Friday, July 12, 2013

How Many Times Was George Beck Married?


Kathleen Coleman and George Beck on their wedding day


When my paternal great-grandfather, George Beck, married my great-grandmother, Kathleen Coleman on September 14, 1921, he was the divorced father of two young girls.

George Martin Beck (who changed his name from Gerhardus Marinus Beukenkamp after emigrating to America from Amsterdam) was previously married to Marie M. Iversen. Marie was also an immigrant, having been born in Norway. They wed in 1912 in Woodbury, Iowa. Together, they had the following children:
  1. Julia “Julie” Evelyn Beck, b. August 22, 1912 in Nebraska; m. Carroll B. Argent; d. August 13, 2011 in Edmonds, Washington
  2. Betty Irene Beck, b. December 23, 1914 in Nebraska; d. May 10, 1996 in Seattle, Washington

George and Marie were living in Nebraska when their daughters were born, but by 1919, Marie had resettled in Washington State and married August Bardahl. At first, the children seem to have stayed with George, as they appear with him in the 1920 U.S. Census in Omaha, Nebraska. However, by 1921, Julie and Betty had moved to Washington with their mother, and George was living in Los Angeles. 

George married my great-grandmother, Kathleen Meldon Coleman, in Los Angeles on September 16, 1921.  Kathleen was also an immigrant, having sailed to North America from Australia in 1919. George and Kathleen would soon have two daughters of their own.
  1. Margaret Florence Beck, b. December 9, 1922 in Los Angeles, California; m. Claude Brenton Hoover; d. January 24, 2004 in Vista, California
  2. Jeanette Mary Beck, b. December 23, 1925 in Eagle Rock, California; m. David Austin Lacey; d. January 7, 2001 in Fallbrook, California

My father requested a marriage license for George and Kathleen to store alongside some family photos. It was a great surprise to find that George Beck and Kathleen Coleman’s marriage license indicates that George had another ex-wife, and his marriage to Kathleen was actually his third marriage. Since then, my father and I have searched marriage records, both for George and Gerhardus, but have not turned up any evidence of a third wife. Perhaps the marriage took place in The Netherlands, prior to George’s departure for America, and we simply haven’t located the Dutch paperwork yet. Did a young Gerhardus flee a failed marriage in Amsterdam? He was only 21 years old when he arrived in the United States in 1909, but it's possible. 

The 1920 U.S. Census indicates that George was married at that time, but Marie had moved to Washington and married August Bardahl a year earlier. Could George have (very) briefly remarried between his separation from Marie and his departure for California? I can't find any paperwork to suggest that either of these scenarios is correct.

It's possible the "3" written on the marriage license is an error, and George was only married twice, but that's quite an error to leave uncorrected. I'll continue to look for any records that might clear up this mystery.

George and Kathleen's marriage license


12 comments:

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    1. Thank you! I appreciate you stopping by to check out my blog.

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    1. Thank you! I am really looking forward to getting to know other members of the community and reading a lot of great blogs.

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  3. Welcome to Geneabloggers! They are a great and wonderful group of supportive genealogists! :D

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    1. Thank you for stopping by my blog! I am so inspired by the other blogs I've found on Geneabloggers and am sure I'm going to learn lots from this community.

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  4. Erin, yes, there are some real surprises that can be unearthed in this family history pursuit! I hope you find the evidence you are seeking. That thought about the other wife actually being the first, in Amsterdam, is tantalizing. I know there are some bilingual bloggers from the Netherlands on GeneaBloggers who may be able to help you in your search.

    By the way, I found your blog today through a mention at GeneaBloggers. Welcome! And best wishes as you continue your family history blogging.

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    1. Hi Jacqui, thanks for stopping by my blog! Yes, I'm very intrigued by the possibility that there may have been a first wife in The Netherlands. Another blogger from GeneaBloggers has already reached out to me about Dutch ancestry, and I'm sure I'll pick up some tips about doing further research there. Thanks for the warm welcome to the blogging community! ~Erin

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  5. Erin, Welcome to Geneabloggers!!

    I see Jacqi Stevens has already graced this page. She is a great blogger and does a blog everyday. I don't know how she does it. I wish I had her writing skills. I joined about nine months ago and have enjoyed sharing stories I have been able to find on my great great grandfather Stephen Sherwood. I never know what will turn up next.

    Regards, Grant

    http://thestephensherwoodletters.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Grant, thanks for checking out my blog! It's lovely to get such a warm welcome. I won't be posting every day, for sure, so you're not alone there. I've added your blog to my reader and looking forward to reading your posts. Best wishes, Erin

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  6. You are doing a great job! You have genealogy followers!

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    1. I'm blogging! I'm blogging! Thanks for providing the inspiration. See you soon!

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