John Howard Beels

NOT A DIRECT ANCESTOR John Howard Beels is not in my direct ancestry. He is of the Beels family of Salem Twp., Clarion County, PA. We expect this family is connected to our direct line Beals family (see Jacob Beals page) but this has not been established. Descendants of John Howard Beels connect by marriage to our Kline line, and intermarry with the Heeter branch of our Wilson line.

David Beels married Margaret Campbell in about 1853. Its unknown when they adopted their only child, John Howard Beels; he was born in 1857, so possibly that year. We do not know the names of John Howard Beels' biological parents, nor where he was born.

We note that, as John Howard Beels was adopted, his descendants are not a genealogical link to the Beels ancestry in the usual sense. However, we maintain the line here for two reasons. We are interested in the Beels ancestry and expect eventually a connection will be found to our Beals direct line. Also, a descendants of John Howard Beels married a descendant of our direct line Klines. Another descendant married a Heeter, related to our direct line Wilsons.

In 1860 the David Beels family were living in Venango Co., possibly with Margaret Campbell's widowed mother.
By 1870 they were back in Clarion Co. and David's widowed father was living with them, so probably at the Beels Hill farm. Thus John Howard Beels grew up knowning two of his adoptive grandparents well, although the other two were no longer living.
By 1890 John Howard Beels was no longer living in his parents' home, but had married and was living next door, possibly in another house on the Beels Hill farm.
(These biographical notes compiled from the sources, without direct knowledge, by EWW.)

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth
Marriage			To
Death
Burial

Ancestry chart segment

Generation 4                       Generation 3                    Generation 4                   
                                                          +-- David Beels (1827)                   
                                                          |   (~1827-1908)                                     
                        +--  John Howard Beels (adopted)--+                         
                        |    (1856-1935)                  |                               
                        |                                 +-- Margaret Campbell
+-- J. Harold Beels ----+                                     (1830-????)
|                       |                                     
|                       | 
|                       +-- Laura Rossman  
|
+ 
|                                                
|                       +-- William Hays
|                       |
|                       |
+-- Evelyn Marie Hays --+
    (1907-1997)         |
                        |
                        +-- Mila Cordray
Sources:

Children

( with Laura Rossman)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
J. Harold Beels	M

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA , Beels hill farm

Photos

Gravestone of David & Margaret Beels, Nickleville Presbyterian Cemetery.

View to east from Beels Hill farm, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
2	1860 United States Federal Census, Richland Twp, Venango Co, PA, page 12. Census dated 5 June 1880. Lines 5-8: David Beels, 35, farmer, $800 real, $125 personal property; Margret, 30; J. Howard, 4; Sophia Campbell, 55, widow; Ellen Campbell, 18, housekeeper. All b. PA.
3	1870 United States Federal Census, Salem Twp, Clarion Co, PA, page 18.Census dated 19 Aug 1870. Lines 31-34: David Beels, age 43, farmer, $5000 real, $1000 personal property; Margret, 40, keeping house; J. H. 13, in school; Daniel, 79, father, retired farmer. All b. PA.
4	1880 United States Federal Census, District 81, Salem Twp, Clarion Co, PA, page 7. Census dated 16 June 1860. Lines 29-33: David Beels, 53, farmer; Margret, wife, 50; John H., 23, "ad. son", farm hand; Jane, sister (sic), 48. All and all parents b. PA. Note: Jane was Margret Campbell's sister.)
5	1900 United States Federal Census, District 27, Salem Twp, Clarion Co, PA, page 3. Census dated 4 June 1900. Lines 43-45: David M. Beals, head, 73, b. Apr 1827, married 47 years, farm laborer; Margret, wife, 70, b. Apr 1830, no children; Jane Camfell, sister-in-law, 68, b. Apr 1832, single. All and all parents b. PA. All can read, write and speak English. A family headed by Howard Beals lives next door.
9	Donna Mae Beels (Best) interviews, June 2007 and June 2008, by E. W. Williams. Information included family members' names in various generations; photo portrait copies; a visit to Beels Hill farm in 2008; location of Beels graves at Nickleville Presbyterian; a scrap book of obituaries, etc.; and access to Rossman and Hays family histories.
10	Beels Ancestry, an unattributed typewritten family genealogy, possibly prepared by Glenn L. Beels. (It lists Howard Beels as "Glenn's grandfather".)This genealogy was in the family history scrapbook of Donna Mae Beels (Best), sister of Glenn Beels.	Beels Ancestry
11	Clarion News, May 5, 1994 Beels genealogy and history in article about the barn fire on the Beels homestead.