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JOHN CLINTON BEATTY
L39
Submitted by: Lois (Griffes) Kortering
From the
"Oceana County History, 1880-1990, Volume II" pages 117-118
John Clinton "Clint" Beatty, my great-grandfather, was born 15 April 1854
in Bloomington, McClean County, Illinois to Anna A. (Wilcox) of Walkerton,
Indiana and James Lewis Beatty, IV, who was the oldest of the seven sons,
each of whom served in the Civil War, of James Lewis Beatty, III from
Kentucky.
The father of James Lewis Beatty, III was James Lewis Beatty, II who was
living in western Pennsylvania in 1775. The father of James Lewis Beatty,
II was bon about 1750 while in quarantine, probably a "pest" house on
Province Island at the mouth of the Schuykill River near Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Clint's sister, Elizabeth Ann Beatty had come to Oceana County before
Clint did and was married to Edward Martin Clements, the first white child
(non-Native American) born in Oceana County to Olive and Chauncy Clements.
Clint and Sara Jane "Jennie" Haggerty, my great-grandmother, were married
20 July 1880. Jennie was the youngest daughter of Ellen (Googins) and Asa
C. Haggerty. Ellen had died during Jennie's birth, so Jennie was raised by
Olive Clements, first white woman in Oceana County, and her second husband
Thomas Byrnes. The 1870 census report lists Jennie as a niece in the
Byrnes household.
Picture shown of a log cabin with the caption "Clint and Jennie Beatty and
their 12 children in front of their log home"
The log house was built by Clint, and most of their 12 children were born
and raised there. It still stands there today (1992) on Meinert Road. The
road runs from US 31 west and ends at Lake Michigan. The lot used to be in
southwest Claybanks Township of Oceana County, but it is now in northwest
White River Township of Muskegon County. Jennie used to tell how kind the
Indians were, sheltering them until their log cabin was built.
The 12 children are: Clarence Earl Beatty, born 4 December 1880; John
Clinton Beatty Jr., born 25 September 1882; Arthur Beatty, born 25 May
1885; Alice Beatty, born 24 June 1887; Edith Beatty (my maternal
grandmother) born August 1889'; Ernest Beatty, born 30 March 1891; Willard
Beatty, born 11 March 1892; Naomi Beatty, born 3 February 1895; Olive
Beatty, born 18 May 1897; Frances "Ina May" Beatty, born 27 October 1899;
Hazel Beatty, born 19 March 1901; and Asa Merle "Dick" Beatty, born 6 July
1904 and still living in August 1992.
In the early 1930's, the Beatty's moved to Battle Creek, Calhoun County,
Michigan. Jennie and Clint were married for 55 years. Jennie died on 1
April 1935 at age 73, and John died 7 July 1937 at age 83. Both were
buried in Reese Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan.
Clarence E. Beatty / HAZEL (COWLES) BEATTY
My great-uncle Clarence, born 4 December 1880, was the oldest of twelve
children of Sarah Jane "Jennie" (Haggerty) and John Clinton "Clint"
Beatty, who was born in the log house, built by his father in what was
then Claybanks, Oceana County, and is now Meinert Park, Muskegon County.
Clarence and his first wife Cecile (Adams) had two children, Irene (Mrs.
LeRoy Smith and Mrs. Proctor) and Edward Leonard King Beatty. Clarence and
his second wfie, Hazel (Cowles) were married for 40 years and had two
children, Richard Earl Beatty, and Marianne (Mrs. Robert M. Montgomery).
Clarence was an automobile mechanic, during which time he worked on the
first Ford in Manistee, Michigan. He was also a musician and played
violin, organ, and band instruments. His son Richard played the bugle in
the Army and in the Baltimore Colts football band.
Clarence's granddaughter Kathryn Smith married James Clements, who was a
great-great-grandson of Olive and Chauncy B. Clements, pioneers of Oceana
County. Edward Martin Clements , son of Olive and Chauncy, was married to
Elizabeth Ann "Lydia" (Beatty), sister of of Clarence's father Clint
Beatty. Olive and her second husband Thomas Byrnes raised Clarence's
mother Jennie, because her mother died when she was born, and her father
was away in the Civil War.
Hazel (Cowles) Beatty taught school for 20 years in one-room schools in
rural Michigan and 25 years in Grand Rapids Public Schools' special
education programs. In 1950 Hazel wrote a thesis on three clinical
techniques of teaching reading to mentally handicapped children. She was
given an award by the Grand Rapids Public Schools and the Michigan State
Parent Teachers Association for her work with mentally handicapped
children. She was a Fellow in the American Association of Mentally
Deficient and had writings published in that journal.
After retiring, Hazel moved to Lexington, Kentucky, where she returned to
teaching. She was cited by President Richard Nixon and President Gerald
Ford for her work in Lexington. Hazel died on 3 June 1992 and was buried
in Greenwood Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky.
Most of the entries I have submitted in this book, were transcribed from
Great-Aunt Hazel's handwritten book about the Haggerty families. My mother
Olive (McDonald) Griffes Wade had helped with the research, and Hazel
wanted to write about the connections between the following families:
Beatty, Haggerty, Clements, Cater, Hilliard, and Beatty, many of whom were
pioneers of Oceana County.
Last update:
September 09, 2001
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