I received the following story [probably written by J. Hedrick] concerning my gr-gr-grandfather, Rev. Samuel PERKINS, who was the first minister of the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, located at Fort Spring, Greenbrier County, WV:

'Mount Vernon Church History'
'In the "Story of my Life" written by Bishop William Taylor of Africa, he gives the following account of being at the home of Samuel Perkins in 1845: "Our next series of special services were held at the house of old Father Perkins, who was a plain, blunt, but good man of the old school, a local preacher in our church. In summer heat he would take off his coat and preach in his shirt sleeves."
He went on to say that at the Perkins appointment, a few miles from Second Creek, he found Father Perkins, wife, grown-up daughters and a few other members.
This information from Bishop Taylor?s book shows that services were held in the community in 1845 and perhaps several years before that. Rev. Samuel Perkins held services in his log house, and if it was too small for the congregation, they went to the log barn.
The deed to the present church yard was made November 19, 1846 (from deed).
A log church was built where the present building now stands. The log church was burned during the Civil War, the exact date not known.
Sometime before 1867 a new frame church building was erected that stood until 1890. It was torn down to build the present one, which was erected on the same foundation as the old one, but is eight feet longer at the entrance. It was dedicated in August, 1890.
Services were held on the rocks where the tabernacle now stands, when the weather permitted, while the church was being built.
Much of the material and work was donated by the people of the community but $ 250 was borrowed from Church Extension.
The frame timber was donated by Rebecca Ruth Hedrick, hauled to the saw mill by her brother, Frederick Hedrick, and sawed by G.H. Hedrick on what was the Roy Hedrick farm. From the mill it was hauled to the Hedrick and Wilson ferry and tied into bundles and held by a rope or chain and ferried across the Greenbrier River by J.H. and M.C. Hedrick and others. From there, it was hauled to Mt. Vernon Church yard. The flooring was given by Jehu Hedrick and sawed on his farm. The lumber was kiln dried, dressed and tongue grooved on the church grounds. The carpenters were boarded in the community. The benches were made from popular trees bought from Wellington Johnson in what was known as "Johnson?s Big Woods". The shingles were handmade by Kenny Aldridge and timber given by John Lewis. G.W. Shepherd and C.C. Claypool were very prominent in this work.
The carpenter was a Mr. Harless from Pott?s Creek. He had a helper.
Rev. Samuel Perkins was the first one buried in the upper cemetery on January 19, 1854.
Jehu Hedrick was the first adult buried in the lower cemetery on May 13, 1904.'

Rev. Samuel Perkins was born 1778 in Greenbrier County, [W]VA. He became the first minister for Mount Vernon United Methodist Church,a nd was the fist person buried in it's cemetery. He was married three times [widowed twice]. his first wife was Margaret Smith [Married 1809 - died 1810 in childbirth]. Second wife was Rebekkah HANLEY, married 1811, and died before 1812 [also believed to have died in childbirth]. His third wife was Elizabeth TUCKWILLER [married 1812]. Elizabeth was born 1779 in Greenbrier County, and died 1867. She and Samuel had at least 6 children. One of whom was my gr-grandmother, Margaret, who was named after Samuel's first wife, who was Elizabeth's best friend.

Samuel died 1854.

Margaret [born 1826 - died 1891] married William M. BEAN, Jr., from Monroe County, WV [born 1832 - died 1890] in 1852.

William was a Civil War veteran, and a US Marshall. He was shot and killed by a constable over the question of a lien on a buggy and horse.

William and Margaret had 8 children [one of whom died in infancy].

Their son John Monroe BEAN was born 1866 in CIncinatti, Ohio, following the Civil War. That winter, they returned to WV by covered wagon. John was my grandfather.

In 1895 John married Blanche Crosier. This couple had 3 children. Blanche died from tuberculosis. [John lost several children to this horrible ailment as well, as time progressed., in 1902.

In 1907, John married Ada Burdette. This couple went on to have 9 children together. And in 1929, 5 days after the birth of their last son, Ada died from complications of the childbirth.

John later married Mary Faudree, in 1935 [my grandmother]. Mary was bor 1897. John and Mary had 3 sons, Walter, Edsel and Roy. Roy died at age 4 from appendicitis.

In 1954, at the age of 88, John passed away. Leaving Mary with 2 teen aged sons. John's older children rallied and helped to take care of the family.

Mary died 1 January 1975 at the age of 77. She is buried beside John in the New Zion Union Church Cemetery, located in Waiteville, Monroe County, WV, where so many of the Bean family are buried.

It was not until after John's death in 1954 when our particular branch of the Bean line began adding the "e" to the end of the name to make it "BEANE'.