Nelson D. Beall

BEALL, JENKINS, CADLE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/8/2007 at 21:14:00

Source: History of Monona County
Chicago National Pub.1890

Nelson D. Beall, the present Assessor of Spring Valley, of which township he is one of the leading farmers, residing on section 22, was born in Linn County, Iowa, December 27, 1842, and is the son of Vincent and Rachel (Jenkins) Beall. His father,.a native of Virginia, was born in the western part of the State, August 15, 1811, and the following year was taken to Ohio by his parents, where he grew to manhood and there December 13, 1836, he was married. His wife was a native of Nova Scotia. The young couple emigrated shortly after marriage to Illinois, and from there in 1840 came to Iowa and settled in Linn County, among its pioneers. The family remained in Linn County until 1856, the father in the meantime serving as Sheriff for four years, and in other minor offices, when they removed to Taylor County and there took up farming again. After having served as a member of the board of supervisors, Mr. Beall died July 28, 1885, his wife having preceded him in death in 1863. Mr. Beall had been engaged in school-teaching in his younger days, and he and his wife were zealous members of the Methodist Church.
Nelson D. Beall remained with the family in Linn and Taylor Counties, assisting his father in his farm labors until August 9, 1862 when, filled with the patriotism that covered our country with marching columns of men pressing forward in defence of the Union, he enlisted in Company F, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, and served out his term of service in the southwest. He participated in the battle at Helena, Ark. And the expedition that led to the capture of Little Rock, under General Steele, and at New Orleans and Mobile was stationed for some time. Though this was one of the best disciplined and bravest regiments of the war, it was long kept from participation in active service by being stationed in Arkansas. Being on detached duty as teamster near Spanish Fort, in March 1865, our subject was taken prisoner and held for over a month, when he was paroled and came home until exchanged, but the war being then over he was mustered out of service and discharged at Davenport, June 19, 1865.
Returning to his home in Taylor County Mr. Beall engaged in farming, which he followed in that locality until coming to Monona County in 1882, with the exception of the summer of 1870, which he spent in Nevada. In politics he is a Democrat and possesses considerable influence in the local councils of that party.
Mr. Beall was married April 7, 1867, to Miss Mary E. Cadle, a native of Claiborne County, Tenn., who was born February 2, 1849, and is the daughter of Green B and Elizabeth (Moore) Cadle, the former a veteran of the Mexican War. Her parents, natives also of Tennessee, settled in Davis County, Iowa, in 1851, whence they removed shortly after to Taylor County, where her father died July 27, 1863. Her mother is a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The latter was the mother of seven children, four boys and three girls, of whom Mrs. Beall is the eldest.
Mr. and Mrs. Beall are the parents of three children: Cora May, born July 18, 1868, who died September 27, 1875: Frank L., born November 29, 1876, and Alta D., January 23, 1879. Mrs. Beall is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.