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Eliazer Alley and Elizabeth Ellen (Ledbetter) Beaty
Eliazer Alley Beaty was born at Little Crab, TN in 1847, the son of Isaac
Beaty and Susannah (Gwin). Alley's brothers and sisters were: William R., b. 1825;
Jane, b. October 10, 1826; Mary E., b. November 15, 1827; Sarah Elizabeth
"Sally", b. November 11, 1829; Nancy b. May 23, 1831; John Gwin. b. April 22,
1833; James, b. January 31, 1836; Lucy Catherine, b. December 24, 1840; Isaac, b. 1838;
and David, b. 1843.
Eliazer Alley married Elizabeth Ellen (Ledbetter). She was born in 1846, the daughter of
Washington Ledbetter. She had at least two sisters and a brother. Her sisters names were
Emma and Lottie, and her brother's name was Hamilton. Hamilton was a medical doctor.
Ellen was expecting their youngest child when Alley died of typhoid fever at the age of
29. His funeral was preached by A.B. Wright in 1892, sixteen years after his death.
Ellen's second husband was Frank Reagan. This marriage did not work out and they
separated. She had a daughter from this marriage, Martelia Frances Reagan.
Alley and Ellen had five children: Katy Elizabeth, b. October 4, 1864; James W., b. April
9, 1868; Susan, b. April 3, 1871; George William "Buffalo", b. September 18,
1873; and Isaac b. December, 1876. Katy Elizabeth, the oldest child, was married to Bill
German.
James W. was married twice. His first wife died; his second wife was Armity (Matthews). He
had a son who died in a drowning accident when he was a teenager.
Susan was married to Jonathan Bertram. They had a large family. She lived to he 91 years
old.
George William "Buffalo" married Elizabeth Ellen
(Hinds). They were the parents of nine children.
Isaac married Tilda (Beaty). They lived on a farm near Squirrel Flat, which is close to
Jamestown, TN. They had two children, Minnie and Annie.
Martelia Frances, daughter of Ellen and Frank Reagan, had a son whose name was Herschel
Ray Robinson. They were both placed in the Eastern State Hospital, where they lived out
their days. They are both buried on the grounds of the hospital.
Ellen (Ledbetter) Beaty was a woman of indomitable spirit and courage. She lived to be 93
years old, surviving the loss of her husband when she was 30, the rearing of her children
practically single-handedly, a failed marriage, a daughter and grandson who had to be
institutionalized, and four copperhead bites.
An interesting story is told about Alley and Ellen's farm. It seems that the farm was half
paid for when Alley died. Ellen was unable to continue making payments on it; so instead
of foreclosing, the person from whom Ellen was buying the farm split the property in two
equal parts and only took back one part, letting her keep the other.
Ellen was very independent in her old age, not wanting to break up housekeeping and move
in with her children. She would visit them, however, and when she did she always brought
her bed, her chamber pot, cooking pot, a skillet, silverware and plates. When she finally
agreed to move in with one of her children permanently, they had her house burned so that
she would not reconsider and want to continue living alone at her advanced age.
Both Alley and Ellen, his parents, their son "Buffalo" Bill, his wife Ellen, and
five of Bill and Ellen's children are buried in the George Beaty Cemetery.
by Gerald DeHaven
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