Thanks to the continuing efforts of Ed & Nettie Dworsky, who found the death certificate for Ida C. (Beckwith) Griffin, we can confidently state that Thadeus and Jennie (first cousins, once removed) were a couple.  We presume they were man and wife, but the courthouse for Parker County, Texas, a likely location of their marriage, burned in 1874, so we may never find a license.  Thanks to Patty Munson-Rodriguez for finding the obituary of their daughter, Ida, which also named Thadeus and Jennie.

The actual spelling of Thadeus' given name is in question.  It's our current opinion that it was either Thadeus or Thaddeus.  He is also found as T. W., Thad, Thadias, Thadius and Thaddius.

Outstanding is the issue of how he came to join a Wisconsin military unit, rather than enlisting alongside the many patriotic young men from Hancock County - young men he grew up with, but the continual thread of service in the same cavalry unit helps tie this story together.  One possible explanation is that he went to Wisconsin because the ranks of the Illinois units were filled.

Virginia Texana "Jennie" Obenchain was so named, according to family lore, because she was born "en route from Virginia to Texas."  Census records show her birth state as Texas; birth records from the state of Virginia show a Virginia Obenchain born in Botetourt County in 1853.
Census transcriptions 1860, 1870

Jennie's maternal grandfather, John Beckwith, was a brother to Charles Beckwith, whose son, Thadeus, was born about 1842 in Indiana.  Siblings older and younger than Thadeus were born in Indiana before the family moved west to Hancock County, Illinois.  (See the page for Charles Beckwith and Sarah Wilcox for 1850 and 1860 census transcriptions.)

There was a "Thaddeus" Beckwith of Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin, who enlisted as a private in Company F of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment on November 16, 1861.  He was mustered out of the same company on February 17, 1865.

We have not located Thadeus anywhere in 1870.  He was not counted with his father and siblings, who had moved from Illinois to Grimes County, Texas; he was not counted with his mother in Illinois. It seems she did not move to Texas with the rest of the family (perhaps because her elderly mother was still living), but by 1880 she had rejoined her husband.  They were living in Cherokee County, Texas.

Land records from Parker County, Texas, show that T. W. Beckwith purchased 160 acres on February 11, 1876.

In 1880, Parker County, Precinct 1, there was a T. W. Beckwith, widower, with three daughters: Ida, Sarah (named for his mother?) and "M".  T. W. was said to be 36 (born about 1844), born in Illinois.  The daughters' mother's birth state was reported as Illinois.

In 1883 or 1893 (the date is unclear) Thadeus W. Beckwith of Texas filed for a pension based on his Civil War service.  He had served in Company F of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry.  We have seen two images of the pension application card.  On one image the middle initial is all but illegible; on the other it is definitely a W.

Marriage records for Travis County, Texas, show that Willam A. Griffin married Ida C. Beckwith on May 14, 1894.

In 1900, in relative proximity to Jennie's mother, "Thadius" Beckwith was living in the home of his daughter, Ida C., and her husband, William H. Griffin.  In this census record, Ida's mother's birth state was reported as Virginia.  "Thadius" was reported as a widower, 46, born November 1853 in Illinois, an error of 10+ years in his age.

In 1910 Ida was reported as a widow.  She, her children and "Thaddius" W. Beckwith, age 67, were living in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.  In that year "Thaddius'" birth state was reported as Indiana, and from 1910 forward Ida consistently reported that her father had been born in Indiana and her mother had been born in Virginia.  Also in the 1910 census "Thaddius" reported that he was a veteran of the Union Army.

As of January 1, 1920, "Thaddeus" W. Beckwith, 78 (hence, born in 1841), born in Indiana, widower, was a resident of Los Angeles Disabled Veterans Home, commonly known as Sawtelle.  It was located in Malibu Township, Los Angeles County.

On June 24, 1920, "Thad" W. Beckwith died and was subsequently buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery.  He was a veteran of Company F of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry.

Passed down through the Beckwith side of the family is the story that Jennie lived in Hancock County, Illinois, for a while, and that she married a man whose surname was Beckwith.

For those familiar with the Beckwith clan, we have revised our previous interpretation of the story, and, perhaps, rescued Jennie's reputation.  Until now, we presumed (always dangerous) that Jennie became Lil Beckwith's 'companion adventuress' sometime after October of 1876 (when Lil was officially divorced) and jumped to the conclusion that Jennie had abandoned her husband and daughters.  Long experience has taught us the value of rethinking vague chapters of our history.  Perhaps Jennie visited Illinois after Lil and her first husband parted in the early 1870s and did not, in fact, leave behind her husband and family after the birth of "M" (about 1877).  In 1880 Thadeus did report that he was a widower, although we hasten to add that it was common for abandoned or divorced individuals, both male and female, to report that they were widowed.

The Beckwith children:

Beckwith, T W, white, male, 36, widower, farmer, born IL, father born IL, mother born NY
Ida, white, female, 7, daughter, single, could not read or write, born TX, father born IL, mother born IL
Sarah, white, female, 5, daughter, single, could not read or write, born TX, father born IL, mother born IL
M, white, female, 3, daughter, single, could not read or write, born TX, father born IL, mother
born IL

Griffin, [somewhat obscured], William H, head, white, male, Aug 1866, 33, married for 6 years, born NE, father born MO, mother born MO, life insurance agent, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, rented his home

Ida C, wife, white, female, Dec 1873, 26, married for 6 years; mother of 4 children, all living; born TX, father born IL, mother born VA, could read, write and speak English

Olive, son [sic], white, male, Feb 1895, 4, single, born TX, father born [illegible], mother born TX

Fisher, son, white, male, Jan [or June] 1895, 4, single, born TX, father born NE, mother born TX

Willie, daughter, white, female, Mar 1897, 2, single, born TX, father born NE, mother born TX

Ida V, daughter, white, female, May 1900, 0/12, single, born TX, father born NE, mother born TX

Beckwith, Thadius, father-in-law, white, male, Nov 1853, 46, widower, born IL, parents born [no entries], rock mason [? entry faint], months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English

Griffin, Ida, head, female, white, 41, widow; mother of 4 children, all living; born TX, father born IN, mother born VA, spoke English, dress maker, at home, working on own account, could read and write, rented her home

Lola, daughter, female, white, 15, single, born TX, father born MO, mother born TX, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Fisher, son, male, white, 13, single, born TX, father born MO, mother born TX, spoke English, galley boy, printing office, employee, read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Willa, daughter, female, white, 12, single, born TX, father born MO, mother born TX, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Ida V ?, daughter, female, white, 10, single, born TX, father born MO, mother born TX, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Beckwith, Thaddius W, father, male, white, 67, widower, born IN, both parents born IN, spoke English, could read and write

Beckwith, Thaddeus W, inmate, male, white, 78, widower, could read and write, born IN, both parents born U.S., spoke English

Griffin, Ida C, head, renter, female, wite, 39, widow, could read and write, born TX, father born Indiana, mother born Virginia, spoke English, dressmaker, own home, working on own account

Keewy ??, daughter, female, white, 18, single, did not attend school after Sept. 1, 1919, could read and write, born TX, both parents born TX, spoke English, stenographer, oil refinery, working for wages

Robertshaw, Willa, daughter, female, white, 21, divorced, could read and write, born TX, both parents born TX

[Robertshaw], Charles F, grandson, male, white, 4 ?/12, single, born LA, both parents born LA

[Robertshaw], Andrew ? D, grandson, male, white, 2 10/12, single, born LA, both parents
born LA

Griffin, Ida C, head, owned her home, home value 3000, did not own a radio, female, white, 58, widow, could read and write, born TX, father born IN, mother born VA, spoke English