Top o' the Morning to Ye!!!  It's been a long time since I blogged.  This one is for all the Beetham/Dyer cousins!!  And especially for my grandsons.

Dear Grandchildren,

Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  Everyone has fun with the "wearin' of the green", but did you know that this is a day not just to have a party, but to honor the Irish who immigrated to America??  When they came, they brought many new customs and a lot of sweat and hard labor that helped make this the great country it is today.   But they also brought a heritage that helped to make you and me possible.   You see, we owe some part of who we are to an Irish family that came to America from County Tyrone in Ireland sometime around 1830.

The family's name was Walker.   John, the father, was born in Clogher, County Tyrone, Ireland January 22, 1785.   His wife, Rebecca Hodgshea (Hodgshur?), was born there also in 1780.    Life in Ireland was hard.  The land was poor and very rocky with little to burn for fuel except peat.   They had 10 children and when the great potato famine began, a disease of the food they depended on most, their oldest son mustered his resources and sailed for America.  The rest of the family followed as they could save.  Rebecca and Ellen came together in 1836 and lived in Boston for a while.  Somehow they all found Grant County in Southeast Wisconsin, where land was plentiful and there were few diseases of their corps.They also knew there would be more opportunities for their many children to find work, land, and a good future.    

Mitchell-Rountree Stone Cottage in Platteville, Wisconsin.  Built in 1837 -
Open to the public by Grant County Historical Society

There were other scotch-Irish and Englishmen in that area.   And soon they became friends with a number of families.   One winter,   Rebecca and her sister, Maggie, were stranded at the Mitchell home in Plattesville by the heavy snows.   They pieced a 'crazy' quilt which can still be seen on the bed upstairs (take a left at the top of the stairs).  You will see a sampler over the fireplace 'Home Sweet Home' which was also made by Rebecca.

Soon after, Rebecca  married Abner Dyer on the 24th of November, 1840.   They settled in Grant County.   In the winter of 1845, Rebecca's mother drowned tragically in Bailies' Branch stream and was buried in the Boice Prairie Cemetary in Southern Lancaster Township.   She was riding with the James Stephenson family in their wagon when the high water floated the bed of the wagon off the wheel axles.  She and the two children were carried down the stream and drowned.  Mr. Stephenson and his wife survived.

Rebecca and Abner had eight children.   Their fourth child, Sarah Anna, married Thomas Beetham.   Their seventh child, Bertha Hannah Maria, married Harry Beetham.   Harry Beetham was my great grandfather.   Bertha and Harry had nine children.   Their sixth child, Robert George, married a sweet young girl he met while caring for livestock in North Dakota, Laura Mae Ode, on November 10, 1917.   They continued taking care of the cattle, and the children that came speedily after.   Robert Charles, the oldest born January 3, 1919, was a sturdy child.  Bertha May (Bea) (April 26, 1920) was a dark eyed beauty like her mother.  Harry George (December 14, 1921) was a friendly, sturdy child with his mother's short stocky build.   But Robert became very ill.   Their youngest child, Elva Jane,my mother, was born in Spooner, Wisconsin, on May 10, 1923 .  Soon the train was racing the family home to Lancaster.   As Laura nursed Elva Jane, she also cared for her husband who was in great pain from "TB of the bone".   Robert died July 29, 1924, one week after his wife's 29th birthday.  Elva Jane was only 13 months old, and Laura had four children age 5 and under to support. 

At first, Laura's support was provided by her father-in-law, Harry.   He was old and ill and frequently ill-tempered.  The noise of the children bothered him, so Laura sent Bob and Bea to other cousins' nearby.   When Grandpa Harry died in April, 1930, Laura expected to be given the old house to continue to raise her children, but the house was sold by her in-laws.   She divided her husband's share four ways and put the money in the bank for her children and found a very small house with little rent.   Some of her husband's relatives helped her as they could.  George McCormick and his wife  were childless, and they went out of their way to share with Laura.   Elva Dyer, who Elva Jane was named for, also was a great help to the family, especially little Elva Jane.  

There is much more to tell, but I'll save it for another day.   I owe this information to Elva Dyer, and Ardys  Beetham  Simpson who gave copies to my family.

Love and may the sun be warm on your back!