Louisa J. Beechum: Her Testimony

This letter was published in the Southern Star on December 23, 1899.

Magnolia, Tenn
Editor Southern Star

If you will give me space in your paper for a few lines I desire to say a few words in regard to what I have learned about the Mormons and their doctrine. It was in the month of December 1886 when two Mormon Elders called at our house to inform us that they would preach at the school house following Sunday. I went to hear them and to my surprise I heard the Gospel of Christ taught for the first time in my life. It cut me to the heart like a two edged sword. I was determined to follow the teachings of the Scriptures and investigate their doctrines. I soon became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and I am thankful to my Father in heaven that I have been permitted to live and partake of the Gospel of my blessed Savior. I have a testimony for myself that the Gospel which is taught by the Latter day Saints is the same as taught by the Savior and His Apostles and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God and if we will live up to and obey the teachings of that Gospel it will lead us into the Kingdom of God while those who do not obey will come under condemnation. I now pray that the blessings of God may forever rest down upon the Church from the greatest unto the least and last ordained I remain your sister in the Gospel.

Mrs Louisa [J] Beechum

Louisa J. Beechum, who went by the nickname Eliza, was born on November 25th, 1861 to Nimrod Triplett and Amanda Busby. At the age of 18, she married Henry Harrison Beechum in neighboring Humphreys County. The two settled along Whiteoak Creek forty miles to the north. The nearest community was Magnolia in Houston County, Tennessee near the mouth of where Whiteoak Creek runs into the Tennessee River.  There in 1886, they first met the LDS missionaries. A couple of the people in the area joined the Church in 1887 and in 1888. But it would be 10 years, August 9th in 1896, before she along with a handful of her relatives accepted baptism at the hand of Elder Henry A. Grover. Eliza remained true to the faith until her death on February 2nd, 1914, in Houston County, Tennessee.

A letter from Joseph Bigham

While researching Elder Markham I found this letter in the LDS Southern Star printed on April 7th, 1900. Based on the content, it must be from Joseph Bigham, an early member of the Turkey Creek Branch.

Magnolia Tenn

Editor Southern Star:


If allowed a little space in your paper I would like to say a few words in regard to the “Mormons” and what I have learned about their doctrine.


In the year 1887, very late one evening two Elders D C Markham and Geo. W. Stranger, called at my father's house and asked for entertainment: informing us that they were traveling without purse or scrip. My father welcomed the Elders in and they soon were talking upon the gospel. I was a mere child, only years of age. The men and their doctrine were strange, yet their words seemed reasonable and satisfactory to my soul. Later I began to investigate the teachings, finding them to agree with the Bible. August 9, 1896, I, in company with my brother, S. A. Bigham, and Louisa J Beecham, were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints by Elder Henry A. Grover. I can say with an open heart and a truthful tongue that I have a testimony that the gospel is true, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God; Joseph Smith a true Prophet of God. How pleasing to me if every living soul could see the gospel in its true light, and be endowed with the Holy Spirit that leads into all truth. If they would but take upon themselves the cross of our Savior, for His yoke is easy and His burden light. It is true that the doctrine of Christ is not popular, yet we can rejoice when our name is cast out as evil: when we are scourged in the synagogues as I have been, only makes us more humble and prayerful. Yes, it makes us more tender-hearted and brings us to a unity of the saving faith.


Yours in the cause of Truth,


BRO. BIGHAM

Turkey Creek Branch (corrections)

A reader recently corrected me that the Waverly Branch is not yet a Ward. Apparently the writer of the history is not a member and was not aware of this nuanced difference. I am usually better at checking facts. A quick check on the Meeting House Locater confirmed the correction. But by asking for more information, I was also able to collect some additional details in the process.

When the Nashville Stake was formed, December 6, 1970, the Turkey Creek Branch was turned into a "Dependent Sunday School" of the Clarksville Ward. There it remained until it was re-organised into the Turkey Creek Branch in 1976.

On December 2, 1979, when the Nashville, Tennessee Stake was split, the Turkey Creek Branch became part of the new Franklin, Tennessee Stake.

The Turkey Creek Chapel was retired from use in the Fall of 1980, when the meeting house in Waverly was built. At that time the name was changed from the Turkey Creek Branch to the Waverly Branch. Sadly, the Old Chapel burned to the ground in 1985.

Turkey Creek Branch

Missionaries first began preaching in Humphries County in 1834. But the first converts at Turkey Creek were in around 1887. Elbert Sanford Bigham and his wife, Barbara Ann Fizer were baptized on May 8, 1887, along with Arminta Beechum. On April 2nd 1888, Barabara's father, John Fizer, was baptized. For years they were the only ones, but on 9 August 1896 Eliza Beechum was baptized followed by her husband Harrison Beechum 13 October 1896.

In 1899, 19 year old Elder Riego Stay Hawkins served part of his mission at Turkey Creek. He was well liked by the members there. They remembered him even years later.

More baptisms followed in 1907 and later. Family names like Allison, Beechum, Browning, Box, Carter, Durham, Forest, Hornburger, and Peterson, made up a slowly and steadily growing branch. In 1924, the community of saints at Turkey Creek had grown enough to justify building a "small frame chapel" on land belonging to Sam Bigham.

Sunday School enrolment was at 68 in 1935, 71 in 1939, and 74 in 1940. In 1944, the local membership was down to about 45. The war had meant there were factory jobs to be had if you were willing to leave your home. Many chose to do just that.

That spring the "only two missionaries [serving] in Tennessee" made their way to Turkey Creek. They had a list of names; members who had not been visited in a while: Bighams, Beechums, and Brownings. They were names that were oddly familiar to the older of the two Elders.

With such a large area to cover, these missionaries were driving a car. They followed the windy roads until they found the "small frame chapel" these faithful saints had built. It was still being used and the land was still owned by Sam Bigham. Now he was 71 years old, though he was active and still stood tall. He lived there with his younger brother, Joe.

The Elders, one younger and one older, introduced themselves; Elders Lindstrom and Hawkins. It was the latter name that rang a bell for Sam Bigham. He remembered that name from 1899. He asked if he were any relation to the Elder Hawkins that had served in Turkey Creek all those years ago. By now Elder Hawkins realized why this place seemed so familiar to him. It had changed somewhat since he was a young missionary 45 years earlier. The chapel was new, but the friends were the same. Both of the Bigham brothers remembered Elder Hawkins and now Elder Hawkins remembered them. During their three day visit other families in the branch remember Elder Hawkins too.

Without knowing it, President Graham H. Doxy of the East Central States Mission had assigned Elder Riego S. Hawkins to serve in the same area in which he had served in 1899 while in the Southern States Mission. And though Elder Hawkins knew he had served in Tennessee, little did he expect to meet anyone who remembered him so well.

[Addendum: When the Nashville Stake was formed, December 6, 1970, the Turkey Creek Branch was turned into a "Dependent Sunday School" of the Clarksville Ward. There it remained until it was re-organised into the Turkey Creek Branch in 1976. On December 2, 1979, when the Nashville, Tennessee Stake was split, the Turkey Creek Branch became part of the new Franklin, Tennessee Stake. The Turkey Creek Chapel was retired from use in the Fall of 1980, when the meeting house in Waverly was built. At that time the name was changed from the Turkey Creek Branch to the Waverly Ward Branch. The old building was sold as a residence. Sadly, it burned to the ground in 1985.]