Faces of the Past...

Pictures of our Craigs

This is purported to be a picture of Mary "Polly" Hawkins, wife of Taliaferro Craig (see Team 1). She was the oldest of the women at the Siege of Bryan's Station, and led the women and children down the hill from the fort to fetch water from the spring during an attack by Simon Gurdy and the Indians. A monument was erected at the spring honouring all of the women at the siege and their families by the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is the first monument in the world dedicated to women by women.

 David Henry Craig was born 18 Aug 1846. He lived in Anderson, Mercer County and Woodford Counties of Kentucky. His parents were Lindsay (David Lindsey) Craig (b 1813) and Mary J. Robertson (b 1813). On 3/2/1868, in Mercer County, he married Sarah Elizabeth (Lizie) Galloway (born Sept. 1849 Mercer County). Her parents were Sarah Jane Kingston and James Galloway (great grandson of Revolutionary War hero, James Galloway and Jane Currens). Their children were Mary Jane Craig (abt 1868), Annie (Nannie) Francis Craig (18 Mar 1870, Carrie B. Craig (Feb 1873), Fannie Craig (28 Mar 1876), David Edward Craig,(18 Apr 1880), Clarence K. Craig (June 1886). David Henry died in Versailles KY and was buried 27 Feb 1927 at Hebron Cemetary, Anderson County, KY.

Before his death he had grown his small inheritence into one of the largest farms in the Mortonsville area only to have it all lost, shortly before his death in 1927, due to land speculation and the crash of the tobacco market.

William Hill Craig b.March 25, 1844, Rose Hill, IA,
d. January 26, 1905, Greencastle, MO

Margaret Gilchrist b, October 15, 1841,
d. April 05, 1898 What Cheer, IA,
m. March 19, 1865 Rose Hill, IA

HELEN CRAIG

(Edward Joseph⁶, Lewis Newton⁵, Joseph⁴, Sturman³, Benjamin², Taliaferro¹)

Helen Craig, the daughter of Edward Joseph Craig was born 13 May 1912 in San Antonio, Texas and died 20 Jul 1986 probably in Santa Cruz, California. On 13 Jul 1934 in New York City she married actor John Beal (whose real name was James Alexander Bliedung), born 13 Aug 1909 in Joplin, Missouri and died 26 April 1997 in Santa Cruz, California. They had two daughters; Theodora Emily "Tita" and Tandy Johanna. I don't know if their surname is Beal or Bliedung.

Miss Craig's first Broadway appearance was in "Russett Mantle". She also appeared in "New Faces", "Soliloquy", "Bury The Dead" and the Mercury Theatre's production of "Julius Caesar". Her first major role was that of Mary Magdalen in "Family Portrait", relpacing Margaret Webster. In 1940 she had the leading role in "The Unconquered" and on Sunday, 27 April 1941 she opened at the Longacre Theatre in the title role of "Johnny Belinda". Her reviews were such that she became one of the first actresses whose name appeared above the title on the marquee.

Helen also had a career in films and television. She appeared in films such as "The Snake Pit", "They Lived By Night", "The Sporting Club", "Rancho Deluxe" and her final film appearance in 1977 in "Heroes". On television she appeared on "The Waltons" (1972), "The Legend of Lizzie Borden" (1975), "The Bionic Woman" (1976), and "Rich Man, Poor Man" (1976).