August 10, 2025

Introducing George Thomas Applegate

Introduction Page – George Thomas Applegate

Every family has those steady, familiar presences — the kind of people who anchor a family’s story without demanding the spotlight. For our family, George Thomas Applegate was one of them.

Born in Crothersville, Indiana, in 1899, George grew up in a time when the pace of life was measured in work shifts, neighborhood news, and the changing seasons. His life carried him through early factory work, decades at Allison, and the shifting rhythms of a city that was always growing around him.

George was no stranger to life’s twists — from stepfathers to wartime draft registrations, from divorce to late-in-life marriages — yet he met each chapter with a kind of quiet perseverance. He remained rooted in Indianapolis, building a life that blended hard work, community, and family ties.

If you knew George — whether you worked alongside him, saw him at church, or shared a seat at his kitchen table — we’d love for you to add your stories here. It’s these personal memories that bring his history to life far better than census records and draft cards ever could.

📝 Share Your Memories
Use the comment box below to tell us about George — his laugh, his habits, the advice he gave, the things that made him uniquely himself. Your stories will help keep his memory alive for future generations.

Want the full story?
Visit George Thomas Applegate’s Family Page to explore his complete life timeline, from his Crothersville childhood to his final years in Indianapolis.

August 3, 2025

Introducing Charles Arthur Blake

Introduction: Charles Arthur Blake

“Custodian of the Quiet Years”
Son-in-Law of Jacob William Beyl Sr. | Husband, Father, Resilient Soul | 1879–1957

Not every name in the family record arrives through blood. Some are stitched in through time, tenderness, and the kind of steadfast love that doesn’t demand attention. Charles Arthur Blake was one of those souls—woven into the fabric of the Beyl legacy not by birth, but by bond.

Born in West Newton, Indiana, in the final quarter of the 19th century, Charles entered a world still shaking off the dust of war and stepping boldly into modernity. He grew up in a working-class home in Indianapolis, one of eight children. His early life was defined by movement—wagon driver, truck man, grocer—and yet what defined him most was his capacity to stay.

He married Mary Elizabeth Beyl on his 22nd birthday, beginning a chapter filled with both profound sorrow and quiet joy. Together, they bore children, buried one too soon, and built a life on hard work and hope. When Mary died young, Charles honored her memory with a life that kept going—steady, simple, and true. He remarried, raised his daughter, and worked into his seventies, even as the world around him reshaped itself again and again.

There were no parades for Charles Blake, no monuments carved in his honor. But for every record left behind—for every census, draft card, city listing, and death certificate—there is the mark of a man who carried the weight of love, labor, and loss with quiet grace.

👉 Read his full story on the Family Page

💬 Did you know Charles? Did your family cross paths with his milk route, his grocery counter, or his quiet acts of service?
If you have stories, photographs, or even a whispered memory passed down through generations, I invite you to share it in the comments below. These are the threads that keep history breathing.

August 2, 2025

Introducing Grover Thomas Beyl

🧵 Meet Grover Thomas Beyl

1891–1938
The Meandering Butcher of Marion County

Before his name made it into newspapers as a “Pioneer Resident” or onto a death certificate marked “concussion of the brain,” Grover Thomas Beyl was just a boy on Jackson Street—watching his father plane wood, his mother tend chickens, and the world begin to shift around him.

He came of age between horse carts and meat lockers, learning to labor with his hands. He moved often, worked always, and tried to stake out a piece of permanence in a city that never stood still.

Grover was a machinist. A carpenter. A packer. A laborer. A butcher.
He was a husband to Katherine. A father to Elizabeth and Helen. A brother. A son. And by 1938, a man who had been in motion for nearly five decades—until a highway accident brought his story to a sudden, brutal end.

🗺️ We’ve traced his footsteps through old neighborhoods now lost to parking lots, reconstructed his addresses, and mapped the grind of his working-class life.
But there are still blanks. Still shadows. Still pieces we hope you might help us fill.

🕯️ Did You Know Grover?

Have you heard a story about him passed down in your family?
Do you have a photo, a letter, or even a fragment of a tale?

This is the place to share it.

🧬 Leave a comment below, or send us a note.
Even a tiny detail could bring a deeper layer to Grover’s memory—and help us tell the next chapter of a life once nearly forgotten.

🔍 Want to read his full story? You can find it here:
👉 Read Grover’s Family Page ➤

July 28, 2025

Introducing Irvin Benjamin Smith

🕵️‍♂️ Introduction Page: Irvin Benjamin Smith

Born: 15 March 1885, Lawrence, Indiana
Died: 26 January 1947, Indianapolis, Indiana
Known Aliases: Irvin B. Smith, Ervin B. Smith, Tom Smith
Occupations: Drayman, Laborer, Welder, Mechanic, Truck Driver
Possible Marriages: Edna Dugan, Lulu Sanders, Helen Marie Blake, Alsa Mae (unconfirmed)
Children: Mabel Irene Smith, Monty (unconfirmed)

Who Was Irvin Really?

Irvin Benjamin Smith is one of those ancestors who refuses to sit still—even in the grave. His trail winds through multiple marriages, shifting occupations, two World Wars, and census entries that contradict each other just enough to keep you guessing.

We’ve traced his known path as far as we can, but his story still has soft spots—years unaccounted for, possible spouses unexplained, and a son named Monty who may or may not be his. Throw in varying middle initials for his father and the occasional alias (“Tom”), and you’ve got the makings of a real mystery man.

That’s where you come in.

📣 Share Your Stories, Clues & Theories

Did you know Irvin personally—or hear stories passed down through the family?
Do you have photos, letters, or mementos tied to Irvin or his wives?
Can you help clarify whether he really married Lulu Sanders, Alsa Mae, or someone else entirely?
Any leads on what became of Monty?

We welcome memories, documents, DNA matches, wild theories, and respectful speculation. Drop your insights in the comments below or contact me directly. Even the smallest detail might help connect the dots.

📜 Want the full story?
Head over to Irvin Benjamin Smith’s Family Page for a detailed timeline of his life—including census records, marriages, mysteries, and everything we’ve uncovered so far.

Let’s shine a little more light on Irvin’s shadowy corners.

With curiosity and care,
~Kris

July 26, 2025

Introducing Jacob William Beyl Jr.

🌿 Jacob William Beyl Jr.

Born in 1876 in Columbus, Indiana, Jacob William Beyl Jr. was the son of French and German immigrants who built a life—brick by brick, board by board—in the American Midwest. He worked as a carpenter, a laborer, and a woodworker throughout his life, often living in the company of his family but rarely mentioned outside the census forms and city directories that documented his comings and goings.

Jacob’s life was marked by simplicity and struggle. He never married, and by the end of his life in 1921, he was unemployed, isolated, and battling inner turmoil that few seemed to see coming. He died by suicide at the age of 45.

His death left behind not only grief, but also questions, heartbreak, and—eventually—this effort to understand and honor him.

We remember Jacob Jr. not for the manner of his death, but for the fullness of the life he lived before it. He was a son, a brother, an uncle. He was a craftsman whose hands built things—quietly, steadily. His story matters, and we’re here to keep it from being forgotten.

You can read the full story of his life and legacy on his Family Page.

💬 Tell Us What You Know

If you knew Jacob—or even if his story simply resonates with you—I hope you’ll share your thoughts in the comments below. Every thread, every memory, every fragment helps us piece together the human story behind the name.

🧡 If You’re Struggling

If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please know that you are not alone.

In the U.S., you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 and free of charge.
For more information or resources, visit: 988lifeline.org

There is hope. There is help. And there are people who care.

With care,
~Kris