William Holden
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Holden-portrait.jpg/486px-Holden-portrait.jpg)
studio publicity photo of William Holden for ”Sabrina,” 1954, Dr. Macro
Birth Name: William Franklin Beedle, Jr.
Date of Birth: April 17, 1918
Place of Birth: O’Fallon, Illinois, U.S.
Date of Death: November 12, 1981
Place of Death: Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: English, small amount of Irish, distant French
William Holden was an American actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Stalag 17 (1953). His films also include Golden Boy, Born Yesterday, Sunset Boulevard, Sabrina, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, The Country Girl, Picnic, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Horse Soldiers, The Wild Bunch, Wild Rovers, The Towering Inferno, Network, Damien: Omen II, The Earthling, and S.O.B.
He was the son of Mary Blanche (Ball) and William Franklin Beedle.
William had three children with his former wife, actress Brenda Marshall.
William’s paternal grandfather was Walter Augustus Beedle (the son of Franklin Beedle and Rebekah/Rebecca Wastfield/Westfield). Walter was born in Illinois. Franklin was the son of Samuel Beedle and Sarah Benham. Rebekah was born in England, the daughter of Walter Wastfield/Westfield and Mary Ann/Anne Shannon, who was born in County Cork, Ireland.
William’s paternal grandmother was Cynthia Eleanor Begole (the daughter of William Rivers Begole and Elizabeth Porter). Cynthia was born in Illinois. William was the son of Joshua Begole and Mary Terry.
William’s maternal grandfather was Henry Samuel Ball (the son of Samuel D. Ball and Manervia Christiana Dickerson). Henry was born in Ohio. William’s great-grandfather Samuel was the son of Cornelius Lindsley Ball and Cornelia C. Condit.
William’s maternal grandmother was Emma/Emeline Louisa/Louise Sloman (the daughter of John Sloman and Sarah Caroline Lamb). Emma was born in Illinois. John was born in Devon, England. Sarah was born in Mississippi, the daughter of John J. Lamb and Sarah Noble.
He is a second cousin, three times removed, of actor Alex Neustaedter. William’s grandfather Walter Augustus Beedle was a brother of Alex’s paternal great-great-great-grandmother, Augusta Beedle. The two are also third cousins, twice removed, as William’s paternal great-grandfather, William Rivers Begole, was the brother of Alex’s paternal great-great-great-grandfather, James Monroe Begole.
Sources: Genealogies of William Holden – https://www.wikitree.com
https://www.geni.com
William Holden on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
William’s parents on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of William Holden (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of William Holden (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://famouskin.com
William’s maternal grandparents, Henry Samuel Ball and Emma/Emeline Louisa/Louise Sloman, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
He’s related to Alex Neustaedter.
Alex’s 2nd great-grandmother Lillian Begole was the daughter of James Monroe Begole and Augusta Beedle. James was the brother of William’s great-grandfather William Rivers Begole. Augusta was the sister of William’s grandfather Walter Augustus Beedle. That makes them 3rd cousins twice removed on the Begole line, and 2nd cousins twice removed on the Beedle line.
Spot on.
Actually not spot on, it’s three times removed. For whatever reason I was counting from Alex’s father instead from Alex.
Just so I make it clear, I’m talking about the Beedle line. They’re second cousins three times removed. Begole line is correctly stated as 3rd cous. twice removed.
Use this: http://www.searchforancestors.com/utility/cousincalculator.html
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1890
good pic