Eliza Beebe - Missing Parents

[Lydia White]

Seeking more information regarding the whereabouts of Eliza Beebe's parents. Eliza was born in 1864 Rock Island, Illinois to Charles P. Beebe and Eliza A. Ratcliffe. Very little is known about Charles and Eliza other than that Charles was born 1831 in Connecticut and Eliza A. Ratcliffe was born 1841 in New York. I'm certain about the birthplaces for the parents being correct according to a couple census records, less certain about birth years though.

I found a 1870 census indicating that Eliza was living with her grandparents when she was 6:

Samuel Radcliff   M   60   England
Mary Radcliff   F   52   England
Alice Radcliff   F   11   Illinois
Medora Radcliff  F   7   Illinois
Eliza Beebe   F   6   Illinois

I'm assuming that the Civil War might have something to do with the mystery behind why Eliza was not living with her parents by the time this census was taken. Locating military records for Charles may be a good way to go - I also found an 1870 Census of a Charles P. Beebe living alone, marital status is not indicated. Unable to validate any census records for him after that. I have plenty of information available for the Ratcliffe family, not so much for the Beebe's. Any information on them would be extremely helpful!

Other useful info: Eliza Beebe married William Ettinger Hess (1862-1950) 12 Dec 1887 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and had two children: Julian Conrad Hess (M) and Jesse Hess (F).

[shellyesq]

The 1870 census has a Chas. P. Beebe in Joliet, Illinois, same town as Eliza & her grandparents.  Charles was age 39, born Connecticut, occupation - city collector, and living with a Mary Beebe, age 26, born Illinois.

Perhaps the elder Eliza died and Charles was unable to care for his daughter, so the grandparents took her in, and Charles later remarried.

[aghadowey]

A Charles P. [Phelon] Beebe and wife Mary in 1880-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXNR-3T5
Death?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7V2-LTP

Grave for a Charles P. Beebe with wife Mary mentions 2 children-
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15571800
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3ZGS-Z4S

[shellyesq]

Charles P. Beebe of Joliet had his leg amputated after a horse accident in 1868 - http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038628/1868-04-30/ed-1/seq-3.pdf

[aghadowey]

Very interesting, shellyesq!

The 1868 article mentions him being in hotel business and the Charles P. Beebe I found in 1880 census was hotel proprietor. Wonder if could be the same man?

[shellyesq]

I'm not sure.  The Illinois marriage index has an entry for Charles P. Beebe and Mary R. Demmond, who married in Will Co. on 27 Sep. 1866.  http://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/marriagesrch.jsp  That looks like a different Mary than the one that's on Find a Grave, assuming the information put on there is correct. 

[aghadowey]

Yes, likely just co-incidence.

Mary (Demmond) Beebe died 1920-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQJ9-K74

[shellyesq]

There seem to be a lot of Charles Beebes around there, and it's hard to figure out who is who.

In the Monmouth (Illinois) Daily Atlas from 12 Nov. 1912, it says near Plainfield, Charles Beebe was caught on a trestle and instantly killed by a train.  Will County doesn't have a death index online for that time frame, so I'm not sure if he's a possibility.

Some of the census records have a Charles Beebe in Plainfield who was about 10 years younger than the guy we're looking for, so I think this may be a different one. 

There is an obituary for the Charles who was married to Mary Lee, and I think we can rule him out based on the information there - http://idnc.library.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/illinois?a=d&d=ZCI19160121.1.1&srpos=5&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22charles+p.+beebe%22-------