Obituary of Marshall Beckham, Crawford County, Illinois Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 2000 Jim Admire Note: I have no connection to this family. I'm just posting an Obit that was sent to me by Barbara Dix who is transcribing old news articles for the website. OLDEST PIONEER DEAD Marshal Beckham, the oldest inhabitant of Hutsonville, died at his home here Tuesday evening after a short illness, Marsh, as he was familiarly known, was one of the pioneers, coming here in the later part of the forties and was for sometime manager or stable boss of a stage line owned by J. R. Hurst and operated between Vincennes and Marshall. He was married a short time after coming here to Miss Jane Lowe and to them were born thirteen children, three of whom are living, being Mrs. Mattie Adams of Terre Houte, Mrs. James Brinton and Mrs. Sebastian Fox. Mr. Beckham was engaged in various enterprises here and for nearly forty years has made a livelihood by fishing. He was known by everyone along the Wabash and nothing was ever done by him that could ever discredit his character. A member of no church, his creed was to do right because it was right. He would not own a pair of scales that weighed a short pound and in his rugged nature there was a tenderness peculiar to men of his time. No event transpired in Hutsonville that escaped his knowledge and for years he has been the source of much information relating to the early history of this history of this community. There are only a few  persons living who were residents of Hutsonville in Mr. Beckham's early days, among them being Judge William C. Jones of Robinson, who contributes the following to his memory: It is sad to contemplate the death of an old citizen in any community, especially when we have been accustomed to daily look on the face of a man whom we recognize to be the oldest pioneer in the settlement. It is with a feeling of regret that we drop a parting tear to his memory. It makes but little difference in this life whether a man walks in the humblest paths or its greatest spheres--all come to the same end. Death is truly a common leveler. Many impressions in childhood are gained from the surroundings of those with whom we mingle. Fifty years ago the people of Hutsonville were different from what we find them today. No one was very rich, neither were any very poor. There was a cheerfulness and happiness and a friendly feeling in the community that made every one enjoy life's existence, and a common prosperity was shared by all. Hutsonville was then a thriving little village.  We had no railroads, but the Wabash river furnished us transportation, and the little town was a distributing  point for all the surrounding country.  Boats plied up and down its waters, bringing products from the south, and in return taking corn, pork and other products from the north. The country was is a state of complete transition, and its people were as migratory as birds.  Many people came and mingled in the busy throngs for awhile and then disappeared until its citizens were scattered in many of the hamlets and villages of the land. Death removed one by one the old familiar faces until few were left, and death this week removed from among us Marshal Beckham, the oldest inhabitant of the community. In his young manhood he was strong and vigorous, with piercing black eyes and locks as black as the wings of a raven.  He was of a kind and generous disposition and ever ready to help his fellow man in sickness as well as in health. The Wabash Valley back in the fifties was not the healthful place that it is today.  The country was new, vegetation luxuriant.  The lowlands produced immense crops of corn, but at that time was very malarious, and along with the rich harvest came fevers and chills. Frequently it was difficult to find those well enough to nurse the sick.  Mr. Beckham was a good nurse and was ever in attendance at the bedside of some friend, lending him aid and assistance.  To the boys of that day Marsh was a hero.  He had better boats, was a better oarsman, had longer trotlines and better fishing tackle than any other man on the Wabash.  He used to take us in his skiff to an excellent place along the river, and he knew them all, where we would drop our lines and catch the golden sunfish, the silver crappie and the festive black bass.   If we were not successful he would reward us with some of his own taking.  There are few people here young or old who have not enjoyed some of his toothsome catch.  Mr. Beckham for years had partial charge of the porkpacking interests of Preston Bros., which was the largest at that time in the Wabash Valley.  For about fifty years he was a well known figure in the community and his black locks had silvered, but he will be remembered by those who knew him as a generous, kindhearted, man and as one of the last survivors of the early pioneers of the Wabash. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons. 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