Beers Family

BEERS

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 6/27/2019 at 19:20:14

THE BEERS FAMILY
"Reflections of Grand River, Iowa 1881-1981"
Clarke Pub. Co. Osceola IA. 1981.

The Beers Ancestry came to Decatur County from Ohio in the 1850's. peter Beers had six children in Ohio. After losing his wife, Mary Pendery in 1850, he started hauling freight from Burlington to Decatur County. In 1855 he bought 80 acres from the government for $1.00 per acre.

This log cabin was built by Peter Beers in 1856. It was located three miles east of Grand River in Sec. 25 of Richland Township on land presently owned by Max Binning. Max donated it to the Decatur County Historical Society.

Max Binning was the great-great grandson of Peter Beers. The log cabin was moved to North Park in Leon, Iowa, in 1974, by Dr. Thomas McMillan and Harry Graves (where it stands restored today).

In 1859, Peter Beers married Idria Ann Wycoff of Grand River. Four children were born to this union: Edward (1859-1940); Alvira (1862-1862); Anetta (1866-?); David (1868-1941).

Peter raised his family here, near Grand River, and in 1883, he sold this farm to his oldest son, Edward. In 1890, Edward Beers married Mary V. Miller and to this union nine children were born, three of them in this log cagin: Fred (1891); Phillip Ervin (1892); Ella (1893). The Edward Beer's family lived there till 1894, when they moved to a log cabin near Long Creek on the Francis Miller farm which was later owned by Fred Beers and is presently owned by Ed and Reva Beers, grandson of Edward Beers.

Frank Beers, their fourth child was born here in 1895. The Beers family was living here when the railroad was being built. Many of the workers boarded with the Beers family while building the Long Creek bridge. The older Beers children attended Woodard Country School until they moved southeast of Decatur City in 1900. While living near Decatur City, three of the Beers children were born: Edith (1901); William H. (1903); Nellie L. (1905).

In 1909, the Beers family moved to a large farm five miles north of Decatur. While living north of Decatur the youngest child was born: Helen (1909).

A Flag Station was nearby called Kingston and later changed to Delray. There were four passenger trains and two frieghts daily. An active stock yard was also in this location. Edward Beers operated a horsepowered thresher and later poerated a large thresher powered by a big steam engine. Fred, Ervin and William all operated threshers and threshed grain for miles around. Fred and William also operated sawmills and wood saws for many years.

In 1920, the Beers family moved to a farm two miles east of Grand River where the Max Binning family now live.

Copied from "Reflections of Grand River, Iowa 1881-1981" by Stacey McDowell Dietiker, May 16, 2001