Katherine Elizabeth Beam (1951)

BEAM, CUNNINGHAM, MCNAMARA

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 1/6/2007 at 10:57:54

Winterset Madisonian - November 14, 1951
Winterset, Iowa

KATHERINE BEAM DIED HERE MONDAY

Funeral Services Held on Tuesday from St. Joseph's Catholic Church

Mrs. Katherine E. Beam, member of a pioneer Madison county family, died Monday morning, Nov. 12 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ernest J. McNamara in Winterset. Mrs. Beam had made her home with her son-in-law and daughter during recent years, and was apparently in good health when a sudden heart attack caused her death about nine o'clock Monday morning. She had fallen about a year ago, fracturing her pelvic bone, and was a hospital patient for several months, but had recovered.

A daughter of the late John and Catherine Brazil Cunningham, Katherine Elizabeth was born in Crawford township in this county Jan. 19, 1871. Here she spent her girlhood and then attended St. Joseph's Academy in Des Moines. She was married to T. Walter Beam of Denver, Colo., Nov. 19, 1891, and they lived all of their married life in Denver, with the exception of two years which were spent in California. They were the parents of a son, John W. Beam of Denver, and the daughter, Marguerite McNamara of Winterset. One daughter, Kate Beam, died in infancy, and Mr. Beam died March 1, 1919. Mrs. Beam returned to Madison county in 1930, and Winterset had since been her home. She was the youngest child in the Cunningham family and her brothers and sisters preceded her in death.

Requiem High Mass for Mrs. Beam was conducted by the Rev. J. J. Judge at St. Joseph's Catholic church in Winterset Tuesday morning at 9:30, and burial was at Mt. Olivet cemetery in Denver Wednesday, Nov. 14. Rosary services were held Monday evening at the Richards Funeral home.

In addition to her children, Mrs. Beam is survived by two grandchildren, Katherine McNamara of Des Moines, and Michael McNamara who is stationed at the O'Hare Airforce base at Park Ridge, Ill.

Mr. and Mrs. John Beam of Denver came by plane to Des Moines Monday afternoon and Mr. and Mrs. McNamara and Katherine and Miss Mary McNamara accompanied them back to Denver last night for the burial rites today.