They later moved to Miami, Arizona, where Guy worked at the smelter mine at the "Inspiration Copper Mine."
Mabel Beedle married Carl Eric Johnson on September 12, 1900. Their children are: Ezra Beedle, born at Florence, Kansas, July 10, 1902; Ruby Irene Hillfiker, born in Bazaar, Kansas, December 22, 1904, deceased October 10, 1942. Carl and Mabel owned and operated the grain elevator at Cambridge, Kansas, for many years until their retirement. They celebrated their fiftieth and sixtieth wedding anniversaries. Carl passsed away January 3, 1964, at their home in Burden, Kansas.
Ezra Beedle Johnson married Roma (Skinner) September 15, 1935. They are the parents of four children: James Edward, born June 13, 1936; Darrell Duane, born June 23, 1937; LeRoyce, born April 27, 1939; and Charles Eric, born April 7, 1946.
James Edward married Judy (Fisher) on September 18, 1961. They have two children: Diane, born September 17, 1962 and Steven Edward, born September 19, 1964.
Ruby Irene Hillfiker had one son, Carl James, born in Pueblo, Colorado.
Carl Beedle married Adeline Christine Rogler on August 30, 1911. Their children are: Adaline Rogler, born in Bazaar, Kansas, August 8, 1915; Jim Gosler, born in Bazaar, Kansas, August 2, 1912; and Elsie Rene, born in Matfield Green, Kansas, January 28, 1921.
Carl Beedle has been engaged in raising Registered Hereford cattle and farming for many years. He also had a fine orchard where people purchased lovely apples.
Ezra Ruben Beedle married Marguerite Elsie Houghton on October 14, 1915. Their children are: Edna Emmaline, born July 6, 1917; Richard Dale, born September 28, 1918; Marguerite Elsie, born September 25, 1919, Douglas Houghton, born February 2, 1921; (twins) Guy Gus II and Homer Roy, born July 12, 1923; Peggy Berniece, born January 17, 1925; Carl Calvin, born October 22, 1927; (triplets) Ethel Rene, Edith Rose, and Edward Rankin, born April 11, 1931; and Frank Daniel, born April 14, 1935. Two girls died in infancy. Ezra Ruben Beedle was a forest ranger for many years and a logger in Washington state.
Edna Beedle married Frank E. Sauble of Cedar Point, Kansas on June 10, 1920. They have two sons: David Edward, born July 23, 1921; Frank Eugene, born September 6, 1923, both boys were born in Springer, New Mexico. Frank and Edna Sauble have been ranchers in New Mexico since their marriage.
Roy C. Beedle married Lulu Grace Norton September 10, 1919. They were married at the Norton home. They are the parents of five daughters: Beverly Grace, born November 13, 1921, deceased January 11, 1922; Betty Gay, born June 28, 1923; Helen Maurine, born December 5, 1924; Virginia Norton, born December 28, 1925, passed away December 31, 1925; Dorotha Lea, born September 28, 1928. Betty Gay married A. S. Howard (who lost his life in the flood of 1951) . One daughter was born to them, Vicky Lea, born June 22, 1947.
Betty married Edward Evan Koger September 21, 1952. They are the parents of four children: Jane Beedle, born June 14, 1953; Edward Robbins, born February 27, 1955; Susan Gay, born May 8, 1957; and Kay Helen, born December 1, 1960. Helen Maurine married Don J. Evans on June 26, 1944. They are the parents of one daughter, Diane Maurine, born November 10, 1958.
Dorotha Lea married Terry Jay Blankenship June 20, 1949. They are the parents of three children: Jerry Jay, Jr., born November 5, 1952; Leigh Ann, born November 11, 1954; and Flint Norton, born November 30, 1962. Dorotha and her family make their home on the Norton ranch.
In 1903 Ezra Beedle purchased the Beedle farm east of Bazaar. The first people to live on this farm were Carl Johnson and Mabel (Beedle) Johnson. Guy Beedle lived with them and helped with the farming. After Guy and Margaret (Osborne) Beedle were married, they lived in a small house southwest of the main house on the farm.
Roy and Grace (Norton) Beedle lived on the Beedle farm from 1919 until 1927. They moved to Bazaar to the A. T. Crocker home. In 1930 the Crocker home burned. Later they purchased the Crocker property and built a home in 1936. Roy and Grace have lived in, the Flint Hills of Chase County all their lives. They have been engaged in ranching and the cattle business, dedicating their lives to the industry. They have grazed as many as ten thousand head of south Texas steers per season for many years. They pastured with the same man for eighteen years. The years were very challenging with many trials and hardships.
During the drought (1934-1936) they operated trucks to haul water to as many as 2500 cattle each day, so they would be well watered. The largest number of cattle cut from three herds filled one hundred cars on a train for one shipment. This constituted one day's work. Mrs. Beedle always took the meals to the pastures to feed the men on shipping days.
A family reunion was held at Frank and Edna Sauble's
home on October 17, 1949 in Springer, New Mexico. Four Beedle brothers and their wives, and two Beedle sisters and their husbands spent a memorable time together.
by Lorna Marvin
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Last updated 08/24/2005
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