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Historical records matching Gladys Violet McKinney Beals
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About Gladys Violet McKinney Beals
The photograph above was taken on the front porch of Gladys Violet's aunt, Louisa Albertina Madsen Branch, in Safford, Arizona, after the death of her half-sister, Dortha Evelyn Rollins Eubank, in 1957. My mother, Frances Amelia Eubank Smith, is pictured over the left shoulder of Gladys in this photograph.
Gladys Violet McKinney Beals was the 4th child of Dortha Roxana Madsen Rollins McKinney and her second husband, Joseph T. McKinney. She was born in Graham County, Arizona, April 16, 1904. In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census for Bowie, Cochise County, Arizona, Gladys was 6 years old, living with her parents, Joseph, 52, and Dortha, 40, and her two older siblings, Daniel Carroll, 11, and Thelma Josephine. She had another brother, Joseph Madsen McKinney, born in 1901, but he died as a 2 -ear old child just about a week after Gladys was born in 1904.
Gladys Violet's mother, Dortha, had married John Henry Rollins in 1885 when she was just 16 years old. Dortha and John had two children, Dortha Evelyn Rollins, born in 1886, and John Delbert Rollins, in 1888. Sadly, in 1889, on Christmas Day, John Henry Rollins passed away at the young age of only 24 years old in a work-related accident when he fell from a wagon on which he was riding, and the wheels rolled over him and crushed his skull. Eight years later in 1897, Dortha married Joseph T. McKinney, an Arizona Sheriff.
By the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Dortha was separated from her husband, Joseph, and her family was living in Bakersfield, California, in a home they owned located at 2217 Sunset Avenue. Dortha, 50 years old, Dan, 21, Thelma., 20, Gladys, 15, and also living in their home was Louyre Rollins Rosenbloom, 22, and her one-year and four month old son, John Rosenbloom. Louyre was Dortha's niece, being the daughter of one of Dortha's first husband, John Henry Rollins' brother, William Rollins. Sadly, Louyre's son, John, died not long after this at about the age of two years old. She later moved to Los Angeles, remarried, and lived to a ripe old age.
Interestingly enough, in the 1920 census record, Dortha indicated that she was a widow, but her second husband, Joseph T. McKinney, did not pass away until 1948 in Arizona. Louyre Rollins Rosenbloom was also listed as a widow, and her husband Jack had passed away in 1918. In 1920 Dortha was working as a nurse in general practice, Dan was a fireman for the railroad, Thelma was a stenographer in an insurance office, Gladys was still in school, and Louyre was also working as a stenographer in an office.
The reason that Dortha may have relocated to Bakersfield is because her son, John Delbert Rollins, was working for the railroad in Bakersfield at that time. In about 1917 when John Delbert completed his World War I Draft Registration Card, he was living in Needles, California, working for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. The railroad must have relocated him to Bakersfield sometime between 1918 and 1920.
By 1930, Gladys' mother, Dortha, had moved to Los Angeles, and was living with her daughter, Thelma, and my mother, Frances Amelia Eubank. Dortha, may have moved to Los Angeles because the railroad may have relocated her son, John Delbert Rollins, back to Southern California at that time. He passed away in Riverside county in 1967, after retiring from the railroad.
Gladys had moved back to Arizona some time between 1920 and 1927, and in August of 1927 she married John Henry Beals when they were both 22 years old. In the 1930 census, John was 24, Gladys, 25, and their son Collin, 1 year 10 months old. Also living in the home was an uncle, Alfred L. Dees, (the brother of John's mother) and a helper, Walter Riche. Alfred was 48 years old and Walter was 20 years old. Gladys and John had been married for two years. John was working as a farmer, and Walter and Alfred were farm helpers. They were living in Pima, Graham County, Arizona.
In the 1940 census for Graham County, Arizona, John, 34, Gladys, 35, Collin, 11, and daughter Cheryl, 7, were living on Smith-Pima Road in a home they were renting for $15 per month. John had an 8th grade education, and Gladys, 2 years of high school. John was working as a highway patrolman, and for the 52 weeks he worked in 1939, at 72 hours per week he earned $2,100 income.
I remember visiting aunt Gladys and uncle John in Arizona during 1957 when my grandmother, Dortha Evelyn Rollins Eubank, passed away and was buried in Safford, Arizona. There is a family photo of those who attended her funeral which was taken at my great aunt Bertie's home (Louisa Albertina Madsen Bingham) in Safford. The following year, my parents and I went back to Arizona on a vacation in 1958, and stayed with aunt Gladys and uncle John at their ranch. We also visited the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and Oak Creek Canyons during our visit to Arizona. Then a couple of years later, my cousin, Diane, came to visit us in California. Diane was the granddaughter of Gladys McKinney Beals and daughter of Cheryl Beals.
It was about 1960 or 1961 when Diane came to visit us in California. Then I did not see her or her mom or grandmother after that for many years. By the time I had a chance to reunite with Diane and Cheryl, Gladys had already passed away in 1997, and my mother in 1995. I went to visit with Diane and Cheryl in 2010, and it was wonderful to see them again after nearly 50 years!
U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1, indicates that the Gladys was living in Laveen, Arizona, in 1988, and also at 9420 South 14th Avenue in Phoenix, and later in 1995 at 341 East Vaughn Avenue, Gilbert, Arizona. My great aunt Gladys passed away on November 13, 1997, in Gilbert, Arizona. Her husband John had passed away many years earlier in 1961 from a fire in their home. A few years earlier he had a stroke and was not able to speak or get around very well.
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Gladys Violet McKinney Beals's Timeline
| 1904 |
April 16, 1904
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Safford, Graham, Arizona, United States
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| 1928 |
June 4, 1928
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Arizona, United States
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| 1997 |
November 16, 1997
Age 93
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Gilbert, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
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November 16, 1997
Age 93
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Resthaven East Park Mortuary and Cemetery, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
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