Beldon Lewis

Birth: He was born in 1914 at Utah.  

Family Information: Son of H. Claude and Ella Lewis.

Brother of Mildred, Jasmine, Marjory and Afton Lewis.

Nephew of Miss Lou Lewis.  

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: In 1920 he was living in Utah with his parents and siblings while his father worked as Superintendent of Iron County schools.

In 1930 he, his mother and Afton were living in Utah with his sister (Mildred) and brother-in-law and their two children.

He and his father arrived in the colony around July 1932.  

Home in Colony: In December 1932 he went to the Rice Ranch to work.

In December 1932 those living at the Isle of Cuba Plantation (near Thibodeaux, LA) included: Sam Hall, Harry Morgan, Henry and Bennie Frahm, Beldon Lewis, F. Gossett, John Horney, Roy McLean, Mrs. Swilley and Mr. and Mrs. Perkins with their four children.

By the end of the month, the group had added Mrs. Gossett, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Shipman, Albert Wicks, Dolly McCullough, Jim Nash, Earl Swenson and Ranny Wells. 

Job in Colony: In December 1932 he was listed as one of the Isle of Cuba (near Thibodeaux, LA) workers.

In March 1933 he was among the men who made the trip to Longville, Louisiana to pick up fencing which had been donated to the colony by the Schutz family.  

Other Info: In 1932 he signed a protest against colonists E.G. Webb and Walter Groth remaining in the colony "to save them".

In August 1933 she was invited to the 35th wedding anniversary celebration of Dr. Robert K. and Cecil Williams. 

Post-Colony History: In 1939 he enlisted as a Private in the US Army. In 1940 he was living in California and was still a Private in the US Army HQ 30th Infantry. In July of that year he married Ona Jones at Pierce, Washington.

He was promoted to 1st Lt. in September 1944 and served overseas from December 1944 until October 1945 with the 635th FA Bn. He was discharged from the Army in November 1945.  

Death: He died in 1992 and was buried in Cedar City, Utah.  

Sources: US Census: 1920, 1930, 1940; "Llano Colonist": August 6, 1932, December 10, 1932, December 24, 1932, March 25, 1933, August 12, 1933; Washington County Marriages; Utah Military Records; FindAGrave.com