Grace Rebecca Beecher ^{3 4 5 6}

   FamilySearch ID: 9634-WTH.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census in 1900 in York, York, PA. ³ In the 1900 Census was John Beecher, age 38 born Jan 1862, married for 6 years to Bertha, 34, born Aug 1865. She had 3 children with 2 still living in 1900. He is a cigar maker. Living with them is Ward H, born July 1888; and Grace R. born Sep 1890 and John C. born Sep 1896. Everyone and everyone's parents were born in Pennsylvania.

2. Census in 1910 in York, York, PA. ⁹ The 1910 census recorded at 662 West Market St.: Grace Beecher, servant for private family, 19, single, living in the household of Louis S. Weaver, allopathic physician, 32, and his wife Romayne, 27. Grace and her parents were born in Pennsylvania.

3. Newspaper: York Daily: marriage of Howard Dittenhafer and Grace Beecher, 11 Sep 1911, York, York, PA. ¹⁰ Dittenhafer -- Beecher
Howard Dittenhafer and Miss Grace Beecher, this city, were married last Thursday evneing at 8 o'clock. The ceremony was performed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Shreiner, 435 West College avenue, by the Rev. Allen J. Barr, of Hopewell township.

4. Residence: 418 Codorus Avenue, York PA on 30 Mar 1912 in York, York, PA. ¹¹

5. Residence: York City Directory: Dittenhafer Howard C, lab, res 422 Salem av. In 1913 in York, York, PA. ¹²

6. Residence: 729 Jersey Place, York, PA on 3 Nov 1913 in York, York, PA. ¹³

7. Residence: Beecher, Jas M., (Grace R) laborer h 2124 Turner in 1917 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹⁴

8. Residence: Harrisburg City Directory: Beecher, Jas. M., (Grace R.), lab, h 932 Penn in 1918 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹⁵

9. Newspaper: York Daily: "Masters were appointed in divorce cases as follows: James G. Glessner, in case of Howard C. Dittenhafer vs. Grace R. Dittenhafer.", 5 Feb 1918, York, York, PA. ¹⁶

10. Residence: on 26 Dec 1918 in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD. ¹

11. Newspaper: The Sentinel: Wedded: McMahon - Beecher. December 26, 1918, at Carlisle, by Rev. G. M. Shafer, James B. McMahon and Grace R. Beecher, Baltimore., 16 Jan 1919, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ¹⁷

12. Census in 1920 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. The 1920 census recorded James M. Beecher [indexed as Bucher in some online census listings, since two handwritten e's appear like one u], 35, living with wife Grace R., 27; Gladys C., 7; Elizabeth D., 6; and Madeline V., 2.

13. Newspaper: Harrisburg Telegraph: "Mrs. James Beecher, of 932 Penn street, is convalescing at her home, after undergoing a serious operation in the Harrisburg Hospital.", 7 Apr 1922, Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹⁸

14. Residence: Beecher, Jas M (Grace R) laborer h932 Penn in 1923 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹⁹

15. Census in 1930 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ²⁰ The 1930 census recorded at 1210 Susquehanna Street: Grace R. Beecher, widowed, 39, living with single daughters Gladys C., child's nurse for private family, 18; Elizabeth D., 16; Madeline V., 12; and Rhea A., 10.

16. Census in 1940 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ²¹ The 1940 census recorded at 1210 Susquehanna Street: Grace R. Beecher, widowed, 39, living with 3 daughters Elizabeth D., single, 25; Madeline V., single, saleslady retail clothing, 22; and Rhea A. Maff, married, 20. Also in the home was lodger Robert W. McMollen, iceman, 59. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania and lived in the same house in 1935.

17. Census in 1950 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ²² The 1950 census recorded at 1109 Penn Street: Edward Maff, office work at air depot, 36, living with wife Rhea, 30; Madeline, 9; Julia Ruth, 5; and Angela Rhea, 2. Also in the home is mother-in-law Grace Beecher, salad woman at air depot, widowed, 58, and her daughter Elizabeth Beecher, saleswoman at drug store, 35. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania.

18. Residence: on 4 Apr 1950 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ⁶

19. Cause of Death: Grace died at Harrisburg Hospital from carcinoma of lung with pulmonary metastisis, 22 Dec 1955, Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ⁸

20. Occupation: clerk at Kresge's 5&10 on 22 Dec 1955 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ⁸

21. Residence: 1109 Penn St., Harrisburg, PA on 22 Dec 1955 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ⁸

22. Evidence: It appears on his marriage application with Grace Rebecca Beecher that James Beecher used a false name "James Bernard McMahon".

Grace was previously married on 7 Sep 1911 in York to Howard Cleveland Dittenhafer. She divorced Howard in York on 11 Mar 1918, as shown on her second marriage record on 29 Dec 1918, which states in Carlisle she wed James Bernard McMahon, age 37, thereby born about 1881.

But the evidence indicates that James McMahon was James Beecher. No records are found that show Grace ever married a third time. And the 1917 Harrisburg City Directory has "Beecher, Jas M., (Grace R) laborer h 2124 Turner" indicating they were living together prior to their Dec 1918 marriage.

Why would they lie about his name? A possible reason is Grace birthed Rhea Beecher on 15 Apr 1919, that baby conceived in June 1918, before the couple was married in December? Perhaps James used the McMahon name to avoid other financial or legal problems, such as having a 1st wife who was seeking him or whom he hadn't divorced legally. Perhaps they were concerned about a Beecher marrying another Beecher?

So was his name truly McMahon or Beecher? On his PA death certificate, which is attached herein as an image in his Memories, his parents are recorded as James Beecher of Maryland, and mother Anna Garis of Pennsylvania. Jame's early death in 1924 was tragic as he was killed from an electric shock while working on a power line, leaving his wife with 4 children to care for.

What is his middle name? On many records it is "M." perhaps for McMahon but his tombstone is engraved James B. Beecher perhaps for Bernard. His death certificate is simply James Beecher.

In the 1920 census at 932 Penn Street in Harrisburg: James M. Beecher, laborer railroad, 35, living with wife Grace R., 27; Gladys C., 7; Elizabeth D., 6; Madeline V., 2 years 5 months, and Rhea A., 5 months when the census was recorded on 5 Jan 1920. Everyone and their parents were born in Pennsylvania, except James and his parents in Maryland.

Gladys and Elizabeth were fathered by Howard Cleveland Dittenhafer, and Madeline and Rhea by James Beecher.

In 1979 Elizabeth Diane Beecher filed a request to have her PA Birth Certificate legally changed from Hariett Beecher Dittenhafer to Elizabeth Diane Beecher, so she was using a false name during her life. Images of her original birth certificate and her request to change it are uploaded into her Memories on her FamilySearch.org tree page. Those records were found in "Pennsylvania, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1906-1913" on Ancestry.com.

Gladys PA 1912 birth certificate also records her birth name: Gladys Elizabeth Dittenhafer, but later her name is always Gladys Caroline Beecher.

There is further controversy to consider. On her PA death certificate Grace Rebecca Beecher parents as John Henry Beecher and Ella Godfrey, the parents of her brother Henry Ward Beecher. However, Henry is not actually a Beecher as proven by a Y-DNA test taken by his grandson, which revealed Henry's father was surname Weihmiller. It is therefore possible that Ella either adopted her children or had relations with a Weihmiller. Either is possible since William Weihmiller was married to John Henry Beecher's sister Anna Elizabeth Beecher who died young in April 1900 and Weihmiller appears in the 1900 census in the same home as John Henry Beecher's father, who was Paris Epler Beecher. His brother, Charles Weihmiller, also lived in the area. Ella died in 1891 when son Henry was 4 and daughter Grace was 1.

In 1979 Elizabeth Diane Beecher filed a request to have her PA Birth Certificate legally changed from Hariett Beecher Dittenhafer to Elizabeth Diane Beecher, so she was using a false name during her life. Images of her original birth certificate and her request to change it are uploaded into her Memories on her FamilySearch.org tree page. Those records were found in "Pennsylvania, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1906-1913" on Ancestry.com. Her birth father is therefore Howard Cleveland Dittenhafer and mother Grace Rebecca Beecher.

Diane's PA birth certificate lists her birth name as Harriet Beecher Dittenhafer, born 3 November 1913 in York, York, PA, her father being Howard Clevon Dittenhafer and mother Grace Rececca Beecher. An image of that record is uploaded in her Memories section on her record page.

Grace married Howard Cleveland Dittenhafer, son of James Buchanan Dittenhafer and Elizabeth Margaret Heintzelman, on 7 Sep 1911 in York, York, PA.^{1 2} The marriage ended in divorce on 11 Mar 1918. (Howard Cleveland Dittenhafer was born on 10 Sep 1884 in Biglerville, Adams, PA,^{23 24 25 26 27} died on 8 Jun 1951 in Aspers, Adams, PA ^{25 27 28} and was buried on 11 Jun 1951 in Coatesville: Fairview Cemetery, Chester, PA ^{25 27}.)

Grace next married James Beecher, son of James B. Beecher and Anna Garis, on 29 Dec 1918 in Carlisle, Cumberland, PA.¹ (James Beecher was born on 29 Sep 1875 in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD,^{1 29 30} died on 17 Sep 1924 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA ^{29 30 31} and was buried on 20 Sep 1924 in Paxtang: Paxtang Cemetery, Dauphin, PA ^{29 30}.)