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Note: Bess Alethia Gready had the following comments regarding her Aunt Ethel. Aunt Ethel, the youngest of the Adair children was born February 23, 1897. Since the Adair mother died in 1899, her youngest child never knew the love and comfort of her very long. She as well as the other children were educated in Charleston public schools. She married her first husband, Arthur Nelson, at age 20. She acted as Maid of Honor at her sister Bess' wedding in October 1917. Bess was about 3-1/2 years older than Ethel.
The second marriage, after a divorce settlement, was to James Buchanan, a well-to-do newspaperman. Aunt Ethel lived in Washington D.C. from the time of her first marriage. James Buchanan did all of Vice-President (at this time) Coolidge's publicity, as well as being a personal friend. Aunt Ethel became a friend of Grace Coolidge, wife of the 'veep'. Bess and her mother Bess, visiting in Washington in 1923, had the privilege of visiting and listening to a session of the Senate from the Vice President's box. The other impression the younger Bess remembered was a luncheon at the Willard Hotel__ the gathering plasce of politicians and big business. Aunt Ethel had all the trappings of a rich husband. She had beautiful diamond jewelry, furs, trips, a uniformed maid (full time) and a fine apartment. The two Bess Greadys made a second visit to the Buchanans when 'little Bess' was eight. This time another traveller went along, 'little Ethel'. Between the two children, the apartment was a little worse for wear. This happens when children have nothing to do. I don't know what broke up this marriage or the first one. The adults did not talk about such things around children. After Aunt Ethel's divorce she remarried Arthur Nelson. I remember evening rides after dinner and the Good Humor trucks out of which were sold ice cream, chocolate covered, frozen on a stick, never since equaled, and Rock Creek Park, fun to drive through the fords. After the second divorce from Arthur Nelson, Aunt Ethel had to come to grips with hard times. It was now about 1930-1931. She managed to obtain a good position with Jesse Jones' Reconstruction Finance Corporation. She and Aunt Maud bought adjoining townhouses at Tewkesbury Place in Washington D.C. About 1932 Aunt Ethel married Richard "Dick" Beatty, her insurance agent. They lived in many plaves, including Mobile, Alabama (where their son Richard was born), New Orleans, Louisiana, and Greensboro, North Carolina. He subsequently became Southeastern District Manager for his Company.
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