Jo Anna Irvin lived a relatively short and sad life.  She was born on October 5, of either 1864 or 1865.  She was one of the middle children of Tillman Jefferson Irvin and Lettie Mahala Webb Irvin.  She grew up in Lamar County, Alabama and Monroe County, Mississippi in the period of Reconstruction.  

On October 1, 1891, she married a man named W.E. "Jim" Beachum, who was thought to have come from Tennessee or Kentucky.  They had three children together and almost as soon as he had come into the community, he then disappeared.  His children and grandchildren talked of him as being "mean as the devil" and it doesn't seem like anyone was too sad to see him leave, but he did leave Jo Anna with three children to raise on her own.

She was living back with her parents in the 1900 Lamar County, Alabama census with her children, listing herself as "Widowed".  By 1910, she and the children are living alone like this:

1910 Lamar County, Alabama Census
Pine Springs; House 36
Beecham, Joanna  Widowed 43 AL SC TN
Beecham, Leona 17 AL KY AL
Beecham, Elmer 16 AL KY AL
Beecham, Nollie 15 AL KY AL

Just two years later, on October 14, 1912, in Gattman, Monroe County, Mississippi, Jo Anna passed away, at the age of about 47.  The children were still pretty young, but old enough to take care of themselves and marry.  Jo Anna was buried at the Evans Cemetery in Lamar County.

Leona Beachum (md. Isaac "Ike" Strawbridge)
    Leona was born in July of 1892.  She married Ike and had three children.  Ike died relatively young, at about age 55.  She lived in Sulligent and was buried with Ike in Wofford Cemetery, Lamar County, Alabama..

Elmer C. Beachum (md. ?)
     Elmer was born on October 16, 1893.  He served in World War I as a Marine and when he came back he married a local girl and moved to Iowa.  It is thought that he lived in Davenport.  He often came back to visit his uncles and aunts and brought his family down once when he was much older.  I haven't been able to get in touch with any of them yet, but hopefully one day soon!

Nollie V. Beachum (md. Dr. Sam McElwain and Mr. Minor)
    Nollie was born in November of 1894.  She married Dr. McElwain but didn't have any children.  Later she married a Mr. Minor, but since she lived in North Carolina, the family was not in close contact with her.  She is not thought to have had any children.  She passed away in 1986 in Davie County, North Carolina.