Aunt Annie

Anne Beaton was the youngest daughter of Donald (Daniel) and Elizabeth Beaton. Ann never married and, apparently, lived in the homes of others her entire life. Her story can be followed through US census records, however, and ends with an interesting connection to the present.

The first question is when, and where, was Anne born. According to the 1900 census, she was born in April, 1852, in Minnesota. That would be at Fort Snelling. The 1850 census shows the Beaton family living at Fort Snelling on June 1, 1850. Their children are listed as Mattias (Matthew) and Catharine. Anne isn't listed. The only two people in the household in 1900 were Anne and her mother, either of whom should have known, so it would appear that the information was accurate.

But, it cannot be. Donald died in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 20, 1852. On March 30, 1852, Elizabeth was in Galena, Illinois filing a petition with the Jo Daviess County Court in the matter of the death of her husband without a will. It is unlikely that a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy would travel from Galena to Fort Snelling. After the death of Donald there would be no reason to go to Fort Snelling. On the other hand, Elizabeth spent the winter of 1851-1852 at Fort Snelling with three children according to her 1910 obituary. Anne was the third child and it isn't likely that Elizabeth traveled from Fort Snelling to Galena in March if she was going to give birth in April.

It is likely that the month, April, listed in the 1900 census record is correct. It is possible that she might have been born in 1852 in Illinois (and Illinois is listed as her birthplace in several other census records) but the most likely birth date is April, 1851, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota Territory.

In the 1860 census, Anna Beaton, age 9, (child former husband), born in Minnesota, is shown living with her mother, Elizabeth O'Leary, age 33, and Thomas O'Leary, age 42, in Galena. Also in the household is Catharine Leary, age 68. Both Catharine and Thomas were born in Ireland. Thomas and Elizabeth had been married within the year.

In the 1870 census, Ana Beaton, age 16, is listed as living with Thomas and Elizabeth O'Leary in Galena. Thomas O'Leary's profession is listed as "City Marshall." Also in the household are Augustus O'Leary, age 9, Kate Beaton, age 17 (Anne's older sister who really was about 23), and Jennie Byan (Ryan?). Gus, Kate, Ana, and Jennie all attended school within the previous year. If Jennie's surname is Ryan, then she may be Anne's cousin, the daughter of Catherine Dwen Ryan Young.

In the 1880 census, Anna Oleary, age 29, is living with her mother and half brother, Augustus, age 19 in Galena. According to Elizabeth's 1910 obituary, Thomas O'Leary died in 1883, but in 1880 he was gone and Elizabeth is listed as a widow. Anna's occupation is listed as "dressmaker." Her birth place is listed as Illinois and her father's birthplace is listed as Ireland.

The 1890 census records have been largely destroyed.

In 1900 Annie O'Leary, age 48, was still living with her mother in Galena. Elizabeth was shown as the mother of four children, but only two are living. They would be Anne and her brother Matthew Beaton. Catherine (Kate) Beaton and Gus O'Leary must be dead. Anne's birthplace is listed as Minnesota and her father's birthplace is listed as Ireland.

In the 1910 census, Annie Beaton, age 57, has moved in with her brother, Matthew Beaton, age 64, and is living in Chicago. Elizabeth died earlier in the year and it was noted in her obituary that Anne would be moving to Rogers Park in Chicago to live with Matthew. In addition to Anne the household in Rogers Park consisted of Matthew; his wife, Sarah B., age 60; his son, Matthew Jr., age 17; his daughter, Irene Leader, age 38; and his grandchildren, Catherine, age 16, Irene, age 14, and Claire F. Leader, age 11. In addition, three of Matthew's daughters and a son-in-law lived next door. These were Frederick B. Cozzens, age 43, Katherine B. Cozzens age 38, Mary G. Beaton, age 28, and Eleanor Beaton, age 25.

By the 1920 census, Matthew Beaton has died. His widow, Sallie Beatton, age 69, is living with her son, Donald, age 44, in the same house that Sarah and Matthew shared with so many family members ten years earlier. Frederick Cozzins, age 53, and Catherine Cozzins, age 48, still share the house next door with Eleanor Beatton, age 35. Mary Beaton is now Mary Adams and is still living with her sisters, and, now, her husband, Raymond Adams, in the same house.

Annie Beaton has moved again by 1920, she is now listed as a roomer in the home of Harry, age 26, and Catherine, age 26, Connors. Catherine, of course, is the Catherine Leader living with her grandfather, Matthew Beaton, in 1910. A second roomer in this household is Clara Hellman. This household is one unit in a four-plex (owned by Harry Connors). Another unit of the four-plex was occupied by Irene Leader, age 48, Irene S. Leader, age 24, and Claire Leader, age 21.

This was a little more than a year before my father was born. Clara Hellman is the "Aunt Clara" who wrote four letters to my father in the mid-1950s. During the winter of 2005 I was able to describe this household to my father. He responded, "Aunt Annie, I remember her, she danced at Aunt Claire's wedding." And I remember Aunt Claire. Claire Leader married Edgar Anderson in 1923 when my father was 2. Aunt Claire danced at my wedding when she was in her 70s. She danced with my baby daughters at another wedding when she was in her 80s. She died in 1994.

Anne Beaton appears to have been dead by the time of the 1930 census.