James Madison Bedichek

Husband of Lucretia Craven Bedichek and father of Roy Bedichek. From: Handbook of Waco and McLennan County, Texas: James Bedichek was the son of Frederick Augustus & Mahulda (Jiverdon) Bedichek. He was born in Jackson County, West Virginia, and reared Missouri. He graduated from Buffalo Academy in Virginia and Illinois State Normal University. After serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, he engaged in the teaching profession and taught in Jersey County, Illinois; Johnson County, Missouri; Wisconsin and Iowa before moving to Texas in 1884. During that same year he opened the Eddy Literary and Scientific Institute which was also known as the Bedichek School and the Eddy Institute of Literature and Science. On September 1, 1890, Bedichek was appointed superintendent of schools of Falls county and was later elected to the position. On March 11, 1872, he married Lucretia Ellen Cravens at Newmansville, Illinois. They were the parents of 4 children, Ena, Ina, Roy and Una.

NOTE: Per the website The Portal to Texas History, James Madison Bedichek met his wife, Lucretia Craven, when they were both attending teacher training school in Illinois. When they opened their school in central Texas, James made the rules for the school. Students were grouped by ability, not by age. Corporal punishment was never used. The aim of education, he emphasized, was not acquiring facts but learning how to think. "Your only enemies are hate, jealousy, envy, and malice," he told the pupils. "They harm you only when you admit them into consciousness." He designed blocks for teaching geometry. Greek myths and theatricals were incorporated in the closing exercises. J.M. was so proud of the school that he sent a description of its methods to the educational authorities in his father's native Switzerland.

Spouse:

Lucretia Ellen Craven Bedichek (1849 - 1937)

Children:

Ina Bedichek Cowan (1876 - 1967)

Roy Bedichek (1878 - 1959)

Created by: Debbie Cromwell

Record added: May 16, 2002

Find A Grave Memorial# 6420653

NOTE: In the 1870 census, James was living in Prairie Creek, Logan County, Illinois with a family by the name of Linbarger. George Linbarger, 33, was studying law, and his brother A.J. was an agent for the railroad. George's wife Louisa, 30, was keeping house and they had two children, Laurence, 4, and George S., 6 months old. Also living in their home was Amanda Dove, 32, a domestic servant, and James Bedichek, 25, who was working as a school teacher.

Per the 1880 census for Monona, Clayton, Iowa, James Bedichek's father was born in Switzerland. He was a cabinet maker in the 1850 census for Putnam County, Virginia. His mother was born in Virginia. His wife Lucretia was born in Maryland and her parents in Virginia. Their first daughter, Ena, was born in Missouri, their second daughter, Ina, was born in Wisconsin, their son Roy was born in Illinois, and their last daughter, Una, was born in Iowa.

In the 1900 census they were living in Blevins, Falls, Texas, and James, Lucretia and Una were all working as school teachers, and Roy was working as a stenographer. Daughters Ena and Ina had already been married.

By 1910 James, 66, and Lucretia, 61, were living alone in Falls County, Texas, and they were running a private school. James Madison Bedichek passed away there six years later at the age of 72 years old.

In 1922 James Bedichek's widow, Lucretia, was living at 700 East 22nd Street in Austin, Texas, and was teaching at Austin high School, and her son Roy and his wife Lillian were living with her. He was working as the vice-chairman of the Interscolastic League at the University of Texas at Austin. Lucretia passed away at the age of 88 years old in 1937 and was buried with her husband in Falls County, Texas.