How Many Times Was George Beck Married?

George Beck and Kathleen Coleman on their wedding day in 1921

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 first 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.

The marriage license of George Beck and Kathleen Coleman