John Becher ^{2 4 5 6}

   Other names for John were Jno Becker ⁷ and John Beecher.⁸

   FamilySearch ID: LYSC-DJ2.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Moved: 1815, , Stark, OH. ²

2. Census in 1850 in Pike Twp., Stark, OH. ⁷ Jno Becker, farmer, 44, was with wife Elisabeth, 44; Henry, 19; Wm, 12; Martha, 14; Mary, 5; and Susan Failer, 35. John and wife were born in Pennsylvania, the others in Ohio.

3. Census in 1860 in Pike Twp., Stark, OH. ⁸ John Beecher, merchant and farmer, 54, was living with Elizabeth, 54; Wm, teacher, 21; and Mary, 16. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. John's real estate was worth $3200 and personal estate $1028. The post office was Sparta.

4. Census in 1870 in Pike Twp., Stark, OH. ⁹ John Beecher, farmer, 64, was living with Elizabeth, 64. There were born in Pennsylvania. John's real estate was worth $800 and personal estate $100. The post office was Pierce. For John the column "father of foreign birth" column is checked.

5. Census in 1880 in Pike Twp., Stark, OH. ¹⁰ John Becher, 73, ws living with Elizabeth, 70. She was born in Ohio, and her parents, John, and his parents in Pennsylvania.

6. Book: Portrait and Biographical Record of Stark County, Ohio, 1892. ²
[John is described in a biography about his son, William, part of which is reproduced here.]

John Becher, the father of our subject, was born in Bedford County, Pa., January 22, 1806, and in 1815 came to this county and made his home in Pike Township, where he is residing at the present time, being the second oldest citizen in the township. His father, Henry Becher, was a native of Germany, having been born in Wittenberg, where his father died when he was two years old. He was then brought by his mother to America, she locating in Huntingdon County, Pa., where the grandfather was reared to manhood. Being trained to farm pursuits, he worked out on farms by the day and month until attaining his majority, when be was married, and made his home in Bedford County, where he resided until the fall of 1815, at which time he came to this county. He was a patriot in the War of 1812, and served under Gen. William Henry Harrison in the battle in which Tecumseh was killed. Later, he was under the command of Oliver Perry at the battle of Lake Erie. His father-in-law, Mathias Brothers, had located In Pike Township in 1806, and after the close of the war, in 1818, Henry Becher visited this section on his way home and was so well pleased with the outlook that he purchased land on the southeast quarter of section 10.

Returning to Pennsylvania, he disposed of his property there, and in the fall of 1815 came to Stark County and made this his future home. The journey, which was made across the mountains with a six-horse team, consumed six weeks' time, the route lying most of the time through a dense wilderness. Grandfather Becher on arriving in this county made his home in a log cabin on an uncultivated tract of land, and was employed, like other pioneers of the day, in subduing Nature, clearing and breaking prairie, etc. Deer, bears and all kinds of wild animals were very numerous about his home, and lie brought down many a deer with his trusty old rifle. He was a very hard-working man, and was one well calculated to aid In the building up of a new country, being energetic, affable and kind-hearted. He resided on his farm until his decease, which occurred in his sixty-sixth year.

The maiden name of our subject's grandmother was Magdalena Brothers; she was a native of Bedford County, Pa., and by her marriage with Henry Becher reared a family of four children, namely: John, Peter, Mary and Elizabeth. She departed this life on the old home farm when sixty-eight years of age.

The father of our subject was a lad of ten years when he accompanied his parents hither, and has quite a vivid recollection of the venturesome journey from Pennsylvania to this State. His education, which was begun in his native State, was completed in the primitive schools near his new home, The temple of learning was a rude structure, seated with old-fashioned slab benches, and the writing-desk, which was placed under a long greased-paper window, consisted of a rough board, resting on pins driven in the wall for legs. The room was heated with a large open fireplace with a mud and stick chimney.

John Becher remained on the home farm until reaching his twenty-third year, when he began life on his own account, and was married in 1829 to Miss Polly Failer, who, like himself, was also a native of the Keystone State. She became the mother of one child, a son, Henry, and departed this life a few years after her marriage.

The maiden name of our subject's mother was Elizabeth Failer, and her marriage with Squire Becher was solemnized in 1833. She was a cousin of his first wife, and became the mother of five children, viz.: William, Mattie, Mary, Levi, and John (deceased). She was an active church-worker, and a devoted member of the German Reformed Church. her death, which occurred in 1886, was a sad event in the history of the family, who still hold her in the most loving remembrance.

After his first marriage, the father of our subject located on the farm now owned by Jeremiah Apley, in Pike Township, and there lived and labored until 1855, when, on account of ill health, lie abandoned agricultural pursuits, and, removing to Sparta, opened up a dry-goods store, which he conducted successfully for a number of years. He is now, however, living retired from active work of any kind, and is enjoying to the full the result. of his early years of industry and economy. He has been eminently worthy and useful to the community in which he is residing, and his neighbors and old friends unitedly bear testimony to his sterling worth, Integrity and valuable services as a citizen. The Evangelical Lutheran Church finds in him an influential member and liberal contributor. Subjected to many of the hardships and privations of pioneer life, the experiences tended but to strengthen his character, and made him more self-reliant, helpful toward others, and neighborly in the truest sense of the word.

In politics, Squire Becher is a Republican of no uncertain tone, and baa been a strong advocate of the principles of the party ever since Its organization. His first vote was cast for Henry Clay in 1829. He has been very prominent in local affairs, and served as Postmaster of Sparta (or a quarter of a century, and is thus widely and favorably known throughout the entire county. He has not only been a witness of the gradual growth of the county from a sparsely inhabited wilderness to a populous and well-developed agricultural region, but it may be his pride that he has helped to bring about the great transformation. He has served as Justice of the Peace for twelve years, and was Township Clerk for twenty-one consecutive years, being the incumbent of that office, in all, twenty five years. He was Assessor of Pike Township for thirty-five years, and isa gentleman whose influence for good Is felt throughout this section. He is well known in this portion of the State, and in all matters pertaining to the good of his county, her upbuilding in material prosperity, her moral and educational advancement, and the social life of her citizens, Squire Becher takes an active and prominent part.

John married Polly Failer on 19 Mar 1829 in , Stark, OH.^{1 2} (Polly Failer was born in , , PA ².)

John next married Elizabeth Failer, daughter of John Failer and Margaret Keller, on 20 Feb 1834 in , Stark, OH.^{2 3} (Elizabeth Failer was born on 30 Oct 1806 in , , PA,^{4 7} died on 20 Jul 1887 in , Stark, OH ^{2 4} and was buried in East Sparta: East Sparta Cemetery, Stark, OH ⁴.)

  Marriage Notes:

She is listed as Elizabeth Tailer in the records; apparently the F looked like a T in handwriting. They were married by Rev. Henry Melsheimer. ¹