Surname Notes > Any Beattie > Redmond Cole File - Beattie Records > Item 16
Mrs. Thatcher letter re Josiah Beattie
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Logan, Utah
Oct. 8”- 38
Mr. Redmond S. Cole-
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dear Mr. Cole:
I have delayed answering your letter a few days because I wanted to take the time to go to Salt Lake and go through every available record to try and obtain additional data on the Beattie family.
Now, regarding my grandfather, I am absolutely sure in my own mind that the Josiah N. Beattie you mention as having died in Andrew co. Mo. was my grandfather, although I have never heard anyone say & can find no record that he left Virginia. I did find, however, that when my grandmother died my father was only eleven years old and there were three younger that he. I conclude that it was most unreasonable that those children would leave their home & go to Mo. alone and I believe that after my grandfathers second marriage the whole family went to Mo, and I have discovered in the family records that my grandfather died on Apr. 14-1845 which is the year you mentioned. His second wife is referred to as the widow Evans in the only record I have and I do not know whether her name was Kezziah or not. The only story I ever remember hearing of my grandfather was one my mother told me when I was a little girl. She said that he in company with others was on a river boat. I presume on a pleasure ____. They had all probably been drinking and were very hilarious & noisy. Someone on the boat gave my grandfather a dose of something to quiet him and he went to sleep and never did wake up. My remembrance of the story is that he died on ____ boat. I do not know my geography well enough to know whether there are rivers in Va. near their homes large enough for river boats. If not, could it not have been a Missouri River boat. I found in my mothers records that she lists my grandmother as Eleanor Rogers & in the list I sent you her name was Ellen White. I am sure her name was Eleanor but am at a loss to account for this discrepancy.
I am very much interested in your information about Prof. Beatie. I have never heard of him before so the similarity in his data of the family & mine must mean that it came from the same source. Your introduction of him has brought to my mind a little bit of family history which is interesting to me. Prior to about two years ago, I had never known of my father’s people, excepting Joseph B. Moss of St. Jos. Mo. who came to our home in Salt Lake several times when I was a child, and a woman who lived in Salt Lake, our neighbor, whom we called “cousin Bell”. She was the daughter of my fathers cousin Robert Beattie who went to California. This Robert Beattie was a son of William & Rhoda White Beattie. You stated that Prof. Beatie was descended from this couple, so I concluded that “cousin Bell” would be a rather near relative of his. Her husband was a Dr. Downing, and after his death she continued to live in Salt Lake, died there and they are both buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in S. L. There were no children.
In your letter of Sept 17” you stated that Josiah Beattie was born in Glade Springs, Va. Dec. 31-1826. I think this was just an oversight - but I should probably correct it anyway. It was my father Hampden Sidney Beatie who was born there on that date. Also in your letter of Sept. 20 you stated that Josiah N. Beattie & his brothers John & Thomas & sister Susan came to Mo. & settled near Savannah. This should also be H. S. Beatie & his brothers & sister came to Mo. etc.
I want to thank you very much indeed for the data on the Beattie family. It is all very interesting to me. Should you find anything more about my father I should be eternally grateful if you will send it to me.
Most Sincerely
Mrs. B. G. Thatcher
93-E. 1” So. St.
Logan
Utah
Josiah N. Beattie born Va May 29, 1797
Died Apr 14 - 1845
His 1st wife Eleanor White ? Rogers ? born Jan. 1st 1804
Died Feb. 11th - 1837
children
James N. lived & died in Bozeman, Montana
Hampden Sidney born Glade Spring Va Dec. 31 - 1826
died Salt Lake City Sept 11, 1887
Thomas Fountain California
John White California
Susan Henry born Sept. 25, 1828
Died Nov. 1, 1882
Married twice - #2 husband named Flemming
His second wife Widow Evans
children
Josiah - unmarried
Virginia - married Bob Gilmore & went to Kentucky to live
Cole-Thatcher correspondence continues as Item 17
The Redmond S. and Mary Cole Collection - Beattie file
transcribed by Michael McPharlin and Diana Powell from Family History Library microfilm #1598160 item 6