William Jasper (Jap) BEEN gravestone ** Courtesy of Ross Lober
Nannie HOWARD gravestone ** Courtesy of Ross Lober
William Jasper (Jap) BEEN gravestone *
* Courtesy of Ross Lober
Nannie HOWARD gravestone *
* Courtesy of Ross Lober
William Jasper (Jap) Been was born 16 April 1852 to Hazzard BEAN/BEEN and Martha
OSBORN in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. It is assumed that William Jasper and his family-
of-origin continued to live in Tallahatchie County until later that year. On 14 December 1852,
when William would have only been eight months old, his parents sold their land there.
By 01 March 1853, William and his family had made their way to Sebastian County, Arkansas,
where his father homesteaded 200 acres of land over the next several years. The U.S. Census
reports establish that, in 1860, 1870, and 1880, William Jasper, his parents, and siblings were
living in Center Township, Sebastian County, Arkansas. It appears that he lived with his parents
until he was at least 26 years old.
On 17 December 1879, William Jasper began to homestead some land near Greenwood in
Sebastian County. By 1 January 1880, he had built a house on this land and established it as his
residence. He received a certificate for his land on 15 December 1886, land for which he paid a
sum $6.00.
In the meantime, William had married. As verified by the original copy the State of Arkansas
marriage record, William Jasper BEEN married Nannie J. HOWARD on 22 December 1881 in
the Greenwood District of Sebastian County, Arkansas. Nannie was born in Sedalia, Missouri. It
is not known who her parents were.
William and Nannie's first child, a daughter, was either Laura or Lillie BEEN. At the same time
the 1910 Census suggests that her name was Laura, her gravestone indicates that she was named
Lillie. As time went on they had at least two more children, Mose S. Been BEAN and Monte
BEEN, both of whom were sons. Family stories suggest that there was another son by the name
of Marion M. who died at the age of two. This has not been documented.
According to their son Monte, who was personally interviewed by Johnson H. Hampton on 6
April 1938, William Jasper and Nannie moved to Choska, Indian Territory, Creek nation before
the birth of their third child. (The actual date of this move is not clear. Both the 1900 and 1910
Censuses suggest that all three children were born in Arkansas, not Oklahoma.) They traveled to
Choska via a covered wagon. Because there were yet to be roads, the trip that took eleven days.
Apparently, William rented a log house from a Native American and went to work on that land,
raising corn and cotton. He also raised some cattle and hogs, mainly for their own use.
At some time, thereafter--perhaps around 1905--William, Nannie, and family turned around and
moved back to Sebastian County, Arkansas. Apparently, the land in Oklahoma had been too
difficult to farm. Their son, Monte, tells that they stayed in Arkansas for a few years, only to
return to Oklahoma in 1910. This time, they lived in Pushmataha County.
According to their son, both William Jasper and Nannie died in Oklahoma. She died at age 46 on 9 June 1906. He died some twenty years later at the approximate age of 73 in 1926. Because of their strong connection with Arkansas, their bodies were returned there for burial. Both William and Nannie are buried in Liberty Cemetery, Greenwood, Arkansas.