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Title
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Finding Aid for the Beal and Thomas Families Papers
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Type
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Collection
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Date
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1864-1993
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Description
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This collection consists of family reunion documents for the Beal family and Beal/Thomas families. Included are: photographs; family newsletters; family reunion newsletter; family reunion programs; family reunion letter; family reunion project questionnaire; letter concerning questionnaire; Beal reunion mailing list; photographs; family record; newspaper articles; funeral program; miscellaneous Irwin/Lincoln family research; letter asking for family stories; Beal reunion guestbook; and Beal reunion minutes. Significant gaps for which no photographs or newsletters exist from 1864-1930 and 1936-1974.
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Language
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English
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Extent
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6 Folders
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Identifier
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MGC 1009
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extracted text
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Beal and Thomas Families Papers
Collection Summary
Title
Beal and Thomas Families Papers
Date
1864-1993
Extent
6 folders
Name and Location of Repository
Midwest Genealogy Center, Independence (Mo.)
Reference code: MGC 1009-BTFP
Processed by: Nicole Pye, 2012; Finding aid created by Amy Luther, 2012
Names of Creators
Beal Family
Thomas Family
Biographical History
Winfield Beal and his second wife, Permelia, left Virginia in March 1886, following Samuel Beal,
Winfield’s son from his first marriage, who had moved to Missouri in 1884. The Beals originally settled
in Independence, Missouri before moving to Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Winfield established a farm
outside of Lee’s Summit before he died August 28, 1888 at the age of 62. Winfield was buried in Lee’s
Summit. Permelia died April 13, 1910 and was also buried in Lee’s Summit.
Samuel married Bodie Ellen Selvey on November 24, 1887 in Independence, Missouri. Samuel farmed
on land in Jackson County and they continued to live in the area. Bodie died in June 4, 1929 and Samuel
died 11 years later on April 1, 1940; both are buried in Blue Springs, Missouri.
James D. Thomas was born May 13, 1858 in Fluvanna County, Virginia. Gazelle Beal was born March 10,
1868 in Albemarle County, Virginia. James and Gazelle were married in 1886 in Virginia. Two years later
in March 1888, they emigrated from Virginia to Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The Thomas family were
following Gazelle’s father, Winfield Beal, who had emigrated with his family previously. Like Winfield
Beal, James farmed rented land outside of Lee’s Summit. James died October 15, 1935 and was buried
in Lee’s Summit. Gazelle died 20 years later on July 17, 1955 and was also buried in Lee’s Summit.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of family reunion documents for the Beal family and Beal/Thomas families.
Included are: photographs; family newsletters; family reunion newsletter; family reunion programs;
family reunion letter; family reunion project questionnaire; letter concerning questionnaire; Beal
reunion mailing list; photographs; family record; newspaper articles; funeral program; miscellaneous
Irwin/Lincoln family research; letter asking for family stories; Beal reunion guestbook; and Beal reunion
minutes. Significant gaps for which no photographs or newsletters exist from 1864-1930 and 19361974.
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Beal and Thomas Families Papers
Collection Inventory
System of Arrangement
These records are arranged in six series.
Series 1, Beal Family Newsletters and Reunion Ephemera, 1930-1993
Item 1, Beal Family Newsletter, April 1993
Item 2, Beal Family Newsletter, 1992
Item 3, Beal Family Newsletter, June 30, 1991
Item 4, Beal Reunion Newsletter, January 20, 1991
Item 5, Beal Family Reunion program, May 27, 1990
Item 6, Beal Family Reunion program, May 28, 1989
Item 7, Beal Family Reunion program, May 24, 1987
Item 8, Beal Family Reunion program, May 25, 1986
Item 9, Beal Family Reunion program, May 26, 1985
Item 10, Beal Family Reunion program, May 27, 1984
Item 11, Beal Family Reunion program, May 25, 1980
Item 12, Beal Family Reunion letter, July 8, 1930
Series 2, Beal Family Reunion Project, 1986-1987
Item 1, Letter regarding questionnaire, March 25, 1987
Item 2, Questionnaires from 57th Beal Reunion, May, 1987
Item 3, Beal Reunion mailing list, possibly 1986 or 1987
Series 3, Photographs, 1864-1993
Item 1, Emma Beal, 1864
Item 2, Samuel Beal family, undated
Item 3, Beal/Thomas family, March 8, 1936
Item 4, Beal/Thomas family, March 8, 1936
Item 5, Thomas/Templeton family, undated
Item 6, Beal/Thomas family, undated
Item 7, Beal/Thomas family, undated
Item 8, Beal/Thomas family, undated
Item 9, Leonard Beal with family, undated
Item 10, Charley & Eliza Beal Brownfield family, undated
Item 11, Jim Thomas and his sons, undated
Item 12, James D. Thomas & Gazelle Beal Thomas family, 1930
Item 13, Brownfield family, 1930
Item 14, Inez Beal McCary and family, undated
Item 15, Amanda Scott Beal & Robert Joseph Thomas, undated
Item 16, Negatives from 1980 Beal Reunion, May 1980
Item 17, Negatives from 1981 Beal Reunion, 1981
Item 18, Unknown individual, undated
Item 19, Waverly Thomas at 105 years old, undated
Item 20, Mrs. Judith McCary Bass, undated
Item 21, Photographs from 1993 Beal Reunion, 1993
Item 22, Photocopy of photograph from 60th Reunion, 1990
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Beal and Thomas Families Papers
Series 4, Beal/Thomas Family History
Item 1, Family Record, Undated
Item 2, Newspaper articles regarding Waverly Thomas, 1989, 1993
Item 3, Program from Waverly Thomas’ funeral, November 17, 1993
Item 4, Misc. Irwin/Lincoln family research, undated
Item 5, Letter asking for family stories, 1990
Series 5, Beal Reunion Guest Book, 1977-1994
Series 6, Beal Reunion Minutes, 1974-1990
Rights and Access
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use by appointment.
Physical Access
Most records within this collection are housed in file folders. Individual postcards and photographs are
housed within plastic sleeves.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Languages and Scripts of the Material
Materials in the collection are entirely in English.
Finding Aids
Name index is available from the archivist.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected for this collection.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals owned by the Midwest Genealogy Center.
Notes
The following sources were consulted during the preparation of the biographical history:
Ancestry.com. “Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.,
2007.
Ancestry.com. “Web: Missouri, Find A Grave Index, 1812-2011.” Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations,
Inc., 2012.
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