Hugh L. BEEN and John Anna AUTRY *
* Courtesy of Robert J. Malouf.
Hugh L. BEEN and John Anna AUTRY gravestone *
* Photography by Ross Lober
Hugh L. BEEN and John Anna AUTRY *
* Courtesy of Robert J. Malouf.
Hugh L. BEEN and John Anna AUTRY gravestone *
* Photography by Ross Lober
Hugh L. BEEN was born 13 December 1847 to Hazzard BEAN/BEEN and Martha OSBORN in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. It is assumed that Hugh L. and his family-of-origin lived in this county until 14 December 1852, at which time his parents sold their land there.
By 01 March 1853, Hugh L. and his family had made their way to Sebastian County, Arkansas, where his father homesteaded 200 acres of land over the next several years. Indeed, the U.S. Census reports for 1860 establishes that
Hugh L., his parents, and siblings were living in Center Township, Sebastian County, Arkansas.
Hugh L. married John Anna AUTRY on 29 December 1868 at the home of her parents, John C. AUTRY and Sintha [Cynthia?]. John Anna was born 19 July 1851 in Crawford County, Arkansas. We have been able to establish from the U.S. Census records (1870 through 1910 ) that, after Hugh L. and John Anna were married, they continued to live in Center Township, Sebastian County, Arkansas.
Over the next twenty-seven years, they gave birth to a total of fourteen children (five girls and nine boys): William H., Columbus Lee, Sarah Alice, Carroll Mitchen, Joseph Land, Robert Lessly, Alta Adelia, Rufus Hugh L., Minnie E., Jessie Bell, Grover A., Bulah, Virgil Vancil, and Hartice Hazzard. The names of these individuals have been substantiated by the original copy of the Hugh L. BEEN’s Bible record. This Bible record, which bears the actual handwriting of Hugh L. BEEN, has been provided by Kathryn Coker BEEN, the wife of his grandson.
For the first years of their marriage, Hugh L. BEEN farmed land and John Anna worked in the home. However, on 2 March 1890, Hugh L. was “called into Ordination by the Oakgrove Missionary Baptist Church, of which he was a member, and which, after full and sufficient opportunity to judge of his gifts, were agreed in the opinion, that he was called of God to work of the Ministry.” The original Certificate of this Ordination has been provided by Kathryn Coker BEEN.
It has been assumed that Hugh L. and John Anna Autry BEEN lived together on their land until 15 July 1920, when Hugh L. died. He was 72 years of age. John Anna died seventeen years later on 21 February 1937. She was 85. They are buried beside one another in Liberty Cemetery, Greenwood, Arkansas.