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George
Andrew Beggs |
George Andrew Beggs was born on Oct. 5, 1885 in Dunbar, Fayette County, PA, the son of William J. and Mary Belle (Minerd) Beggs Sr.
In 1910, when George was 24 and the federal census was taken, he lived at home with his parents, and worked as a railroad brakeman. He was of medium height and build, with blue eyes and dark hair.
George married Sadie E. Kennedy (1882-1966), the daughter of William H. and Nancy (Martin) Kennedy. They had one daughter, Madelyn Wolfe.
During World War I, in September 1918, George registered for the military draft. At the time, he and Sadie resided at 62 Lawn Avenue in Uniontown, and he was employed as a brakeman with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
The Beggses lived in Hopwood, at 35 Little Brownfield Road. They were members of the Coolspring Methodist Church, built by George's uncle, the famed "Blacksmith Preacher," Rev. David Ewing Minerd.
In 1928, George and Sadie provided care for George's aunt, Alice (Minerd) Rockwell, in her last illness. They paid for her medication and physician visits, as well as funeral expenses. As Alice was a widow of a Civil War soldier, and drew a pension, the Beggses were eligible for reimbursement for their costs. On Nov. 30, 1928, Sadie wrote to the Commissioner of Pensions, saying: "Am enclosing Itemized bills of all I possibly can. There are two prescriptions … which I cannot get a copy as I never dreamed of needing them." Their petition was approved, and the Beggses received a total of $676.
George also filed a related legal complaint in April 1929 against his mother, asking to be paid $500 as a nursing bill, since she allegedly had hired him to provide care for the deceased, her sister. Reported the Uniontown Morning Herald, "Under a provision of a will left by Alice Rockwell, Mary Belle Walls was to receive a portion of the Rockwell estate if she cared and nursed the latter woman for the remainder of her natural life. Beggs declares that the defendant herself was ill and employed him to do the nursing. He started on his employment July 26, 1927, ... and the Rockwell woman died September 29, 1928.
Sadie passed away on Nov. 23, 1966, at the age of 84.
George died 11 days later, on Dec. 4, 1966, at the age of 81, following an extended illness. George's arrangements were managed by the Minerd Funeral Home in Uniontown, owned by the widow of his first cousin, Edward E. Minerd. The funeral then was led by Dr. Earl P. Confer of the Central Christian Church.
Sadie and George are buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Uniontown.
Daughter Madelyn Beggs married (?) Wolfe. In 1966, she made her home in Pittsburgh.
Copyright © 2001, 2010 Mark A. Miner