Paul Beaton, the fifth son of six boys born to Mary Ann MacDonald and Allen Daniel Beaton, was born in Schuyler, Nebraska in March 1877. His parents immigrated from Prince Edward Isles about 1873, settling first in Boston. The expanding railroads across America enticed them to journey west to Nebraska. The family eventually settled in Omaha, Nebraska.

When Allen Beaton died in 1880, Paul was only 3 years old. His mother relied on the older boys to help support the family while attending school. Two of them attended Creighton College and established the chain of Beaton Drug Stores in Omaha.

The tall, 6'2" redhead was known for his sense of humor in his family. Although local papers depict him as very social, he chose to remain single.

At age 40, Paul enlisted in 1917 in the American Expeditionary Forces at Ft. Omaha, joining the Balloon Core.

On 30 June 1918, Captain Paul Beaton set sail aboard the Italian Transport America from Newport News, VA at 3:00 p.m. There were 61 officers and 2347 enlisted men. Their arrival date in France isn't noted, but it probably took about 8 days of transit based on other ship records. Assigned to the Fourth Balloon Squadron at Headquarters in Paris, France, Paul served as the Air Service General Property Officer and Division Personnel Officer. He was responsible for field inspections. At some point during his assignment in France, he was exposed to mustard gas, suffering side effects.

On August 6, 1919, Paul set sail aboard the U.S.S. N Northern Pacific from Brest, France, returning to the U.S.A. The ship docked in Hoboken, N.J. on August 12, 1919, at 4:30 p.m. Aboard the ship were 1004 officers and 491 civilians in first-class quarters, and 126 enlisted men in second and third class quarters, a total of 1,621 passengers.

After he returned to civilian life, Paul Beaton worked for Sinclair and Company in the insurance business.

He developed a severe cold in February 1923 that required hospitalization. Cause of death erysipelas and cerebral meningitis. He is buried in the Beaton family plot at Holy Sepulchre in Omaha, Nebraska.

Paul Alfonsus Beaton