FRANKLIN B. AND FRANCES JANE BECK

Franklin Benjamin Beck, son of Samuel and Margaret Simmons Beck, was born in West Virginia on January 23, 1832. His family were pioneer residents of that area, and when Franklin was quite young they moved still farther west into Ohio within a comparatively short distance from the town of Coshoctin. The nearest village no longer exists. There, he met and married Frances Jane Hibbits, born December 15, 1841, to James and Elizabeth Hibbits. The Hibbits ancestors had been in this vicinity for three generations and were of pure German extraction as compared with Mr. Becks Scotch-Irish and French heritage. They were married November 17, 1856.

In 1864, the Becks and their three small children came by wagon train to Sullivan County, Missouri, and remained there for some thirty-six years. There was a family of twelve children, eight of whom grew to adulthood.

Above: Frances Beck, daughter, Mary Vede, and visitors. Homestead, 1901.
Below: The F. B. Becks, Henrietta and Ellovede Lambert, at farm, 1907.

In October 1900, the Becks emigrated again, this time to Woodward County, Oklahoma Territory, where Mr. Beck filed on a quarter section of land described as S ½ of the NW ¼ and the N ½ of the SW ¼ Sec. 1, Twp. 23, Range 19 W. Both lived there until their respective deaths, Mr. Beck, January 22, 1920, and Mrs. Beck on August 17, 1926.

On their removal to Oklahoma, they were accompanied by two of their children, Frederick, born in 1880, and Mary Vede, born in 1886. None of the children are alive presently. In the same train, which brought them to Oklahoma, was a second daughter, Henrietta Lambert, and her family. This daughter, after the breakup of her marriage, made her home with the Becks practically all of the time until their deaths.

Mr. Beck was a farmer all of his life, but he was also skillful in building and other activities closely related to farm life. He was known, commonly, as Uncle Frank, while Mrs. Beck was known as Aunt Frances. Both were deeply religious, and were always free with their help when needed by others. Mrs. Beck was especially good as an untrained nurse.

There are no descendants living in Oklahoma at this time, 1974.

J. S. AND KATHERN BECKER

Jacob Samuel Becker and Kathern Hursh Becker left Eigneheim, Russia, in 1892. Mr. Becker declared his intention to become a U.S. citizen on November 5, 1892, in Marion County, Kansas, and made application for citizenship on November 21, 1904, in Woods County, Oklahoma. Citizenship papers were signed at Alva in Woods County, Oklahoma, on November 21, 1907.

The family traveled by wagon to their 160 acre farm, located four miles south and one-half mile west of Tangier about 1908, accompanied by their children, Jake, Fred, Dora, John, Carolyn, Marie and Lydia.

They enjoyed the friendly neighbors: The Fred Schaefflers, Ed Hardys, Conrad Geisweines, Pete Feerers, Ike Quickels, and others.

The Becker family offended the Seventh Day Adventist Church in the Schaeffler community.

The boys hired out to work for farmers, topping kafir corn, building fences, cultivating corn, and any other jobs available. They cut cedar posts from the breaks and sold them.

In those days wheat was headed, hauled in a header-barge and stacked in the field. Then the threshing machine crew made the rounds and threshed the grain, after all the wheat had been headed.

When they became of age, Jake and Fred decided to Americanize their nAmes to Baker.

Fred Baker married Gladys Chloe Byers of Gage in 1913, and they moved to the Shepherd place and farmed.

In February of 1915, during a snowstorm, Fred walked to his Parents' home for help. Gladys was presenting him with identical twin girls, Cleta and Fleta. Mrs. Lochmann, area mid-wife, helped deliver the twins, assisted by Fred's mother, Kathern.

In 1919 Fred and his family moved to Woodward, on Webster Street, where he worked as Bill Clerk for the Santa Fe Railroad, continuing with the Santa Fe in various locations until retiring in 1959. Cleta and Fleta began school in the North Ward School in 1921. On November 23, 1921, Gladys passed away, leaving a baby boy, Fred, Jr.

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