Henry A Beal and Beal Family

From an interview of a Beal descendant who was a professor at Ricks.

HF: Now Dr. Beal, in going back on the Beal name, could you kindly comment a little about your ancestry on your father’s side?
MB: My father’s family came from England in the late 1830’s and they lived for a time in Syracuse, the Syracuse, New York area. There missionaries of the L.D.S. Church found them, and they were converted and moved to Illinois. So they were at Illinois during the time of persecutions and at the time of exodus from that state.
HF: Did your father or parents have a family which they brought with them into the intermountain area then?
MB: My grandfather, Henry Allen Beal, and a brother named William, were the sons of John Beal and his wife. And they were converted to the church. My grandfather, Henry A. Beal didn’t join the church until the Florence or Omaha situation on the Missouri. He was baptized in the Missouri River when he was about twelve years of age. And subsequently, 1852 was the year when that family crossed the plains by ox team and came to Utah. Grandfather’s mother died on the way.
HF: What area of the Utah Territory did the Beal family settle?
- 2 -
MB: After being in the Salt Lake Area for a short time, they moved to a newly established settlement at Manti in what came to be Sanpete County. And so my grandfather, as a young man, became actively engaged in pioneer work. In fact, he was one of twenty-five who moved from Manti to a settlement within seven miles called Ephraim and established that settlement, building a fort block in 1854. As a young man, he at least has this distinction, he married Mary Thorpe Morris. Later he married two other wives upon the advice and consent of the brethren. And altogether there were twenty-four children. Grandfather Beal was very active in the church; he held various offices. He became a member of the stake presidency of Sanpete Stake in 1877, and held that position until 1902. The rest of his life, for ten years, he served as patriarch in that place. He was active in the development of Snow Academy, as it’s known, Snow College today. In fact, his role in reference to education in that part of Utah is quite comparable to the role of Thomas E. Ricks in reference to the establishment of Bannock Stake Academy later properly named Ricks College in his honor.
HF: Dr. Beal, the name Beal is spelled B-E-A-L, is this correct.
MB: That’s correct.
HF: And from your grandfather, descendants from him and his three wives, pretty much constitutes the Beal’s that are in the church today. Would you say or are there other sources of Beal’s?
MB: I think this is the only Beal family; this is the foundation family of Beal’s in the L.D.S. church.
HF: Now before we just temporarily leave the Beal ancestry, could you comment on any particular physical characteristic and also a mental talent or some type of a talent characteristic that has perhaps followed down through the family tree?
MB: Well, Grandfather was a very sturdy, rugged type of person. Farr Beal Isaacson is one of his grandchildren; we’re full cousins. He was a husky man as I am, and the Beal’s, the Beal men that I have known generally have been quite healthy, rugged people. That’s one characteristic. Another that Grandfather had and he developed it considerably was a forthrightness in public speaking. He was a very strong speaker of the word. And this has characterized his sons and a number of descendants. I think there have been a number of teachers in the Beal Family. Two of my uncles, two of his sons, were professors at the University of Utah, and there are quite a few Beal’s who have gone into education. I think another characteristic of grandfather Beal’s descendants has been an interest in public affairs. I don’t know of any special talent. There are some who have skills in music and various other fields, but that, I think, describes the principle characteristics.

Source:  http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/Manuscripts/Collections/Voices%20From%20the%20Past/Merrill%20Dee%20Beal.pdf

A Story about Henry Beal

It was a Sunday morning in the summer of 1875. Though it was still early in the morning, heat already crept on the little settlement of Ephraim. A neat little family, scrubbed glowing pink, emerged from a door of a small adobe home. An anxious mother herded her brood.
“Now son, don’t get your shirt dirty,” cautioned mother as a youngster bent over a curious kitten. “That goes for you, too, Bishop Dorius,” she called to her husband. He looked up from the weed he had just pulled and smiled at her.
Bishop Dorius dusted his large, capable hands on his homespun trousers, and then proudly led his family down the walk. He turned toward the old stone chapel where he met with his fellow worshipers every Sabbath morn. The good people of Ephraim gathered toward the church. Many an anxious mother fretted over her spouse and offspring. After only one block, would they still be clean?
The great, staunch figure of Henry Allen Beal led the flock. He was a mighty leader of the Church and town. He was a big man with a big voice, which he could, and quite often did, turn up to terrific volume. He was a favorite speaker at church meetings and never minced words in his sermons.
Mrs. Dorius shooed out her last little son and was just closing the white picket gate when she noticed a pair of boots dangling over the edge of the hammock in the garden. She cleared her throat and marched right over. Underneath a huge straw hat lay the hired man. She snatched the hat away and, with hands on hips, she tapped her foot in the dust. The shaggy haired young man blinked in the sun, and grinned sheepishly, at Mrs. Dorius.
“Jens, are you not going to meeting?” she demanded.
“No,” replied the young man calmly.
“Why for?” she inquired, becoming angry. She gripped his oversized ear. “Why for you lay here when you should be to Church?”
“Vel,” drawled the hired man in his heavy Danish accent. “I heard Henry Beal vill preach today an’ I ken hear him yust as good from here as if I vas to meeting.’”

SOUND FORTH THE WORD Lora Nielson Ephraim, Utah Honorable Mention

Source: http://sanpete.com/downloads/saga/Saga_of_the_Sanpitch_1.pdf

The story of Annie Bjerregaard Beal.

Annie K. Bjerregaard
Born: 08/02/1844 in Nordjylland,Denmark
Married: 03/28/1863 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Died: 03/23/1906 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Notes: Buried: 03/26/1906 Ephraim, UT

Annie was 13 yrs. old when here family came to Utah from Denmark, and early twenties when her parents moved to Missouri. Annie is the second of three wives of Henry Beal and are the parents of the children listed below. (Will come later) Anna was medium in stature, and slender. Her complexion was fair, her eyes were violet blue.
Anna became pregnant during the time of the so called persecution over polygamy by the U.S. Government. The agreement was that no children were to be born after a certain time. If this happened, the husband would have to give his wife up, or go to jail for certain time.
Henry would not give up Anna. Therefore, Anna left Ephraim and went to Brigham City and stayed for about one and one half years with her sister Elsie and her husband Larus C. Christensen. Elsie lived out of town in Brigham Utah, up in the hills, where Anna could hide in the bushes.
This is where Violet Bardella, her youngest daughter, was born. Elsie and husband wanted to keep her so that Anna could go home, but Henry refused, and went to court instead. Henry had already served a three month sentence beginning on October 24, 1887. This hiding procedure was called the Under Ground Railroad.

Her husband Henry Allen Beal

Other names found --- Thomas, Tom, Henery, John. Henry is the second son of John and Ann Deacon Beal, married 1822. Henry was a polygamist and had three wives. The other's are #1 Mary Thorpe, Born: 05/27/1827, Mar: 07/04/1854 Ephraim, Utah, Died: 09/12/1905. #3 Mary Ann Tompson, Born: 04/07/1850, Mar: 04/25/1868 Salt Lake City, Utah, Died: 01/14/1924.
Henry came to Utah in 1850 and was very resourceful and successful. With help he built homes for each of his wives. He farmed, built beds for the railroad tracks, was President of Snow Academy (now Snow College), Mayor of Ephraim, and held many high positions in the Mormon Church.
In the Fall of 1864, twenty Ephraim families were called on missions to locate a settlement in Circle Valley on the head waters of the Sevier River. Henry took his second wife, Anna Christena Bjerregaard, on this mission.
Following is a short story out of a book on Henry Allen that expresses but one of the few problems encountered in a polygamist marriage. ------
Henry and Mary Ann Thompson were married on April 25, 1868. In due course, a nice house was built for her on north Main Street. However, Mary Ann's first domicile was in juxta-position to Mary Thorpe's home. This provided a setting for a comical event. Henry had been telling Mary Thorpe what a wonderful help young Mary Ann was proving to be. He was simply delighted ... As Mary Thorpe pondered upon this matter early one summer Sunday morning, the pigs began to squeal.
Without arising from Mary Ann's bed next door, Henry shouted in a loud voice: "Mary Thorpe, go slop the hogs!" Obediently she filled her pail at the barrel and started for the pig pen, but overwhelmed with indignation at the circumstance, she changed her course and the reclining couple found themselves suddenly showered with the contents of the bucket.
The life history in complete detail of Henry is in a book called, "Henry Allen Beal a Sanpete Valley Pioneer". This book is not published any more. I, Devere Byergo have a copy made from a book owned by Beals, who are descendants of one of the other wives, who live in Leeds, Utah.
While looking for new information and checking old records at the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (Mormon) Genealogy department, I found Henry having four polygamist wives. This according to my records was incorrect. In checking records I found that Mary Ann Tompson and Marianne Nielsen are the same person. Born: 04/07/1850 at Lyuga, Aarhus, Denmark; Married: 04/25/1868 Salt Lake City, UT. and Died: 01/14/1924 Ephraim, UT..

Her Child Mary Ann Beal

Child: Mary Ann Beal
Born: 01/22/1866 in Ephraim, Utah
Married: 12/14/1887 in Logan, Cache, Utah
Died: 04/09/1913 in Ephraim, Sanpete, Utah
Notes: Buried: 04/13/1913 Ephraim, UT, Birth Date may be 01/26/1866.

Her Child Alice Beal

Child: Alice Beal
Born: 01/16/1868 in Ephraim, Utah
Married: 12/23/1891 in Manti, Sanpete, Utah
Died: 01/02/1933 in Price, Carbon, Utah, May have died: 01/02/1934.

Her Child Sarah Ann Beal

Child: Sarah Ann Beal
Born: 03/27/1872 in Ephraim, Utah
Married: 12/23/1891 in Manti, Sanpete, Utah
Died: 01/11/1915 in Ephraim, Sanpete, Utah, Sarah may have been born: 03/28/1872. Sarah lived at the Salt Lake City home of a Aunt Rose for several years.
The following was written by Ida Caroline Larsen Frandsen the mother of Edna Frandsen Bjerregaard who gave this excerpt to me, Devere Byergo.
This excerpt is very much a part of the Bjerregaard/Byergo history due to the fact so many of the people mentioned are in our history. I went to Ephraim and worked for my board at Sarah Ann Hansens. Mary & Lydia Matson a girl from Mt. Pleasant were boarding at Mrs. Hansens and then there was Mrs. Hansen and her two boys Apollo and Glen.
I got along very well in school & the teachers were very friendly & encouraged me in every way. Especially JY Jensen also Thomas Beal, one of Mrs. Hansens brothers.
Mrs. Hansen was very good to me and I loved her very much. Mary Christensen taught piano at the Academy & Mrs. Hansen taught sewing. (Mary Christensen was a friend of Mrs. Hansen from Mt. Pleasant. Lived at Mrs. Hansens & taught music at the Snow Academy)
Mary persuaded Mrs. Hansen to get a Musical instrument for her boys to play. She got an old organ for them to begin with and many times I used to play hymns & a piece or two I knew for them. When I Think back it makes me smile. Those boys became accomplished musicians. Glen lives in Ogden and has really accomplished things in Music. Appolo lives in Price & teaches Piano. They were grandsons of the late Henry Beal a pioneer & influential leader in Ephraim.
Mrs. Hansen had a sister Mary Ann Folster whom I loved very much. She was so good to me. She had a lovely family and for a number of years we visited until we became widely separated. I have been fortunate enough to keep in touch with her son Allen through the years and learned what the others were doing. Allen was called on a Mission to England a year or two after I finished school. He married Zeretta Breinholt before going and it was fortunate he did as his mother passed away while he was gone and Zeretta took care of the family for some time.

Her Child Thomas (Tom) Andrew Beal

Child: Thomas (Tom) Andrew Beal
Born: 07/20/1874 in Ephraim, Sanpete, Utah
Married: 06/13/1901 in
Died: 01/03/1948 in
Educated at Cornel Univ., President of Bank at Ephraim. He was a teacher at Snow and Weber Academies, respectively. He was a professor at the University of Utah. Thomas established and became Dean of the Department of Commerce and Finance. He achieved expertise in the field of Utah tax matters.
While visiting Forrest Byergo in the summer of 1997 I, Devere Byergo, was informed by Forrest that Andrew Bjerregaard paid for the education of Thomas (Tom) Beal at Cornel Univ. Forrest also said that Andrew made Tom President of the Bank of Ephraim. Family history information indicates that this is incorrect.
Andrew died before Tom became or if he did become President of the bank. It must be remembered that this information was verbally passed on and could be incorrect. Andrew's history names the first six Presidents. Andrew was the third and Tom was not one of them.
Information from Ephraim History in Ephraim Library. Tom may have became Bank President after Ephraim History was written.

Her Child Orsen (Orse) Henery Beal

Child: Orsen (Orse) Henery Beal
Born: 11/07/1876 in Ephraim, Sanpete, Utah
Married: 02/08/1910 in
Died: 07/19/1950 in
Notes: Another birth date 11/06/1876, Divorced from Della Davey. May have been born: 11/06/1876.

Her Child Elinora Christena Beal

Child: Elinora Christena Beal
Born: 02/13/1879 in Ephraim, Utah
Married: 02/20/1904 in Manti, Sanpete, UT.
Died: 03/10/1937 in Richfield, Sevier, UT.
May have been born: 02/10/1879.

Her Child Owen Franklin Beal

Child: Owen Franklin Beal
Born: 07/12/1882 in Ephraim, Utah
Married: 06/04/1913 in
Died: 12/14/1963 in Ephraim, Sanpete, UT.
May have died: 12/14/1953. Owen became a teacher at Snow and Weber academies and a professor at the University of Utah. Marriage date may be 01/04/1913.

Her Child Violet Bodella Beal

Child: Violet Bodella Beal

Born: 12/03/1891 in Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah

Married: 09/12/1914 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Died: 07/1982 in Ogden, Weber, UT.

Name may be Burdella or Bardella. Violet was born in Brigham City because her mother was staying with her sister, Elsie Christensen, so that she could hide from the law during pregnancy and child birth. This was done so that Henry, her polygamist father, would not go to jail. Elsie and husband wanted to keep and raise Violet but Henry would not hear of this. Because Henry would not give up his child he went to jail anyway. More about this in Annie's memo. 

Source: http://www.bjerregaard.us/Annie_Bjerregaard.htm

Henry Allen Beal

 

 

Birth:	Apr. 30, 1835 Syracuse Onondaga County New York, USA
Death:	Feb. 21, 1911 Ephraim Sanpete County Utah, USA
Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868 Beal, Henry Birth Date: 30 Apr. 1835 Death Date: 21 Feb. 1911 Gender: Male Age: 15 at time of crossing Company: Warren Foote Company (1850) Departure: 17 June 1850 Arrival: 17-18, 26 September 1850 Company Information: About 540 individuals and 104 wagons were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Kanesville, Iowa (present day Council Bluffs). Family that traveled with him: Beal, Ann Deacon (53) Mother Beal, John (13) Brother Beal, John (48) Father Beal, William (16) Brother Son of John Beal & Ann Deacon. OBITUARY: The Manti Messenger, Friday 24 February 1911: LAST CALL OF HENRY BEAL Well Known Ephraim Man Called Last Tuesday. Funeral Today Henry Beal one of the best known pioneers of the county, closed a long, busy useful career on this earth Tuesday morning at his home in Ephraim. He was 76 years old the last 57 of which he spent in Sanpete. He was born in New York where his parents joined the Mormon Church, emigrating to Nauvoo and on to Utah in 1850. He lived in Manti from 1850 till 1854 when he moved to Ephraim where he has since lived and has exerted an influence in the upbuilding of that city having served in nearly every public office the city could give him. He has also been a very energetic worker in the Church and was one of the most active in the building of the Snow Academy, of which he was president when he died. The funeral will be held at 2 o'clock at the Snow Academy this afternoon. Family links: Parents: John Beal (1800 - 1896) Spouses: Mary Thorpe Beal (1827 - 1905)* Mary Ann Thompson Beal (1850 - 1924)* Children: George A Beal (1859 - 1936)* Henry Thomas Beal (1861 - 1917)* David Nelson Beal (1864 - 1946)* Mary Jemima Beal Isaacson (1866 - 1930)* Emma Rosabell Beal Waite (1868 - 1926)* Anna Marie Beal Thompson (1875 - 1947)* Mary Matilda Beal Olsen (1878 - 1939)* Ellen Christine Beal Harden (1881 - 1948)* Martha Beal Hansen (1888 - 1953)* *Calculated relationship
Burial: Ephraim Park Cemetery Ephraim Sanpete County Utah, USA
Maintained by: Loose Moose Originally Created by: VaunaMri Record added: Apr 12, 2009 Find A Grave Memorial# 35797926 Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35797926