Looking for info regarding my great-grandfather Merritt M. Beam born in mid to late 1800's. He reportedly had parents in the Indiana area. He was married briefly to (Ruby)Pearl Price and divorced in Texas around 1910. He fathered Elmond Beam b:1910.

Hi Steph. My Beams were originally Boehm, name changed by Martin Boehm to Beam son of Jacob Boehm and Barbara Kendig. Edna Burns was daughter of Samuel Beam and Sarah Ann Gibson - her siblings were John, Benjamin, Ethel May and Lulu, Eva, Birdella,Jessie, Samuel and Howard J. (some other children died.)

Hello;

I have a Biographical sketch of Bishop Martin Boehm, reference: Bishops of the United Brethren Church 1906 published by: U.B. Publishing House, Dayton, Ohio Author: HAA. Thompson, D.D., LL.D with an introduction by: Colonel Robert Cowden. A portrait of him also appears in this bio. If you would like the bio. let me know and I get it to you or anyone who would like it. I am attaching the portrait of him, seeing how you can do that now.

Thank you for the information you posted. So far, I can't find any connection to our Merritt Beam. However, I'm saving the photo and your e-mail address just in case I run across any information that might tie up the Beam/Boehm connection.

Are you still there?

I may have a connection to your Merritt Beam. I am a Merritt researcher. I have 2 Merritt sisters in OHIO that married Beams...not sure if the Beam men are related. I tried previously to discover Merritt Beam's parents linked to either family to no avail...but the name fits so well! So anyway I am not sure...but willing to share if you are still there.
Kathy

Kathy,

I am still very interested in finding out about the Beams and specifically what ever happened to Merritt M. Beam. I haven't done any digging lately, but I have discovered:
1. )Merritt's first wife was Lillian May Wearing. They married in Marion County, Indiana in 1902 and she died in in 1906. The death certificate lists her husband as Frank M. Beam, which according to my grandmother, was the nick-name her father used instead of Merritt.

2.) Lillian is buried also in Marion County, IN in the Crown Hill Cemetary.

3.) The 1880 Chicago, Cool, Illinois census lists a Merrit Beam age 2, Birthplace ILL Father; John M. Beam - birth place OHIO, Mother's birthplace-ILL. We thought this could be our "Merritt"?

I have other odds and ends of info and census information but nothing we can view as concrete. I always wanted to try and find out more about Merritt before my granny died but wasn't able to. I would be very glad if you had some more information.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Stultz

Hi.
Well I think there are 2 Merritt M Beams...the first one that I know was age 38 in KNOX Co OHIO in 1850.

1850 KNOX COUNTY OHIO
MERRITT M BEAM AGE 38 b 1812 AUDITOR
AMANDA AGE 22 b 1828
JOHN M 7 1843
HENRY 3 1847
EDWARD A 1 1849
ALMIRA GARDNER 17

He was an auditor and also a surveyor and was mentioned in the History of KNOX Co OHIO by Norman Hill (available online)

I also found a "roll of Propery owners for Will Co ILL" 1842
Name, township and range, value of lands and value of personal property:
Beam, Merritt M.......33 9 120 ....

You'll notice his son John M from the 1850 census...which I would guess is John Merritt BEAM...(my BEAM women had a brother John Merritt). Merritt M BEAM 1812 apparently dies around 1854 or so...his wife Amanda married Isaac George.
Here is the 1860 census:
1860 INDIANAPOLIS WARD 5 MARION INDIANA
ISAAC GEORGE 34
AMANDA GEORGE 34
JOHN BEAM 17
HENRY BEAM 12
EDWARD BEAM 12
ELLIE GEORGE 5

In the 1880 CHICAGO COOK CO ILLINOIS census
John M BEAM 1843 is married to "Mary" possibly Lillian M
and has children Vessie 7, Edna 6, Merritt 2, unnamed 1m.

So Merritt M BEAM 1878 was the grandson of Merritt M BEAM 1812.
My Merritt girls' father was Mathew Merritt. I think Mathew is Merritt M. Beam's 1812 middle name. Both girls married Beams...let me know if you want their names.
Do you have an email?
Kathy

My husband's side has an Edna E. Beam, daughter of Thomas Lemon Beam and Margaret Jane Wooden. Edna was born around May 1890 in Colorado

I'm pretty certain that this particular Edna is not our Edna. According to the 1880 census, our Edna was 6 years old at the time and was born in Ohio. Her father was John M. age 37, mother was Mary age 26, sister was Vessie, age 7, brother was Merrit, age 2 and they had an Irish servant names Katie Kane, age 14. But thank you so much for posting. Perhaps there is a 'cousin' connection somewhere between the families?

Sincerely,
Stephanie Stultz

Yes, I'm certain this is the right trail and that John M. Beam is our Merritt M. Beam's father. I'd like to have any information that you have. My email is;

slstultz622@hotmail.com

I can e-mail you some wonderful pictures of Merritt when he was younger, one with my great-grandmother Pearl, and I even have a copy of their divorce decree from 1913.

Now....if we could only find a trail to what happened to Merritt M. (Frank) Beam AFTER 1913 or where he is buried. When I tried to find him a few years ago I had absolutely no luck.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Stultz
Richmond, Texas