George & Lavina Beake    Family Chart

GEORGE BEAKE (b: 13 Nov 1830; bapt: 3 Feb 1833 at St Mary Church, Weston Zoyland, Somersetshire; he d: 10 May 1898 in Grayslake, Illinois, U.S.A.)  His father  was William Beake Occ; Farm Labourer (1798-1859) and his mother Elizabeth nee Salter (1798-1860). George mar: 1858 to Levenah (Levina) Tucker in Lake County, Illinois, U.S.A.  (b: 26 Aug 1839 Bridgwater, Somesetshire,  England; she d: 13 Sep 1889 in Grayslake, Illinois, U.S.A, 17 days after her 41st birthday) Bur: Avon Centre Cemetery Grayslake, Lake County, Illinois, USA.

George  became an American citizen 5th Feb 1868.
 

George Beake's Time Line

Birth 13 Nov 1830 Weston Zoyland, Somerset, England

Residence 1841 Weston Zoyland, Somerset, England

Residence 1851 Westonzoyland, Somerset, England

Immigrated: ....

Marriage 1858 Lake County, Illinois, U.S.A.

Census 1860: Avon, Lake County, Illinois; George Beak (25Y; occ: laborer on William Tucker's farm;) living with his father-in-law Wm Tucker (60) wife Emma Tucker (52) their children Charles (16) Frank (14) Emily (8) Levina Beak (nee Tucker, wife, 21; occ: servant)

Source Grayslake and Avon Township by Charlotte R Renehan

From about 1836 permanent settlers came into the Grayslake area and it came to be known as Avon Township. They found fertile prairie, groves of virgin timber, and pristine lakes and they broke the soil and tilled the land to make a subsistance living. The coming of two railroads promoted the growth of villages and made it easy for city people to come and enjoy the recreational activities offered by the lakes. These people stayed, and the farmland began disappearing.

1870:  Residence Town of Avon, Lake County, Illinois, USA; Head: George Beak (Estimated Birth Year: 1834; Age: 36y; Color (white, black, mulatto, chinese, Indian): White; Birthplace: England; wife Labina Beak  (F 31y; Keeper House, b: England); Children b: Illinois:  Emily Beak  F 8y;  Matilda Beak  F 6y;  Tillie A Beak  F 2y

Census 1880: Residence Avon, Lake, Illinois, United States; George Beak (50, Farmer, Ethnicity American) wife Lavenia (41, Keeping house) Emily J Beak (18, at home) Matilda A Beak (16, at home) Netta A (12, school) Clifton L Beak (6, school)

 

Their children:

1 Emily Jane Beak (b: Sep 1862 in Illinois d: 31 May 1943 in Gray's Lake, Illinois) mar: 07 May 1887 at Fox Lake, Lake County, Illinois, U.S.A. to George Steven Thurlwell (b: 2 Feb 1860 in McHenry, County, Illinois to parents John Thurwell(1827-1902) and mother Hannah nee Woodhead (1829-1872).  George lived Jun 9 1880 at Nunda, McHenry; residence 1900 Avon Twp, Lake, Illinois; residence 1920 Libertyville Township, Lake Illinois; George d: 1925 in Waukegan, Lake, Illinois, U.S.A) Their family;

1 Nora K Thurlwell (b: abt Jul 1890 at Avon, Gray's Lake, Illinois; d: 17 Mar 1967 in Waukegan, Lake, Illinois) mar: Robert Schwarm (b: 8 Jan 1888 Illinois; occ; Butcher; Steel mills; d: Sep 1965 Illinois)

2 Dora H. Thurlwell (b: 07 Aug 1888 in Gray's Lake, Illinois; d: 24 Apr 1956 Waukegan, Lake, Illinois) mar: 28 Sep 1906 to Arthur Elmer Rich (b: 1 Oct 1880 Avon, Lake, Illinois to parents Charles Oliver Rich (1858-1948) and mother Ella Millard (?-1932) Arthur was a carpenter and d: 4 Dec 1949 at Lake, Illinois) Their son:

i Elmer E Rich (b: 25 Jan 1907 Avon, Lake, Illinois; d: 2 Apr 1951) 

3 Alma Beak Thurlwell (b: 17 Nov 1892 at Gray's Lake, Illinois; d: 22 Mar 1965 in Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois) mar: 25 Jan 1915 at Waukegan, Lake, Illinois to Leroy William August Knigge (b: 16 Jun 1890 Rockefeller, Lake, Illinois to parents Herman Heinrich Johann Knigge (1867-1945) and mother Hannah Carol nee Meyer (1872-1971); Leroy d: 19 Feb 1952 in Waukegan, Lake, Illinois, USA) Bur: Avon  Centre Cemetery Grayslake, Lake County. Their children:

i Emily Knigge (b: 8 jun 1914 - d: 20 Dec 1914) 

ii Leroy Albert Knigge (b: 30 Nov 1915 Lake, Illinois; d: 21 Apr 1987 Mountain View, Howell Missouri)  mar: 5 Jun 1937 to Lotta Mary Kruger (b: 30 May 1919 Half Day, Lake, Illinois; d: 27 Feb 1981 Warren Township, Lake Illinois; bur: Vernon Cem. Lincolnshire, Illinois)

iii Lloyd Arthur Knigge (b: 29 Jul 1922 in Lake, Illinois; d: 17 Jan 1994 Polk County, Florida

4 Almond F Thurlwell (b: Feb 1896 at Gray's Lake, Illinois; Occ: Electric Light Serviceman; d: 1957 in Oakland, Alameda, California, US) mar Marie Louise Wenzel (b: 3 Jan 1896 Germany; d: 13 Mar 1995 Chico, Butte, California) Their daughter:

i Marie Louise Thurlwell (b: 9 Sep 1920 Grayslake, Lake, Illinois; d: 18 May 1972 Chico, Butte, California)  mar; Dewey McKinley Carter

ii Loraine N Thurlwell (b 1922)

iii Lorraine N Thurlwell (b: 1929)

2 Matilda Ann Beak (b: Aug 1863 in Avon, Grayslake, Illinois; d: 18 Jul 1950 at Fort Steilacoom, Pierce, Washington aged 87Y) mar: abt 1882 to Joseph Garwood (b: Abt 1859 Avon, Grays Lake, Illinois - mother Catherine ?; d: 1922) The Antioch News, Illinois, Lake County, Jan 26, 1922. "One killed, one seriously injured in death crossing - Joseph Garwood agd 55Y of Grayslake is dead"

Matilda and Joseph's son: 

i Louis Adams Garwood (b: 27 Dec 1888, Lake County, Illinois; Occ: Electrician; d: 1 Oct 1961 Stevenson, Skamania, Washington) mar: abt 1920 to Ethel Loretta Armstrong (b: 23 Jun 1896 Oregan City, Clackamas, Oregon; d: 15 Jan 1993 at Grasham, Multnomah, Oregan, USA)

3  Netta A. Beak (b: 1867 in Avon, Grayslake, Illinois; d: 9 Jan 1932 Waukegan Twp, Lake, Illinois; bur; Avon Centre Cem. Lake, Illinois) mar: 1886 to Benjamin J Loftus (b: 1863 Illinois, d; 31 Aug 1948 Waukegan, Lake, Illinois) the oldest son of parents - father Christopher Loftus (1836 England; d: 1909 Fremont Twp, Lake) who mar: 5 Aug 1863 at Cooke, Illinois to Ben's mother Dorothea (Dora) nee Brandt (1849/?) Netta and Ben's family:

i Earl A Loftus (b: 8 Feb 1888, Illinois; d: 1968 ) mar: 1918c Waukegan to Mae S Garnant (b: 28 Nov 1892 Iowa; d: 4 Jun 1983 Waukegan, Lake, Illinois, aged 90Y) Their 4 children;

a Earlene Ada Luftus (b: 11 May 19i9 Waukegan, d; 12 Mar 2004 Waukegan, Lake, Illinois) mar: ? Munroe
 
b Edison Garnant Loftus (b: 27 Jun 1920 Waukegan, Lake, Illinois; d: 9 Aug 1997 Pensacola, Escambia, Florida)
 
c Eldene Nettie Loftus (b: 13 Feb 1923 Waukegan, Lake, Illinois; d: Sep 2011
 
d Norman H (b: 19 Mar 1927 Waukegan, Lake, Illinois; d: 29 Jan 2009 Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada, US; bur: Boulder City, Clark, Nevada, US)
ii Aldah (Alda) B Loftus (b: 16 Apr 1889 Illinois; d: 17 Oct 1961; bur; Avon Centre Cem; Grayslake, Illinois)

iii Ivah Loftus (b: Jun 1891 Illinois)

iv Virginia Loftus (b: 22 Oct 1914 Grayslake, Lake, Illinois; d: 6 Oct 1993 Grayslake, Lake, Illinois) mar: 23 Sep 1934 to Richard Vanderspool (b: 8 Sep 1912 son of Hilde Vanderspool (b: Holland) and mother Rinska nee Wallace; d: 31 Aug 1990 Grant, Lake, Illinois; bur: Avon Centre Cem, Grayslake, Illinois)

v Clifford L. Beak (b: 1874 in Illinois; Adopted son; d; 6 Apr 1927 Chicago, Cook, Illinois)

George Beak (widower) 2nd mar: was on Feb 1, 1882 at Brooklyn, Wisconsin to Mary Ann Richards (b: 31 Dec 1848 Weston Zoyland, Somersetshire; she came to the US and lived with her brother in Wisconsin. George and Mary Ann went to live in Illinois in the spring.

George and Mary Ann's children:

After George's death, on 29th August, 1899, Mary Ann may have remarried to W S Carter - can you help with information? She d: 12 Apr 1920 at Janesville, Wisconsin.  

I am grateful for the assistance given by Doug Beak- can you help him document his Beak ancestors?

My gt-grandmother, pioneer ancestor Elizabeth Beake (she mar: Richard Pelvin and came to New Zealand with her 5 children in 1863) told family her two brothers immigrated to America.  If you are a descendant of James or George Beake, please I would love to hear from you!