Biography - Thomas Bean
THOMAS BEAN was born in Kentucky, August 4, 1827, and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Martin) Bean, both natives of Tennessee. The father owned a farm in Kentucky, and followed farming until his death, in 1827. He remained at home until he was twenty-three years old, having had during his home life about three months' education all told. His mother sold the farm in Kentucky and removed 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 resided with her children until her death in 1866.
When the war came on, Thomas Bean enlisted at Mt. 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. Returning home he rented his mother's farm and lived there about one year, and then rented another farm in the same county. In 1880 and 1882, he purchased land on sections 2 and 35, Cache Township, and now has as good a farm as there is in the township, upon which the house and other buildings are also first class. He was married January 22, 1851, to Martha J. Bryant, who died December 27, 1852. September 24, 1854, he was married the second time, to Naomi Jones, who was born in Kentucky on the 20th of July, 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Bean have seven children, viz: Martha J., Thomas M., William Findley, Mary Ann, Arna T., Carlos C., and Sarah C., who is engaged in teaching school in her home district. Mr. and Mrs. Bean are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is a member of the Grand Army Post at Belknap, and of the Republican party.
Extracted 16 Dec 2016 by Norma Hass from 1893 Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope, and Hardin Counties, Illinois, pages 617-618.
