My Genealogy Hound

Levi L. Beckner is a son of Daniel and Mary (Lease) Beckner, and was born in Montgomery County, Va., September 9, 1814. Daniel Beckner was born near Philadelphia, Penn., June 5, 1790, and died in Laclede County, Mo., in 1870; his wife died in Elkhart County, Ind., in 1862 or 1863. They were married in Montgomery County, Va., where they lived until 1827, when they moved to Preble County, Ohio; eight years later they went to Elkhart County, Ind., and in 1839 located in what was then Pulaski County, now Dallas County, Mo., which was their home until the outbreak of the late war, when they returned to Elkhart County, Ind. They were members of the Dunkard Church, in which he was a deacon. He was a Union man during the war, and his sympathies were subsequently with the Republican party. He was assessor of Dallas County, and also served as associate judge in that county one term. Of the family of eleven children, four sons and three daughters are still living, viz.: Levi L.; Daniel, a prominent citizen of Laclede County; Aaron, a farmer of Greene County, Mo.; Eli Harrison, a carpenter of Springfield; May Ann, widow of Moses Hess and living at Elkhart, Ind.; Nioma, who married Louis Wise, a farmer near Marshfield, and Dilicah, now Mrs. Elias Hess, a retired farmer of Marshfield. When eighteen years of age Levi L. Beckner learned the brick-mason’s trade, at which he worked in Ohio and Indiana for several years. In 1841 he built the court-house in Bolivar, Mo., which is still used, and at that time the best court-house in Southwestern Missouri, and in 1846 built the court house at Buffalo, Dallas Co., Mo., which was burned during the war. After removing to Missouri he turned his attention to farming, which he has since continued. February 20, 1842, he married Sarah Ann Miller, who was born in McMinn County, Tenn., May 2, 1822, and is a daughter of John and Elizabeth Miller, natives also of Tennessee. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beckner, of whom five are living, viz.: Amanda, wife of David Hamilton, a farmer of Dallas County; John K. is a farmer and merchant of Webster County, and postmaster of Forkner’s Hill Post-office: Abram L. is a farmer and stock raiser of Laclede County; Isabelle Adeline married John J. A. Gibson, of Greene County, Mo., and Isaac N., a commercial traveler for the firm of Wells & Co., of St. Louis. Louisa was the wife of William Wharton, and resided in Greene County at the time of her death. Mary Ann died when seventeen years of age. The family are consistent members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and the male members are Republicans.