Eli Wesley Beeks

Eli Wesley Beeks

In the latter 1870s Eli Wesley Beeks came to Washington

County Arkansas settling northwest of Prairie Grove in the

Prairie View Community. Eli was born in Louisiana, June 1855.

His father Henry was born in Louisiana and his mother Melvina

Margaret in 1826 in Georgia. Eli had at least two brothers.

Two of his nephews were Marshall M. born 1866, John Lowe born

1868, a niece Elizabeth P. born 1868. They were born in Texas.

Sometime in the late 1870s Eli married Alwilda Brunito

(Nettie) Rose. She was born in Arkansas November 25, 1861.

Her family also lived in the Prairie View Community. Nettie's

father James Rose was born 1813 in Illinois. Her mother

E. J. (Elizabeth I think) was born in Arkansas in 1831.

Nettie had several brothers and sisters all born in Arkansas. Her sisters:

S. B. 1852; A. M. S. 1864; Alpha C. 1865; Ollie 1867; and Margaret

S. 1870. Her brothers: Thomas 1854; Marion Dee 1872; andWillia·m L. 1874. Nettie's step-mother was Susan born 1835 in

Tennessee and died December 20, 1884.

Eli and Nettie's children are Robert Lee, February 12, 1880;

Melvina Jane, July 25, 1881; Henry 1887; Tiff Thomas 1889;

Oliver 1893; Eli Wesley, August 1896; Marion Alwilda, January

31, 1889 and Frank. Henry and Frank may have been the same

person.

Nettie's family donated the land for Rose Cemetery. There are

several Beeks' and Rose's buried there including Eli and Nettie,

several of their children, grandchildren and parents.

James Rose lived across the road from the cemetery. Eli lived

there sometime later. Eli's last place that he lived and he also

owned was on a road going west from the Prairie View School

then take the first road to the right, go on down the hill cross the

Muddy Fork Creek, go on upon top of the hill. He had a house,

barn, and chicken house. He had spring water. Later a dug

well-80 feet deep. Water was hand-drawn with bucket on each

end. Cherry lived to the east and Bowlin lived north.

Nettie died when her son Marion was born. Later Eli

remarried Mary and they had a son James Allen.

Eli was a farmer, cultivating his crops with horses. He grew

apples, berries, tomatoes, wheat and corn, milked cows for their

own use.

Eli's children went to school at Prairie View. Church was

held in the same building.

On Christmas 1933, Eli's children and grandchildren came in

wagons to spend the day with him. Later in the day Eli's arms

and legs started cramping him. He died the next day.

Melvina married a Grimes.

Tiff Thomas married Lillie Bell Rhines August 1, 1909. Their

children are Hugh, Earl Thomas, Irvin, Howard, Margie, Virgie

and Ivy. Tiff was a farmer. He died February 16, 1955.

Oliver married Eliza Thurman. Their children are Mamie,

Robert Orville, and Myrie. After Oliver's death Eliza remarried

and had a daughter Lucille.

Frank was killed when a team of horses had a run away pulling

a new Springfield wagon.

Eli Wesley, Jr. married Nancy Kirk. Their children are Lora,

Viola, Elsie, Preston, and Imogene. Eli was a carpenter.

Marion married Della Conduff, daughter of John Wheeler

and Hu ldie Elizabeth Keller Conduff on June 3, 1923 at Prairie

View. Their children are Marvin Alwilty, Zelma Lucille, Garland

Eugene, Ira Dean, and Ollie Faye. Marion was a farmer. Most of

the time living around the Prairie Grove area. He raised corn,

wheat, and tomatoes. He had cows, pigs, horses, and mules. He

has cultivated his crops with horses, mules, and tractors. He

milked cows and sold milk. Some of the time he raised broilers.

He and his wife raised their vegetables and usually had a real

good garden. She canned lots of fruits and vegetables. Marion

liked to squirrel hunt. Marion and Della both enjoyed fishing.

Della still enjoys her flowers and piecing quilts and lives alone in

her home at Prairie Grove. Marion died January 4, 1972.

Allen married Marie Kinion February 27. They have one

baby that died as an infant and a daughter Bonnie.

He later married Rilda. Their children are David and Mary. Later in his

life he married Inez. He died in 1986.

Eli and Allen moved to California and lived the last 35 to 40

years of their life.

One time Marion's step-mother had some sweet potatoes

baking in the fireplace. He threw· some of the hot sweet potatoes on the pigs

that were in the front yard.

by: Bonnie and Erma Beeks