John W Leach & Alice Lee Beach

John W Leach and Alice Lee Beach were my 2x great-grandparents. Their daughter, Minerva, was my great-grandmother.

John W Leach

John W Leach was born in about 1864 in Georgia. His parents were probably Reuben Leach and Jane Bell of Gilmer County, GA although there is no definitive documentation to support this fact. I've drawn this conclusion from tracing the family of Marcus Y Leach, second husband of Hester Priscilla Edmonds. John is listed on the 1870 and 1880 census in Georgia. Then he disappears from records until 1910 when he is listed on the federal census in Catoosa, OK with Alice and their children, David, Dicie, Sylva, and Minerva, as well as a woman named Betsey Hooker (see note under Alice Lee Beach). The Leach family is on the census record in Catoosa in 1920, but John disappears again after that date. Alice is on the 1930 census as a widow, so John must have died between 1920-1930. Norma Garrison, John's granddaughter, remembered that he died before she was born in 1933 and was buried in Catoosa, OK. No records of his death or burial have been found at the time this article was written.

Alice Lee Beach

Alice Lee Beach was born in 1867 in Tennessee. Her parents were George Washington Beach and Margaret Hancock (or possibly Hawkins). She lived in Oklahoma until at least 1935. By 1940 she was living in Kansas City, KS with her adopted son, Arnold. Alice died on 20 April 1956 and was buried in Kansas City at Maple Hill Cemetery.

NOTE: The 1910 census lists John and Alice Beach living with a woman named Betsey Hooker, born 1849 in Pennsylvania, and names her as Alice's mother. This is an error by the census taker. According to Minerva Leach Garrison, my great-grandmother, Betsey Hooker was a woman who lived with the family as a boarder but was no relation to them.

The Marriage and Children of John & Alice Leach

John and Alice Leach were married in approximately 1885, most likely in Georgia. No documentation has been found; conclusions have been drawn based on census records and birth dates of their children. They had seven children according to the 1910 census, but only four children are listed: David, Dicie, Sylva, and Minerva. There is also an older sister, Maggie, who is not listed with the family because she lived elsewhere. Minerva told her daughter, Norma, about an older brother nicknamed "Cap" who left home and lost contact with the family.  David is apparently "Cap". Here is what is known about the Leach children:

Maggie N Leach was born on 2 March 1886 in Dalton, GA. She married Mark B Whittle in Rogers County, OK on 4 October 1916. By 1930 they were living in Kansas City and managed a hotel there. I have not found documentation that Mark and Maggie had any children; they married when Maggie was 30 years old so it is likely they did not. Mark's date of death is unknown. Maggie died in 1954 in Kansas City, and is buried there at Maple Hill Cemetery near her mother.

David Edman "Cap" Leach was born on 5 November 1888 in Georgia or Tennessee. He married Pearl White in about 1913, and they lived in Catoosa until at least 1917. After 1917 David and Pearl moved from Oklahoma to Denver, CO and then eventually settled in San Diego, CA around 1928. They had three children:

• Truman Wilford, b. 19 November 1916, d. 24 February 1989; married Lorene Maxine Welch Bullowe
• Paul E, b. 3 August 1919, d. 10 November 1942 in Morocco; Paul was part of the 7th Infantry Regiment and died during Operation Torch, the British-American invasion of North Africa
• Velma Marguerite, b. 13 February 1922, d. 16 September 2002; married Leonard T Overcash. She may also have been married to men with the last name Remington and Holiman.

 David died on 12 December 1954 in San Diego, CA.

Dicie Bell Leach was born on 31 December 1895 in Texas. She married Joseph Russell between 1910-1920. They had no children, and Joseph died in 1933. On 2 December 1955 Dicie married Charlie Staggs. They were happily married until his death in October 1980. Dicie lived next door to her sister, Minerva, for many years. She had a small white poodle named Susie, and the family joke is that Susie and Dicie looked exactly alike with their fluffy white hair. When Dicie aged enough to no longer be able to live alone she moved to Tacoma, WA to live with her stepson, Alvin Dewayne "Bud" Staggs. Dicie died on 9 September 1989 in Tacoma. She is buried in Tulsa, OK at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Sylva Leach was born in about 1902 in Arkansas. No information has been found for Sylva other than the 1910 Census.

Minerva Leach. Click here for information about Minerva.

Arnold Leach

Arnold R Leach was adopted by John and Alice Leach. The identity of his parents is currently unknown; he is listed as John's nephew on the 1930 Census. Arnold was born on 27 September 1918 in Catoosa, OK. He was married to Edith "Marian" Hall, and it appears they did not have any children. Arnold died on 6 April 2006 in Broken Arrow, OK and is buried in Shawnee, KS.

Read Next: 
Reuben Leach & Jane Bell
George Washington Beach & Margaret Hancock

Robert F Garrison & Hester Priscilla Edmonds

Robert F Garrison and Hester Priscilla Edmonds were my 2x great-grandparents. Their son, Jacob Fulton Garrison, was my great-grandfather.

Robert F Garrison

Robert F Garrison was the son of William John Mitchell Garrison and Elizabeth Elmira Ann Roberts (for information about "Mitch" and "Myra" Garrison click here). He was born on 1 February 1864 in North Carolina, most likely in Buncombe County. Robert was the third of the seven Garrison children. There is a good chance he was named after his uncle, Robert M Garrison, who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg eight months before Robert's birth. There are many users on Ancestry.com that list his middle name as Franklin, but I have found no primary sources to confirm anything beyond a middle initial of "F". Robert had no formal education, but according to census records he was able to read and write. By age 16 he was working on the family farm in Buncombe County, NC, and he remained a farmer his entire life.

On 27 December 1882, at age 18, Robert married Hester Priscilla Edmonds in Buncombe County, NC. They had eleven children between 1885 and 1908. Around 1903 the family moved to Rogers County, OK. Census records show that Robert rented a farm and worked the land.

Robert died on 28 May 1913 at the age of 49. He is buried at Dick Duck Cemetery in Catoosa, OK.

Hester Priscilla Edmonds

Hester Priscilla Edmonds was born on 20 August 1866 in Buncombe County, NC to William Riley Edmonds and Sarah Catherine Edmonds (for more information on William and Sarah Edmonds click here). She was the second of four children in the family. Hester was 16 years old when she married Robert Garrison. She gave birth to eleven children, three of which died during childhood. 

One year after Robert's death, Hester married Marcus Y Leach on 29 May 1914. Marcus was 23 years older than Hester. He was the half-brother of Reuben Leach (grandfather of Minerva Leach Garrison, the wife of Hester's son, Jacob). He was also the father of Lola and Robert Leach who were married to Hester's children, William Cleveland Garrison and Mary Eva Garrison. It seems to be a strange match, and it looks as though it did not end well. By 1924, the couple had split up. Marcus Leach was living with his daughter, Lola, and her husband, William (Hester's son). Hester was back in North Carolina with her sons, Columbus and Wesley. Both parties told the 1930 census taker they were widowed.

Hester lived with her son, Wesley, until she died of a stroke at the age of 73 on 11 April 1940. She is buried at Clarks Chapel Cemetery in Weaverville, NC. Her death certificate makes no mention of Marcus Leach - it lists her husband as R.F. Garrison - and the name on her tombstone is Hester Edmonds Garrison.

The Children of Robert & Hester Garrison

 

The children of Robert and Hester Garrison were Elizabeth Sarah, William Cleveland, Charles E, Bennie K, Thomas Claiborne, Laura Mae, Mary Eva, Jacob Fulton, Robert Cornelius, Oliver Columbus, and James Wesley.

Elizabeth Sarah Garrison was born on 20 January 1885 in Buncombe County, NC. She attended school and was able to read and write. In 1904 she married Charles E Morrison in Collin County, TX. Elizabeth and Charles had three children: 

• William R, b. 24 December 1908, d. 24 February 1970
• Binnie, b. 10 February 1912, d. December 1978; married Alphonso McMartin and Cecil Owensby
• Helen, b. 2 October 1919, d. 4 April 1960; married Everett Lindsay and Allen Lee

 It is unknown how Elizabeth's marriage to Charles ended. He disappears from the records after the 1920 census. Between 1920 and 1930 Elizabeth married Albert F. Allen. At the time of the 1930 census they lived in Blackwell, OK. There is no record of Elizabeth after 1930 until a death record in the California Death Index in 1959. The record lists Elizabeth Sarah Crawford, born 20 January 1885, died 27 February 1959 in Los Angeles, mother's surname: Edmonds, father's surname: Garrison. Thus far I have been unable to determine how Elizabeth ended up in California nor the identity of her apparent third husband, Mr Crawford. She was buried at Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach, CA. 

William Cleveland Garrison was born on 23 December 1886 in Buncombe County, NC. He had at least five years of formal education, and then he began to work on the family farm. On 7 May 1911, at age 24, William married Lola M. "Lollie" Leach, the daughter of Marcus Y. Leach (William's future stepfather). They two sons:

• Marquis Fulton, b. 25 February 1914, d. 26 March 1989; married Edith M* and Mary G* (*last names unknown)
• Alvin Herbert, b. 9 January 1926, d. 11 December 2005, married Ruthie Marceen Hinman

William trained as a smelter and was working as laborer and smelter by 1918 when he completed his World War I draft registration card. On the card he describes himself as medium height and build with brown eyes and light brown hair. He also mentions a broken hip as a disability. In 1930 the family lived at 8 First Street in Schulter, OK, a home they owned worth $150. William continued his work as a smelter, and in 1942 he was employed by Eagle-Picher Lead Co. according to his World War II draft registration card.

William and Lola lived in Schulter, OK their entire married life. They had been married 52 years when Lola died in 1963. William lived another 18 years and then passed away in 1981 at the age of 94. William and Lola are buried side by side at West Lawn Cemetery in Henryetta, OK. 

 

Charles E Garrison was born in March 1889 in Buncombe County, NC. He attended school, was able to read and write, and worked on the family farm. Charles died in 1911 in Catoosa, OK at the age of 22. He is buried at Dick Duck Cemetery in Catoosa.

Bennie K Garrison was born in April 1891 in Buncombe County, NC and died in 1909 in Catoosa, OK. She was 18 years old. There is no further information known about Bennie, but it is worth noting that Elizabeth Sarah Garrison, had a daughter in 2012 and named her Binnie, perhaps after her late sister. Bennie is buried at Dick Duck Cemetery in Catoosa, OK.

 

Thomas Claiborne Garrison was born on 12 March 1893 in Buncombe County, NC and died on 14 August 1900 at the age of 7. He is buried at Clarks Chapel Cemetery in Weaverville, NC.

 

Laura Mae Garrison was born on 9 July 1895 in Buncombe County, NC and died on 25 August 1896. She was 13 months old. Laura is buried at Clarks Chapel Cemetery in Weaverville, NC.

 

Mary Eva Garrison was born on 29 June 1897 in Buncombe County, NC. Eva had a fifth grade education. She married Robert Leach, son of Marcus Y. Leach, in about 1918. They had three children:

• Mamie, b. about 1918, d. after 1940
• Clarence Elmer, b. 28 October 1919, d. 28 October 2008, married Fannie M Huffman
• Ray Franklin, b. 3 January 1922, d. 20 December 1986, married Margie Canipe 

Interestingly, the family seems to be missing in the 1920 census, but they are listed in the 1930 census as living in Schulter, OK. Robert Leach died on 29 February 1932 at the age of 43. In 1940, Eva is listed on the census with her children. They had moved back to North Carolina, presumably to be near the rest of the Garrison family, and were renting a house in Chadwick-Hoskins for $12 a month. Mamie was working in a bakery, and Clarence and Ray were steel workers. 

Eva died on 10 July 1994 in Charlotte, NC.  She was 97 years old. Eva is buried at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte.

 


Jacob Fulton Garrison. Click here for information about Jacob.

Robert Cornelius "Bob" Garrison was born on 9 September 1902 in Buncombe County, NC. When he was a baby the family moved to Rogers County, OK and Bob grew up there. Like his sister, Eva, he is missing from the 1920 census. By 1926, he was back in Buncombe County. He likely returned to North Carolina with his mother when her marriage to Marcus Leach dissolved. Bob married Irene Katherine Edwards on 21 October 1926. Bob was 24 years old, Irene was 17. They had five children:

• Rosa Lee, b. 12 Aug 1927, d. 16 May 2008, married Wayne Lowrey Richardson
• Clara Mae, b. 31 May 1929, d. 16 May 2008, married David Barron
• Robert Thomas "Tom", b. 15 March 1931, d. 9 July 1992, married Ruth Bernice Tucker
• James Gardner "Coach", b. 5 March 1933, d. 3 April 2015, married Joyce Malone
• Paul Killian, b. 8 July 1935, d. 24 August 2007, married Loyce Louis Tucker

Bob and Irene both had an eighth grade education. In 1930, they were living in Reems Creek, NC. Bob worked as a garage mechanic, and they rented a house for $10 a month. Between 1930-1935 they purchased a house worth $300. An interesting fact about Bob...according to his niece, Norma Garrison Jordan, Bob had a glass eye.

Bob died on 20 March 1990 at the age of 87 and is buried at Charlotte Memorial Gardens in Charlotte, NC. Irene lived to be 91 years old. She died on 22 April 2001. Bob and Irene were married for 64 years.

Oliver Columbus Garrison was born on 28 February 1905 in McKinney, TX. He grew up in Catoosa, OK. He had a sixth grade education, and by age 15 he was working as a farm laborer. When his mother's marriage to Marcus Leach broke apart he relocated to North Carolina with her. He is listed in the minutes of the Flat Creek Baptist Church on 7 September 1924 with a group of people who were baptized that day.

On 24 December 1926, Columbus married Mamie Katherine Rice. He was 21 years old; Mamie was 15. They were married for 11 years before their only child was born. Her name was Dorothy Daffine, born 31 January 1937. Dorothy never married and when she passed away on 3 April 1991 at age 54 her home is listed as a nursing home and her burial as "Burial in State". It appears that she may have been disabled and could have become a ward of the state after the deaths of her parents, but admittedly that is speculation on my part. 

Columbus was an iron and steel worker and was employed by Southern Engineering. He and Mamie were married for 50 years before she passed away on 27 December 1976. Columbus passed away on 29 January 1983 at the age of 77. He and Mamie are buried at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte, NC.

 

James Wesley Garrison was born on 22 December 1908 in Rogers County, OK. In the first four years of his life he experienced the death of his sister, Bennie, his brother, Charles, and his father. In 1920, at age 11, he was living with his mother and stepfather, Marcus Leach, and was attending school. Four years later he had moved with his mother and brothers to North Carolina. He was part of the group referenced above that was baptized on 7 September 1924 at  Flat Creek Baptist Church. 

Wesley married Orla Delitha Willis on 5 January 1927. He was 18; she was 19. Their first child was born later that year. They had three children in total:

• Lorraine Elizabeth, b. 9 Nov 1927, d. 19 May 2001, married Charles Ray Black
• Thelma Marie, b. August 1930, d. 9 July 1931
• Alma Maybelle, b. abt 1934, married Louis Ervan Outlaw (Date of death is unknown; Alma may still be alive at the time this post was written) 

It seems tragedy was fond of Wesley. His second daughter, Thelma, died at 11 months old of tuberculosis. His wife died of the same disease on 20 April 1935, shortly after their daughter, Alma, was born. Orla was 27 years old when she died.

A few months after Orla died Wesley married Sarah Anna Cochran on 5 February 1936. Wesley was employed as a steelworker at Southern Engineering (just like his brother, Columbus), and Sarah worked as a packer at a wholesale candy store. Wesley and Sarah had no children.

Wesley died of a heart attack on 27 January 1958. He was 49 years old. He was buried at Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Mecklenburg County, NC. His wife, Sarah, remarried in 1964 to a man named James Harold Belk. Sarah passed away on 19 August 1996. She is buried at Prospect United Methodist Church Cemetery in Monroe, NC.  

 

Read Next:  
William John Mitchell Garrison and Elizabeth Elmira Ann Roberts
William Riley Edmonds and Sarah Catherine Edmonds

Jacob Fulton Garrison & Minerva Leach

Jacob Fulton Garrison and Minerva Leach were my great-grandparents. Their daughter, Norma, is my grandmother; her siblings are my great-aunts and uncles. NOTE: Information about living people has been omitted (with the exception of easily accessible public records) due to privacy considerations.

Jacob Fulton Garrison

Jacob Fulton Garrison was born on 7 January 1900 in North Carolina. He was the son of Robert F Garrison and Hester Priscilla Edmonds; he was the eighth of eleven children. (To read more about Robert Garrison and Hester Edmonds, click here.) The overwhelming majority of the Garrison family lived in northwestern North Carolina and had been there for generations. Robert and Hester Garrison, however, chose to move their family westward in about 1903. They eventually settled in Rogers County, OK, and Jacob grew up there. He did not have a full education - he only attended school through fourth grade - but that was not uncommon for that time period in that region of the country. At age 18 he was working as a farm laborer in Catoosa, OK. His World War I draft registration card lists him as medium height with dark hair and dark eyes.

By the age of 30 Jacob was working as a railroad laborer. In 1935, the family moved from Catoosa, OK to Altus, OK where Jacob worked as a railroad station foreman. He and Minerva attended the Church of Christ in Altus. Jacob outlived all but two of his siblings. He died of cancer on 26 October 1986 at the age of 86, and is buried at Restlawn Memorial Park in Altus, OK.

Minerva Leach

Minerva Leach was born on 23 December 1903 in Arkansas. She was the daughter of John W Leach and Alice Lee Beach and was the youngest of four children. Her adopted brother, Arnold, was born much later, in 1918. (To read more about John Leach and Alice Beach click here.) Minerva grew up in Catoosa, OK. She had an eighth grade education. There is very little information known about Minerva's family before she married Jacob Garrison. Minerva died on 23 February 1988 and is buried with her husband at Restlawn Memorial Park in Altus, OK.

Marriage and Children of Jacob & Minerva Garrison

Jacob Fulton Garrison and Minerva Leach were married on 21 May 1921 at the First Baptist Church in Claremore, OK. Jacob was 21 years old; Minerva was 17.

Jacob and Minerva had eight children: Alice Priscilla, William Jake, Margie Bell, Thomas Stanley Fulton, John Willard, Betty Lou, Norma Jean, and Jacob Sterling.

Alice Priscilla Garrison was born on 1 Mar 1922 in Catoosa, OK. She was married to George Clifton Cantrell from 26 December 1941 until his death on 15 June 1989. They had one daughter, Cheryl, born in 1950. In 2005 Alice married Robert Frank Lovely and remained married until his death on 6 March 2016. The following information is from Alice's obituary:

"Alice was born March 1, 1922, in Catoosa, Oklahoma, to Jake and Minerva Garrison. She was the oldest of their eight children. The family lived through the hardship of The Great Depression losing two children in early childhood. One year the family lived in a one room log cabin built by her father on an acre of rented land. Despite having only bran and molasses to eat for a year, they shared their home and meals with others less fortunate than they. Alice became a surrogate mother to her siblings while her mother tended the farm and her father worked for the railroad. The family moved to Altus, Oklahoma, when Alice was twelve. She graduated from Altus High School in 1940 as the Salutatorian. She attended college in Altus for two years. During WWII she and her husband moved to Washington D.C. where she worked for the State Department in the code breaking department. After the war they moved to Oklahoma City where Cheryl was born. Alice worked in the Insurance Industry for fifty years, rising to a management position and retiring at age seventy-five. She was respected as a highly competent employee and was well liked by her many friends and colleagues, with whom she stayed in contact after retirement. Alice and Cheryl were Charter members of the Memorial Christian Church. Alice attended church regularly for more than sixty years, serving as an Elder and on many standing committees. It was on one of the Church committees that Alice met Robert "Bob" Lovely. Alice and Bob married in 2005, both in their eighties. They both remained active and independent in their home for ten years. Alice described these years as the happiest of her life. Bob and Alice were consistently kind, generous and welcoming to their extended families. Alice loved bowling, belonged to many leagues over a fifty year period, bowled a game of over 200 only two years ago, and had many bowling buddies. She had planned to return to her bowling league next month. She was an accomplished gardener; this year's yard was as lovely as any."

Alice died peacefully at her home in Oklahoma City, OK on 23 August 2016 at the age of 94. She was buried at Rose Hill Burial Park in Oklahoma City.

William Jake "Willie" Garrison was born in Catoosa, OK on 3 March 1924 and died of pneumonia on 3 January 1927.

Margie Bell Garrison was born on 8 November 1925 in Catoosa, OK. She married Richard Stewart in Crawford County, Arkansas on 12 Nov 1949. They had three children: Carolyn, Richard, and Norma Lou. Richard was an alcoholic and was abusive. While Margie was pregnant with Norma Lou, Richard kicked her in the stomach. Norma Lou was born with cerebral palsy and was mentally handicapped; she lived in an institution for most of her life. She was named for Margie's younger sisters, Norma and Betty Lou. Margie left Richard soon after Norma Lou was born. In 1956 she married Wilburn Phillip "Buck" Birdwell. They lived in Snyder, OK and were happily married until he died on 27 May 2004. They had one child together, Lynda. According to Margie's obituary, "she walked everywhere she went and never learned to drive. She enjoyed her family, playing card games, and working word search puzzles. She was a homemaker and a member of Southside Baptist Church in Snyder." Margie died on 12 July 2014 in Snyder, OK at the age of 88, and was buried at Rogers Cemetery in Tillman County, OK.

Thomas Stanley Fulton "Tommy" Garrison was born on 27 November 1927 in Catoosa, OK. In 1946, at age 18, Tommy enlisted in the US Army and served for eighteen months including time at the Panama Canal. After his military service Tommy married Gaynell Adams in Lawton, OK. They had a daughter, Brenda. Tommy and Gaynell lived in Altus, OK until Tommy's death on 2 September 2006. He is buried at Altus Cemetery in Altus.

John Willard "Johnny" Garrison was born on 11 October 1930 in Catoosa, OK. He married Laqueta McCracken on 9 August 1953, and they had two children: Sheila and John Glen. Laqueta died on 3 August 2011, and Sheila died on 1 March 2016. At the time of writing, Johnny was living in Burleson, TX.

Betty Lou Garrison was born on 14 January 1932 in Catoosa, OK. She graduated from Cyril High School and married Bill R Gibson in 1951. Betty and Bill lived in Lindsay, OK and had four children: Billy Keith, Lanette, Barbara, and Janette. Bill passed away on 9 January 1991, and on 18 March 1992 Betty married Neal VanHooser. They also lived in Lindsay, OK until Betty's death due to multiple myeloma on 8 January 2007. Betty was a member of the Church of Christ and loved to serve others. Even during her fight with cancer she was known for being in the kitchen cooking meals and saying "people are sick and need food". Betty enjoyed bowling, playing the piano, and spending time with her family. She was ruthless when it came to Skip-bo. Betty was buried at Green Hill Cemetery in McClain County, OK.

Norma Jean Garrison was born on 22 October 1933. She married Jake Jordan on 2 May 1953, and they had three sons: Paul, Royce, and Brent. Jake passed away on 14 March 2012. At the time of writing, Norma was living in Mesquite, TX.

Jacob Sterling "Jakie" Garrison was born on 8 June 1935 in Altus, OK and died on 10 November 1935. His exact cause of death is unknown. His sister, Norma, said she remembers her mother saying Jakie "couldn't cry" and Norma has always assumed there was a problem with his lungs. Although Jakie died in Altus, OK he was taken back to Catoosa, OK to be buried with other family members according to Norma.

Read Next: 
Robert F Garrison and Hester Priscilla Edmonds 
John W Leach and Alice Lee Beach
 

List of Garrison siblings written Norma Garrison Jordan