Name/Title
Beck family: Daniel and Ellen (Morrison) Beck, 1889 settlers by Grandin, North DakotaEntry/Object ID
2026.21.1Description
This family history looks at the lives of Daniel Beck, his wife Ellen Neven Morrison, and their six children using information in the 1981 Grandin Centennial book, church records, census and death records, Traill and Cass County Atlases, newspapers, ancestry.com, and family recollections from grandson, Jerry Beck.
From a brief biography on page 84 in the 1981 Grandin Centennial book, Daniel Beck on born on 2 February 1872. However, Daniel's birth-baptism record for the Anglican Church in Percé, Quebec Province, Canada, documents that Daniel was born on 1 February 1871 to parents Daniel and Matilda (Ross) Beck. Daniel was baptized into this Cape Cove Anglican Church on 2 April 1871.
The Daniel and Matilda Beck family lived in the Subdistrict of Cape Cove, South District No. 172 (Gaspé) in Quebec Province [1871 Census data]. This census records that their religion was Church of England, and Daniel's origin was English and he was a fisherman and farmer.
The Daniel Sr. and Matilda Beck family lived in the Subdistrict of Cape Cove, South District No. 172 (Gaspé) in Quebec Province [1871 Census data]. This 1871 census records that their religion was Church of England, and Daniel Sr's origin was English and he was a fisherman and farmer. In this 1871 record, Daniel was the youngest of seven children listed with Daniel Sr., age 40, and Matilda, age 36. Daniel’s age was given as 2/12 (Feb.). Daniel Beck’s siblings from oldest to youngest included Walter Edward (age 13), Hannah Loraine (age 11), Margaret (age 9), Mavina Mary (age 7), John (age 5) and Edith (age 2). Also listed in the same household with Daniel Sr., Matilda, and family was Mary Ann Beck, age 34, who was likely Daniel Sr.’s younger sister. Notably, listed in this 1871 census for Cape Cove just before Daniel Sr. and Matilda was the family of Isaac Beck, age 37, wife Isabella, age 34, and their four children, Amanda, Edward, Isabella, and Laura Beck. Isaac Beck was likely Daniel Sr’s younger brother.
Interestingly, when we move on ten years to the 1881 Census for Cape Cove, Quebec, Daniel Sr., age 49, was now recorded with wife Catherine, age 35, not Matilda. Evidently, Daniel Sr’s first wife Mathilda (Ross) Beck, had died in about 1875 because besides the seven children listed in the 1871 census: Walter Edward (age 24), Hannah Loraine (age 22), Margaret (age 20), Malvina Mary (age 17), John (age 15), Edith (age 12), and Daniel (now age 10), in 1881 there is son Cameron Beck, age 7, listed with the family. In addition, a daughter Emma Beck is recorded with an age of 5/12, and a note of “Nov.”. This indicates that Emma was born in November 1880 to Daniel Sr. and second wife Catherine Beck after a six-year gap from Cameron Beck, the son of Daniel Sr. and Mathilda Beck.
After another ten years to the 1891 Census for Cape Cove, Quebec, Daniel Sr., age 60, and Catherine, age 45, are listed with 11 children. Curiously, Daniel Sr’s wife is recorded in this 1891 census as Catherine Ross. Was Catherina a younger sister to Daniel Sr’s first wife, Mathilda Ross? The oldest of the 11 children in the household in this 1891 census was Malvina, age 26, with her three older siblings, Walter Edward, Hannah Loraine, and Margaret Beck, no longer in the household, as might be expected given they would be in their 30s. John Beck, age 24, was recorded as a “farmer”. In 1891, Edith was age 23, Daniel, age 21, and Cameron, age 18. Daniel Sr. and Catherine continued to have more children. In 1891, besides Emma, now age 10, they had Edward (age 8), Ernest (age 6), Grace (age 4), twin Evelina (age 4), and Elias (age 2).
In summary, 1871, 1881, and 1891 census data shows that Daniel Beck was one of at least 14 children fathered by Daniel Beck Sr. with two wives, Mathilda Ross and Catherine Ross. The fact that Daniel was in the 1891 census for Cape Cove, Quebec, means that other information (see below) that Daniel left Canada in 1889 is incorrect.
Cape Cove is a hamlet near the villages of Percé and Gaspé [Mapcarta info]. As shown by Google maps, Cape Cove is located in eastern Quebec between the entrance to the St. Lawrence and New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
According to information on page 84 in the Grandin Centennial book, Daniel Beck left Canada in 1889 (incorrect, 1891 or later) and came to Grandin to join his older brother, John Beck, who came to the Grandin area three years earlier in 1886. This book also states that Ellen Nevin Morrison was born on 21 October 1877 in Kincardine, Ontario, which is located along the east shore of Lake Huron to the northeast of Detroit, MI [Google maps].
Other records document that Ellen was born to parents Robert and Eliza (Anderson) Morrison. This Grandin Centennial book biography notes that in 1880, Ellen came from Canada to Casselton, ND, with her parents. From other records, Ellen may have emigrated in 1888. Ellen went to schools in Casselton and later taught in Cass County rural schools.
Page 84 in the 1981 Grandin Centennial book notes that "Daniel married Ellen Nevin Morrison of Casselton, North Dakota, on May 1, 1900". But curiously, a US Naturalization record dated 1 May 1900 for Ellen N. Morrison (see record), which must be given in person, was recorded at the District Court of Ramsey County in Devils Lake, ND. In this Court Record, Ellen stated that she was born in Canada in 1877 and had emigrated to the USA through the Port of Huron in 1888, which is correct information for Daniel’s wife Ellen. So, if Ellen was in Devils Lake on 1 May 1900, when and where did she and Daniel marry? So far, I have not found a marriage record for Daniel Beck and Ellen Morrison.
We do know that by 11 July 1900 [US Census data], Dan and Ellen were on land that they had claimed in Ellen’s name, which was located in unorganized territory in the southeastern portion of Bottineau County, North Dakota, which in the census record was given as Township 161, Range 80. In this 1900 census, Daniel was recorded as age 28, and Ellen as age 22, with both being born in Canada. They had no children as yet and declared that they owned their home. In this census, Daniel Beck gave that he had immigrated to the United States in 1891, having been in the country for 9 years. This 1891 date is likely correct but differs from the date of 1889 given in the Grandin Centennial book.
Evidently, Dan and Ellen did not farm and improve their land claim in Bottineau County for long because the 29 August 1901 issue of the Bottineau Courant newspaper published a “Homestead Contest Notice” from the “U. S. Land Office at Devils Lake. N. D.,” dated 5 August 1901, that “A sufficient contest affidavit having been filed in this office by Ralph Coon, contestant, against Homestead Entry No. 20772 made May 1, 1900, for the south-east quarter of Section 32, Township 161, Range 80, by Ellen N. Morrison, Contestee, in which it is alleged that she has never established or maintained her residence upon said land at any time since entry and that said land is wholly abandoned, and that said abandonment was not caused by her being employed in the military service of the United Stateses in time of war.” Further, the notice read: “Said parties are hereby notified to appear, respond and offer evidence touching said allegation at 10 o’clock, a.m. on Sept. 25, 1901, before S. B. Mahaney, a notary public at his office in Willow City, Bottineau County, North Dakota, and that final hearing will be held at 10 o’clock a.m. on September 31, 1901, before the Register and Receiver at the United States Land Office in Devils Lake, North Dakota.” We don’t know if this land claim contest was resolved, but we do know that by 1910, Dan and Ellen (Morrison) Beck had returned to the Red River Valley in eastern North Dakota.
The 1910 US Census taken on 1 June for Traill County documents that Dan, age 38, and Ellen, age 32, were farming in Bohnsack Township on rented land. They had four children listed with them, Richard, Edith, Perry and Helen. Dan's brother John A. Beck, age 42, was farming with them, along with a hired hand, John Stone, and a servant, miss Lerew. In this 1910 census, it was recorded that Dan and Ellen had been married for 10 years, which confirms that they married in 1900.
By the time of the 1915 ND Census for Traill County, Dan, age 43, and Ellen, age 37, had five children listed with them, including Richard, Edith, Perry, Helen, and William. A hired hand, Charles Murphy was also recorded with them in this 1915 census.
In the 1920 US Census, Dan, age 48, and Ellen, age 42, were renting a farm in Kelso Township. They had five children in their household, including Edith, Perry, Helen, William and John. Their eldest son, Richard Beck, had left home for Illinois by the time of this 1920 census taken on 5 January.
In the 1925 ND Census, Dan, age 54, and Ellen, age 46, were recorded as residing in Kinyon Township in Cass County. Part of Grandin, ND, is located in Kinyon Township. Dan and Ellen were recorded with five children: Edith, Perry, Helen, William and John Beck. This 1925 census does not indicate where they lived in Kinyon Township, but others listed on the same page included the Rosenau, Eisenhardt and Humphrey families.
In the 1930 US Census, Dan, age 58, and Ellen, age 52, continued to farm rented land in Bohnsack Township, and Dan's brother John Beck, age 63, continued to help with farming. In this 1930 census, Dan and Ellen's sons, Perry, William and Jack (John) Beck helped on the farm, along with a son-in-law, Earl Ford, age 33, who had married to Edith Beck. Earl and Edith's son, Lloyd, age 3, was also listed in this 1930 census.
On 14 July 1934, Ellen (Morrison) Beck died, age 56, at St. Lukes Hospital in Fargo [ND Death Certif.]. After funeral services at the Presbyterian Church in Grandin, ND [see obituary, Fargo Forum, 15 Jul. 1934], Ellen was interred at the Hunter Cemetery, located about a half mile west of town [see grave-marker photo].
On 22 September 1938, Daniel Beck, age 67, passed away [ND Death Certif., informant son John Beck of Grandin]. Dan died "after two years of failing health" [obituary, Fargo Forum, 24 Sep. 1938]. After a funeral service at the Presbyterian Church in Grandin, Daniel Beck was buried at the cemetery by Hunter, ND [see grave-marker photo].Acquisition
Accession
2026.21Source or Donor
City of Grandin, ND, Traill County Historical SocietyLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
