Clarence Leroy Beekman (1880 - 1967)

Born 28 Aug 1880 in Van Buren, Grant County, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 25 Jul 1967 at age 86 in Troup, Smith County, Texas, United States

Space:New London, Texas, School Explosion

Biography

Son of Collins Francis Beekman & Sarah Alice Trout.

Clarence worked in the oil fields of east Texas. He was married three times: Jessie May Southwood Beekman (m. 1901); Viola J. Karst (m. 1912); Adzel Edna Hoyt Beekman (m. 1917).

Clarence and his son-in-law, Jewel Donald Peerson, were rescue workers for the 1937 New London school explosion.

His granddaughter recounts their story: "Daddy and Grandpa worked there till the end. Momma says Daddy could barely speak about the horror of it all, and Grandpa had a blank look for a long time, and wouldn't talk about it. But they were there, when they and the other men were trying to match up body parts along one wall or fence-line to be identified."

Sources

• 1900, 1910, 1930, 1940 US census

• U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

• U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942

• Indiana, Marriages, 1810-2001

• U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49724667/clarence-leroy-beekman

• http://nlsd.net/Recollections12.htm

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion

• http://nlsd.net/Cenotaph.htm

• https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/artifacts/1936-london-school-yearbook