First Husband William Augustas Beard
Second Husband George M Hart
Daughter of John Kinney and Zurilda Ann Sanders Kinney
Her full name is Melissa Margaret Kinney Beard Hart

Funeral services for Mrs Melissa Margaret Hart 79, who died Monday February 16, 1948, at a Topeka hospital, were held Wednesday afternoon at the Overbrook Methodist Church with the pastor, Rev W C Watson and Dr Ormal L Miller of the First Methodist church of Topeka, officiating. A quartet Mrs Joe Coffman, Mrs Elmer Ray, Howard Long and Hugh Allen sang "Abide With Me" and "The Old Rugged Cross" and Mrs Coffman sang "An Evening Prayer". Mrs Nell Sullivan was the organist.
Pallbearers were Ted Van Valkenburg, Leslie Long, Carl Coffman, J A Kesler, Ross Coffman, and A L Oveson. Interment was in the Overbrook cemetery.
Melissa Margaret Kinney was born May 9, 1868, the daughter of John and Zurilda Kinney, Kansas pioneers. They had homesteaded in northeast Osage County, where in that early day was the little town of Ridgeway. There she grew to womanhood and in that community and in nearby Overbrook her entire life was spent.
She was married to W A Beard who died when their son, William E was three months old. Following the death of her husband, she operated a store in Overbrook, later marrying G M Hart, who was for many years a leading merchant in Overbrook. He preceded her in death in 1921.
Mrs Hart was a member of the Methodist Church, a past president of the American Legion Auxiliary and for a number of years was chairman of the local Red Cross Chapter. She was active and always interested in the church, social and civic activities of the community.
Surviving are her son, Dr William E Beard of Topeka, a brother, Frank Kinney, and a sister, Mrs A L Reed, of Carbondale; two granddaughters, Mrs Mark Garlinghouse of Manhasset, Long Island, N Y and Mrs Everett Harwell of Fresno, California; two grandsons George Porter Hart of Arroyo Grande, Calif and William C Hart of Wilmington, Calif., seven great grandchildren, many other realtives and friends.
Overbrook paper--February 1948