Family History: David Phillips part II

Some time ago, I learned that my great, great, grandpa David Phillips was an enumerator for the Nebraska 1890 census.  Specifically, he counted the Civil War veterans and noted the units they were with and any wounds or disabilities they had from the war.  As an enumerator, he took his own information.  I noted on the web page that was translated from hand written documents that David wrote phonetically.  He stated that his disability following the war was "Despppitic," that he had it since 1865 and it was "bad at times."  The translator added question marks since they weren't certain what he meant or couldn't read the word.  I just Googled despppitic and got dyspeptic.  If this is the word David meant as to his disability, then it means that he suffered from depression and/or irritability. 

I also found proof that David’s family lived in Wells county Indiana in 1840.  This is the year he was born and, though the 1840 census doesn’t give a lot of information.  It does note Hiram Phillips, David’s father, lived there and it notes the sex and general ages of everyone in his household.  The ages/sexes of everyone match what I know about the family. I hope to do some research there some day and, hopefully, can find land records.

From either an obituary or someone’s comments following David’s death, I’ve learned that the family moved to Iowa in 1847. Why 1847?  Iowa became a state on December 28, 1846.  The obituary continues “At the age of seven his parents moved to Buchanan co., IA and six years later to Harrison co., where he lived until 1861 when he returned to Buchanan co. and met Miss Sarah Fish to whom he was married April 12, 1861, and moved to Woodbury co., IA where they lived until the year 1881, when they came to Madison co., NE where they have resided ever since, over 39 years. For nine months and 21 days he had been confined to his bed. The children were all present at the time of his death. The deceased was a veteran of the Civil War being a volunteer in Co. B, 15th Iowa Infantry, and served his country faithfully for nine months.

Here is a news article and a favorite story about David and his daughter’s wedding anniversary. 

Golden Wedding Celebration of Mr. and Mrs. George Beed

March 18, 1933

The following article taken from the Elkhorn Journal, Battle Creek’s first newspaper, was printed in 1883, and read at the golden wedding celebration.

Rose Phillips and George Beed were married at the home of the bride.s parents in Highland Precinct, Madison County, Nebraska, March 18, 1883. F. H. L. Willis, Esquire, officiated at the wedding of George Beed and Rose Phillips. The above event has been looked for by the people of this locality for some time. No cards but lots of cake. Miss Rose has had a host of admirers ever since her residences here but George has by persistent wooing, won the prize and left the rest of suitors in the background.

Highland.s constable, no doubt thinking that somebody might harm the happy pair, summoned about a dozen able assistants to his aid, went and guarded their premises the same evening, took such weapons as old shotguns, cowbells, etc., which I believe kept at ball all who would be liable to harm them. This, of course, is rather unusual occurrence on a Sabbath evening but the majesty of the law must be upheld at all hazards.

Signed, .The Esq.

The couple were married at high noon at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Phillips. After the wedding, the couple went to make their home in a dugout. They lived in the dugout a year, then succeeded to a homestead west of Battle Creek. Four years later they sold this homestead and moved to their timber claim three and one-half miles northeast of Meadow Grove.

In the blizzard of 1888, Mr. Beed became lost in the storm. Mrs. Beed went in search of him and found him wandering near the house with both eyes and his mouth frozen shut and his mittens frozen to his hands.

They lived on their timber claim until 1911 when they came to Meadow Grove to make their residence. They had both come to Madison County in covered wagons, Mr. Beed in 1872, and Mrs. Beed in 1881.  The George Beed’s had three children, Emma, Earl and Lester Beed.

At the golden wedding celebration there was one guest present who was also at the

wedding, Mrs. Malissa Ober. Source: They Called It Meadow Grove

FYI, Malissa Ober is one of David’s sisters.

#genealogy #familyhistory #iowahistory #nebraskahistory