Cleopatra "Patra" Beachum was the third daughter, and fifth of fourteen children born to Jeremiah Washington Beachum (1830-1910) and his wife Mary Jane Taylor (1836-1882) of Anson County, NC. She was born 5 Oct. 1861, shortly before her father and uncles went off to fight in the War. her paternal grandparents were Hugh Beachum and his wife Zillah "Zillie" O'Neal; and her maternal grandparents were William Taylor and his wife Sarah "Sallie" McLendon. I can trace all these families back a few more generations, if anyone is interested.

Patra married John William Harris "Bill" Irby (30 Jan. 1856-27 May 1934) on 2 Jan. 1879, and they lived in Wadesboro, NC for a time, where they kept a hotel, and Mr. Irby had a blacksmith shop and stables. They went to Arkansas in 1890, and settled on a farm near El Dorado. J. W. H. Irby's maternal grandparents, Thomas M. Griffin (1812-1892) and his wife Elizabeth Anderson (1819-1892), went along with them.

From a history of the Irby family that was sent to me by Gary Stegall of Hawkins, Texas, "Grandma and Grandpa Irby wanted to be self-sufficient and have an independent way of life; but the farm land at that time in North Carolina was 'worn out' and there were severe problems with insects destroying the crops. They heard there was good land to be bought inexpensively 'out west,' go Grandpa Irby rode the train west to look for a new place for his family to live. Although he had planned to go farther west, he was so impressed with the beauty of Arkansas that he decided to settle there.

"In Arkansas, J. W. H. and Pattrie did become self-sufficient. Grandpa became a prosperous farmer, growing cotton, corn, sugar cane, raising cattle, etc. He built a blacksmith shop, a tannery, a syrup mill, a grist mill, a brick kiln, a lumber mill, and a cotton gin. He made work shoes for the family, and built a spinning wheel and a loom for Grandma." In fact, ti sounds like Mr. Irby could do just about anything! He also donated land for a school to be built near the church in their community, and built a "Creole cottage" as the family home place when they left their original farm in 1924. Patra Irby planted the yard of this lovely home with many varieties of beautiful flowers. According to a granddaughter Anna Bess, "Bees, hummingbirds and butterflies kept the yard humming...It was a lovely place; I still remember the smell of the new wood and the flowers."

Patra and Bill Irby were devout Christians, and, according to another part of the memoir written by their granddaughter Anna Bess, "Grandma and Grandpa were creative and talented and worked very hard all their lives, and we are fortunate to have the start they gave us."

The children of Bill and Patra Irby were: James Fincher Irby (18 Jan. 1880, died in infancy), Franklin Lorenzo Irby (25 Jan. 1881-5 Aug. 1968, m. Estelle Royce, he became a doctor and owned a hospital in El Dorado, Ark.),Walter Williams Irby (10 Feb. 1883-12 May 1963, m. Geneva Dell Owens, 8 children), Ada Bertha Irby (2 April 1885-before Dec. 1890), Arlington S. Irby (6 Jan. 1888-?, m. Sally A. Mason, 6 children), Mamie Jane Irby (15 Dec. 1890-6 June 1892), Cleo Bessie Irby (5 Oct. 1893-25 July 1969, m. Jesse Clyde Stegall, 9 children), Annie Clara Irby (2 Jan. 1896, m Walter Baker), Pettie Mae (Patricia?)Irby (16 Aug. 1898-2 Feb. 1968, m. James Vaelma Gunn. She became a college professor at Ouitchita Baptist College, Arkadelphia, Ark.).