Muhlenberg County Kentucky
Family Group Records C
John Beck Culbertson & Elizabeth Margaret Alice Berryman
John Beck Culbertson
Born: September 3, 1813
Married: November 26, 1846
Died: August 16, 1872
Father: Joseph Culbertson
Mother: Rebecca Beck
Spouse: Elizabeth Margaret Alice Berryman
Born: About 1830
Father: Thomas Newton Berryman
Mother: Margaret Cessna [first cousin of John Beck Culbertson]
John Beck Culbertson married Elizabeth Margaret Alice Berryman on November 26, 1846. The Culbertson Book by Dr. L.R. Culbertson indicates that this couple moved to Ohio County, Ky. in about 1846, but the records indicate that John's father, Joseph, married in and lived in Ohio County as early as 1805. There is no marriage record of John Beck Culbertson and Elizabeth Berryman in the Muhlenberg Co. Marriage books and thus far, no record of the Culbertson/Berryman marriage is listed in the Ohio Co. records.
Elizabeth, born about 1830, was the daughter of Thomas Newton Berryman and Margaret Cessna of Muhlenberg, Margaret being a daughter of Robert Cessna and Elizabeth Culbertson.
Elizabeth Culbertson Cessna and Joseph Culbertson, father of John Beck Culbertson, were siblings. John Beck Culbertson and Margaret Cessna were first cousins. Thus, John Beck Culbertson married his first cousins daughter, Elizabeth.
In 1837, Margaret Cessna Berryman died, leaving her husband Thomas Newton and her two children, Elizabeth Margaret and Robert Newton Berryman. In the Court records in Muhlenberg County, Margaret Cessna Berryman's sister, Nancy Cessna, was named guardian of Elizabeth and Robert John Culbertson Cessna, Margaret's brother, was named guardian of Robert Newton Berryman.
Researchers had determined that both Margaret and Thomas Newton died but new evidence has been found that indicates that Thomas Berryman did not die but lived in Ohio Co., Kentucky near his father, Gerard Blackstone Berryman. Other information indicates that Thomas Newton Berryman died in Kansas and left a will there but this information needs further research.
Research of the Culbertson family indicates that John Culbertson and son-in-law Robert Cessna had their original land grants on the Green River along with James Milligan. It would be a fair, logical conclusion that Joseph Culbertson lived on the Ohio County side of the Green River, not far from his father and sister and that the families stayed in close contact, thus allowing for the intermarriage of John Beck and Elizabeth.
John and Elizabeth had 12 children:
- Margaret Cessna Culbertson, born June 15, 1848, died June 6, 1878. Married a Mr. Murphy. Had children.
- Romulus B. Culbertson, born November 8, 1850; Lived in Central City in Muhlenberg. Married Jennie Addington on March 10, 1880, Ohio Co., Ky.
- Catherine “Katie” Culbertson, born April 13, 1852; died April 19, 1879. Married Robert Marion Cessna of Powderly in Muhlenberg. They had 5 children, John Eclas, Anna Elizabeth Jane, Sarah, Joretta and Thomas Robert.
Robert Marion Cessna was a first cousin to Elizabeth Margaret Berryman Culbertson, Katie's mother. - Thomas Robert, born October 22, 1853, died January 20, 1876. Did not marry.
- Annie, born October 17, 1855, died October 10, 1874. Did not marry.
- John J., born March 13, 1857, died March 1905. Married Laura Benton on December 30, 1882 in Ohio Co., Ky. One daughter: Jessie L., who married John Burk & had children.
- S. Erskin, born June 17, 1858, died August 10 1911. Married & had children.
- Joseph K., born September 2, 1860, died February 6, 1901. Did not marry
- Gerard B., born October 18, 1862, died August 10, 1863
- Nannie, born September 8, 1864, died August 10, 1892. Married but no known children.
- Edmonia, born June 7, 1867, lived in Eldorado, Illinois. Married twice: 1) a Mr. Eaves; 2) a Mr. Dibble. Had children with both: John Ridley Eaves and Oscar Dibble.
- Lillian, born November 24, 1870, lived in Hillside in Muhlenberg. Married twice: 1)a Mr. Goode; 2) a Mr. Hoard. Had children with Mr. Goode.
Source: Much of this information comes from the L.R. Culbertson Genealogy Book and Muhlenberg and Ohio Co., Kentucky resources.
Contributed by Cheryl Cessna
Updated July 23, 2017