Biography - Thomas Bean
THOMAS BEAN was born in Kentucky, August 4, 1827, and now resides in Belknap, Johnson County. He is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Martin) Bean, who were both natives of Tennessee; the former owned a farm in Kentucky, where he followed farming until his death, which took place in 1827. Thomas Bean remained at home until he was twenty-three years old, having had during his home life about three months' schooling in all. After the death of his father, the mother sold the farm in Kentucky and moved to Illinois by wagon, crossing the Ohio River at New Liberty Landing, and purchased land in Johnson County in December, 1850. She lived there until 1860, when she sold her land and lived with her children until her death, in 1866.
When the war came on, our subject enlisted at Pisgah, Johnson County, as a member of Company C, One Hundred and Twentieth Illinois Infantry, and served until March 5, 1863, when he was honorably discharged on account of physical disability. He was in poor health all the time he was in the service, and after receiving his dismissal, he returned home and rented his mother's farm, on which he lived about ten years. At that time he rented another farm in the same county, and in 1880 and 1882 he purchased land on sections 2 and 35, Cache Township, which is now as good a farm as there is in the township, and upon which the house and other buildings are also first class.
The gentleman of whom we write was married January 22, 1852, to Martha J. Bryant, who died on the 27th of December, 1852. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Bean was married the second time, September 24, 1854, to Naomi Jones, who was born in Kentucky July 20, 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Bean have seven children: Martha J., Thomas M., William Findley, Mary Ann, Anna T., Carlos C. and Sarah C. Mr. and Mrs. Bean are both active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is also connected with the Grand Army Post at Belknap. Politically, he is affiliated with the Republican party, for which he exerts all his influence.
Extracted 16 Dec 2016 by Norma Hass from 1893 Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope, and Hardin Counties, Illinois, pages 342-343.
