Earnest Roland Beckett was born 21 Apr 1883 in Lincoln County, West Virginia, USA. He was the son of Charles Milton Beckett and Beulah Elizabeth (Morris) Beckett.
According to the West Virginia Archives and History Vital Records online, Ernest Roland Beckett marries Ella Mae Venoy on 20 Oct 1910 in Cabell County, West Virginia. Ellie's age is listed as 19 being born in Cabell County, WV. Ernest's age is 27 being born in Lincoln County, WV. They were married for 58 years and never spent a day apart. When they needed help in caring for themselves their daughter Beulah and husband Herb Yeager had them move in with them.
Herman Beckett grandson, son of Mildred Flossie (Beckett) Johnson bought the home place of Ernest and Ellie by keeping taxes paid on the property. The house and property were later purchased by the Lewis family and still living there.
Ernest died 30 JUL 1968 in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA. He is buried in the Enon Cemetery in Salt Rock, Cabell, West Virginia. He and Ellie have a headstone which Amy (Stratton) Beckett made for them.
When Ernest passed away Ellie moved in with another daughter Hattie Mae (Beckett) Adkins, my mother. Where she lived her remaining years. She and Ernest were members of the Enon Baptist Church.
Ernest was my grandfather and I remember him as a quiet man and always had coveralls on when we visited. He'd always be sitting in front of the potbelly stove in the colder months chewing his tobacco and spitting in the stove. He was a hard worker and kept busy with farming. I don't think they did as much farmer once they grew older but always seemed to have the pantry full of homemade canned goods from the garden. They had a storage shed outside also that they kept potatoes in and a number of other things I could see when I was able to take a peek inside when one of the other adults would have it open getting something out. The pantry was outside made of stone with a wooden door.
Ernest worked one time for the WPA laying brick on roads. They didn't have much education and the children worked in the garden, helped with canning and anything else that needed to be done to store or preserve food. Many times they had to miss school because of having to work in the garden which took up a lot of time. Farming was their only means of income, food, and medicine. Grandpa use to boil mullen weed to bring down swelling in his feet.
Ellie and Ernest had 9 children. These children were as follows:
1) Garnet Beckett, born 0 AUG 1911 in Milton, Cabell, WV who married Newton Ivory Clark, 5 Jun 1929 in Cabell, West Virginia. Garnet and Newton had only one child, Catherine Lorene Clark. Four other children were born to Garnet and there is no father's name on their birth certificate.
2) Garland Earl Beckett(Reverend) was born 20 AUG 1911 in Milton, Cabell, WV. He married Shirley Casey 5 Jun 1929 in Cabell, West Virginia which all their children were born. Garland married again after Shirley died in 1983 to which there were no children born.
3) Violet Virginia Beckett born 6 APRIL 1914 in -Milton, Cabell, West Virginia, USA married Creath Lee Woodard born 2 JUL 1912 in Culloden, Cabell, West Virginia, USA
4) Beulah Elizabeth Beckett born 2 JUN 1916 in Milton Cabell, West Virginia, USA. She married Herbert Jackson Yeager around 1941.
5) Lesta Patricia Beckett born 20 SEP 1918 in McComas, Milton, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA. She married James William Lafferty 6 NOV 1937 in Cabell County, West Virginia, USA. They had two children. Lest also married Robert E Heath and a Joseph J Godles to which no children were born.
6) Hattie Mae Beckett (my mother) was born on 20 MAY 1921 in Milton, Cabell, West Virginia, USA. She married Homer Herald Adkins (my father) 23 JUL 1938 in Catlettsburg, Boyd, Kentucky, USA. They had 10 children. Their first child died during childbirth by strangulation of the umbilical cord. Husband #2 George H. Adkins in 1964 in Ona, Cabell, West Virginia, USA., to which no children were born. I was the youngest child of Hattie and Homer. I was 8 years old when my mom Hattie and George married.
7) Clyde William Beckett was born 8 MAR 1924 in McComas, Milton, Cabell, West Virginia, USA. He married Amy Anna Frances Stratton 16 Aug 1951 in Cabell County, West Virginia, USA. They had 5 children.
8) Raymond Richard Beckett born on 1 OCT 1925 in Milton, Cabell, West Virginia, USA. He married Frances Juanita Tomblin on 25 JUN 1949 in Cabell County, West Virginia, USA. They had 3 children.
9) Mildred Flossie Beckett born 4 FEB 1930 in Milton, Cabell, West Virginia, USA. She married William Ray Johnson, Sr. She had 4 sons and 4 daughters.