Abijah was born on February 18, 1869 in Webster, Maine. He was the son of Olive Ann (Drinkwater) and Jarvis Thayer Beal. Abijah left Webster, Maine probably when his father, Jarvis Thayer Beal moved to Newton, Massachusetts in late 1889. Abijah worked with his father as a builder and a carpenter. See chapter on Jarvis Thayer Beal for a picture of their business card. He was noted for his fine workmanship with his carpentry skills.
Abijah married Ellen Eliza Bird on June 28, 1892 in Newton {Newton Upper Falls}1, Massachusetts. Ellen was the daughter of Emma Josephine (Bird) and Francis William Bird of Massachusetts. They were cousins. Ellen was born on May 18, 1864 in East Boston, Massachusetts. She was a music teacher. When Ellen was about twenty five years old she wrote the song " Normandy March". This song won her a bronze medal at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, Illinois in 18921893. The song was published and copyrighted in 1890 by Miles & Thompson of Boston. She dedicated the song to one of her teachers, Thomas Reeves, from the Perkins Institute for the blind in Boston (which is presentday Watertown). Ellen was partially blind. Ellen's original title before the "Normandy March" was an Indian name for the Charles River (Newton & Boston area) of either spellings of "Quinbequin" or "Quinobequin". They had the following children (all born in Newton, Massachusetts):
i Jarvis Thayer, 2nd, b April 3, 1893 {Newton Centre}1 ii Francis Guy, Sr., b September 28, 1894 {Newton Highlands}1 iii Robert Aubrey, b September 21, 1895 {Newton Highlands}1 iv Stanley Abijah, b November 19, 1896 {Newton Highlands} 1 v William Bird, b March 10, 1898 {Newton Highlands} 1 vi Roger Drinkwater, b October 20, 1901 {Newtonville} 1 vii Olive Emma, b April 27, 1903 {Newtonville}1
Ellen's family line comes into contact with the Mayflower family line. William Brewster was an original Pilgrim that landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. William Brewster was the minister that said the prayer at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 between the Indians and the Pilgrams. The prayer went something like this:
We thank God for our homes, food and safety in a new land.
We thank God for the opporitunity to create a new world of freedom and justice.
Ellen died at home on May 8, 1922 at 1073 Washington Street in Newton {Newtonville}1. The cause of death was myocarditis with acute dilatation of the heart and chronic interstitial nephritis. Abijah married Georgia Ella Cook on September 12, 1923. Georgia was born on August 17, 1871. They had no children. Abijah died at home on January 23, 1952 at 8 Washington Terrace, Newton. Cause of death was coronary thrombosis, general arteriosclerosis, carcinoma of the prostate with metastasis and malnutrition. Georgia died on August 29, 1957.
They are buried (along with some of their children) at the Newton Cemetery. The upright granite headstone reads:
(front)
BEAL
(back)
1869 ABIJAH T. BEAL 1952
HIS WIFE
1864 ELLEN E. BIRD 1922
HIS WIFE
1871 GEORGIA E. COOK 1957
1894 FRANCIS G. 1941
1895 ROBERT A. 1902
1898 WILLIAM B. 1898
1901 ROGER D. 1919
_____________________________________________________________________ 1 The City of Newton, Massachusetts is comprised of 13 villages. The names of the villages when noted will be shown in { }
