Mary (Polly) Kirk was born in Tennessee on April 29, 1812. She was the daughter of my third GGF Samuel H. Kirk. Her mother is unknown. Polly and her sister Fanny were raised by Samuel and Anne Wilson who lived in Sweetens Cove of Marion County, Tennessee. We presume that Polly's mother died at childbirth (or soon after) of the youngest daughter, Fanny. Polly was also of the unfortunate generation that had no access to schools as she was growing up. Mary (Polly) Kirk met and married Samuel Beene on 10 March 1831 which was a date shown on their tombstone. Their daughter, Martha Margaret Beene Walker, in her book showed their marriage date as being 10 March, 1829. Samuel was the son of Obediah Beene and Barbara Heifner Beene. Barbara Heifner was of Dutch decent. Samuel Beene and others went in together to put together a school. The children of Samuel Beene and Mary Kirk Beene are as follows:
name ..............born............. married
1) Obediah Beene 18 Dec 1831 Margaret Gipson,
Nancy Ann Miller
2) Fanny Beene 22 Dec 1833 Samuel W. Raulston,
John Head, Daniel Jackson
3) Anna Byron Beene 20 Jan 1836 Matthew Walker Beene
4) Russel Owen Beene 24 Mar 1838 Sarah Jane Raulston
5) Samuel Wilson Beene 15 Mar 1840 Mildred Rachel Morris, Beene
6) Garret Kirk Beene 6 July 1842 Nancy Angelina
Whatley
7) Joseph Kirk Beene 1845
8) Mary Ann Beene 13 Apr 1847 Robert Alexander Smith
9) Robert Patton Beene 8 June 1849 Sally Whaley
10) John Lemuel Beene 15 Apr 1852 Mary J. Rebecca Hargis
11) Martha Margaret M. Beene 20 Apr 1855 Jermiah Tilman Walker
12) Sarah Aletha Jane Beene 5 Dec 1857 Moses Easterly Walker

It is interesting to see from whom the children may have obtained their names. The first son was probably named after his grandfather, Obediah. The second, Fanny, was the name of the mother, Mary (Polly)'s sister. The third, Anna Byron may have been the name of the wife of Samuel Wilson's wife, the couple that raised Mary (Polly) and her sister Fanny. We know that his wife's name was Anna. The fourth, Russell Owen was the name of one of Samuel Beene's brothers. The fifth, Samuel Wilson, as with Anna Byron, was the name of the man who raised the girls. The sixth, Garret Kirk was Mary (Polly)'s brother. The seventh, Joseph Kirk, was the name of another of her brothers. The eighth, Mary Ann was the name of Samuel Beene's sister. The ninth, Robert Patton - Robert was the name of Samuel Beene's grandfather. The tenth, John Lemuel - Mary (Polly) had a brother, John, and Lemuel was the name of another brother of Samuel Beene. The eleventh, Martha Margaret M. was the one who wrote the book mentioned below and Samuel Beene had a sister, Martha. We cannot explain child No 12's name. Russell Owen Beene (born 1838) was in the Civil War, came home with a fever and lived nine days. He died 6 Mar 1862. Joseph Kirk Beene (born 1845) was also in the Civil War and died in a Union prison at Rock Island, Illinois in 1863.

Samuel and Mary Beene are on the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 census of Marion Co. TN. Mary is on the 1900 census of same with daughter Sarah Walker and family. Mary (Polly) Kirk Beene died 21 June 1900 and is buried beside her husband in the Beene-Raulston cemetery in Sweeten Cove of Marion County, Tennessee. Their daughter, Martha Margaret M. Beene Walker (Margaret, age 14 in the 1870 census) has left a lot of memories, interesting stories and family history in her book "Reminiscences and Meandering Thoughts".