CHARLES D. BEVERSON
Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: JUSTON, BALLEA, WILLIAMS, KENNEDY, BANCROFT, SIMPKINS,
HARRISON, ROSS,
Californians delight to honor the intrepid and far-seeing pioneer,
whose courage, ambition and progressive industry have made possible so
many of the blessings of today, having paved the way for those who were
to come after; and among such worthy early settlers the name of the
late Charles D. Beverson will find an enviable place. As has already
been said of him, his career was remarkable, for he began the battle of
life at an early age in a foreign country, and without capital worked
his way gradually and steadily into the foreground until he easily
ranked among the most prosperous and successful stock raisers and fruit
growers in Santa Clara County, where he had lived since the late '60s.
Mr. Beverson was born at Bremen, Germany, on April 10, 1850, the son of
Clause and Mata (Juston) Beverson, natives of the same locality, where
they passed all their days. His father had a farm of 100 acres, rather
large for that time and section, and by following agricultural pursuits
supported his family of five children. The fourth child of the family,
Charles, had only a common school education and at the age of fourteen
left his home and crossed the Atlantic, and in New York he found such
employment for three years as enabled him to support himself. Having
heard much of California, however, he set out for the Pacific Coast in
1867, crossing by way of the Nicaraguan route, and finally reached the
Golden Gate. He went into the San Joaquin River district for a while
and spent the first season near Alice. Then he come to Santa Clara
County and took up a claim of 160 acres twenty-three miles east of
Milpitas, where with keen foresight he began to raise cattle. He
succeeded from the first and little by little made additional
purchases, and thus came to own a fine ranch of 2,000 acres in that
locality, and to keep 300 head of choice cattle and a number of horses.
He also owned some eighty-six acres devoted to dairying at Laguna,
where he milked twenty-five cows and made a fine grade of butter.
Mr. Beverson was twice married. At his first wedding he became the
husband of Mrs. Jennie L. (Gallea) Williams, a daughter of Hiram D. and
Amanda (Kennedy) Gallea, the former a native of New York, the latter
born in Ohio, both of Scotch origin, and they were the parents of seven
children: Betsy, Mrs. Bancroft, died in Montana; Mrs. Helen Simpkins
died in Michigan; Statira, Mrs. Harrison, died in Michigan; Mrs. Jennie
L. Beverson died in California; Olive, the present Mrs. Beverson; Mrs..
Orsie M. Ross of Michigan; Ebert died at the age of six months. Hiram
D. Gallea engaged in farming and stock raising at Belvidere, Ill., for
five years, and while there raised a yoke of white oxen that were a
dead match, and which took the blue ribbon at every fair they were
exhibited. Wishing to locate in Allegan County, Mich., he drove this
span of oxen through to his destination, where he settled upon
Government land, living there until his death at the age of
sixty-seven, Mrs. Gallea passing away the same year, having reached her
sixty-fifth year. Both were devout members of the Baptist Church. Mrs.
Jennie L. Beverson first saw the light at Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and when
she passed away on the home ranch in Santa Clara County she was the
mother of two surviving children: Robert L. Williams, always called Bob
Beverson, was educated at the San Jose high school and Stanford
University, and is now a popular young business man, engaged in the
automobile trade at San Jose; Meta Ruth Beverson, a graduate of the San
Jose State Normal and a member of the State Teachers' Association, is
teaching the Orchard SchooL Mr. Beverson's second marriage united him
with Miss Olive S. Gallea, a sister of Mrs. Beverson; she was also a
native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, but was reared at Watson, Mich. Since
her husband's death, on July 17, 1921, she has continued to live at the
home place on the San Jose-Oakland Highway, devoted to his memory and
looking after the large interests left by her husband and carrying out
his plans and ambitions. In her earlier years she was engaged in
educational work, teaching school in Michigan, so she is naturally much
interested in the career of her daughter, Miss Meta Beverson. Having
been reared in an atmosphere of culture and refinement, she emanates an
influence for good. and her stand for high ideals and morals is well
known. Her patriotic zeal during the World War was helpful in the
various war drives, and especially in the local chapter of the Red
Cross, of which she was president. Of a pleasing personality, she is
well known and much esteemed, and her influence has been felt in her
activity in social and civic circles.
A Republican in politics, Mr. Beverson was broadminded in local affairs
and served as a nonpartisan school trustee up to 1909. He was a charter
member of the Fraternal Brotherhood and at the time of his death had
been a member of that order for twenty-one years. Mr. Beverson always
attributed most of his financial success in life to the devoted
assistance of his wife, who capably looked after the financial end of
his large business, thus making it possible for him to devote all his
time to stock raising and the improvement of his lands. A man of great
energy, he was never idle and was active in his business affairs until
a week before his passing away.