The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-02-21
LIFE Of WILLIAM c. BEELS
iE SETTLED IN NORFOLK THIRTY
FOUR YEARS AGO.
ORGANIZED METHODIST GLASS
He is Survived by Four Children, All
Of Whom Are Prominent Residents
Of Norfolk at the Present Time-Re-
view of His Career.

Of Whom Are Prominent Residents
Of Norfolk at the Present Time-Re-
view Of His Career.
William G. Beels was born in Parma
township, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, on
May a. 1880, and was one of family
of ten children.
From 1S4S to 1862 he engaged in
various pursuits in Ohio, Indiana and
Wisconsin. He became member OF
the Masonic fraternity in 1852 and
joined the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows in 1854.
On Jan. 6, 1854, he was married to
Cynthia Ann Hull, who died Jan. Is.
1859, leaving one daughter, Cora Ann.
On March 10, 1861, he was married to
Sarah Francis Hull and to them were
born three children.
During the winter of 1857 at Ed
harrisburg, Indiana, he was converted
and joined the Methodist Episcopal
church. The following October he
was given license to exhort
In 1862, on the call for ninety day
troops, he recruited company of men
from Ripley county for the Eighty
third Indiana Volunteer infantry and
was appointed it's captain. The COM
pany spent the time in camp near Law
Irenceberg and not receiving an as
signment to active service was mus
tered out. Returning to his home he
engaged in farming until 1865 when at
. h., &c e,;1 Dc hn int
ed recruiting officer for the Fourth
congressional district. He recruited
another company which was mustered
in April 10, 1865, at Indianapolis as
Company c and was commissioned its
captain and assigned to the One Hun
diana volunteer infantry. Afterwards
he was appointed chaplain of the camp
of 10000 soldiers. He went with his
regiment to Washington, thence to
Alexandra, Va, reaching there on the
day the nation held memorial services
for Abraham Lincoln. He was at
Memphis, Germantown, Coldwater and
Wyattville on different details of duty.
At one time he ran the confederate
pickets from Holly Springs to Mem
phis, having in charge government
mail. He was mustered out with his
company on August 8, 1865.
He in 1866 moved to Buchanan coun-
ty, Iowa, where he purchased 200
acre farm and secured the location of
the townste of Hazelton by donating
twenty acres to the B. c. r. & N. R'y.
In 1874 he decided to move further
west and chose Norfolk as his future
home, coming here in July of that
year.
During the following years he did
a great deal of church work and orga-
nized the first Methodist class in Nor
folk in the winter of 1S74-5. He
served under Elders VanDuser, Hoyt,
Marquette and Maxfeld During the
hard times of grasshopper days the
family made many good friends.
In 1875 he established the Elkhorn
Valley hotel at the corner of Third
street and Norfolk avenue, where now
stands the McClary building. From
the hotel he moved to the farm north
west of Norfolk where he remained
until 1887 After spending six years
in Mt Vernon, Iowa, he returned to
the farm for one year; then retiring
from active life he moved to the home
on South Fifth street.
| AS the days of inactivity crept upon
him he spent them at his home away
from the busy whirl and cares of bust
ness; here it was that his wife died
August %, 1906, leaving him to drift
quietly with time until he should be
called to join her.
| The last month of his life was spent
in considerable physical suffering, able
at times to ride down town and sit
for a few hours and visit with his ac-
lquaintances.
He is survived by one brother and
two sisters-R. F. Beels, Galva, Ill.,;
Mrs Jane Hodgman, Lakota, Mich,
and Mrs, Harriet Stevens, Three Oaks,
Mich.-also by his two daughters, Mrs.
Geo. N. Beels and Mrs. NJ. c. Hazen,
and two sons, Edw. r. and Frank II.
All four now live in Norfolk
He died at his home Feb. 70, 1908,
at IL o'clock noon, age II years, 8
months and days, and was buried in
Prospect Hill cemetery the afternoon
of Friday, Feb. IA, 1908.