John James Beicher ^{2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9}

   FamilySearch ID: L6BM-366.

  Birth Notes:

Event Description: Several military records have his birth 10 May. The 20 Apr date on social security transcription may be a typo copy of the death date?

  Noted events in his life were:

1. He has conflicting birth information of The Social Security death index has an inccorect birth of 20 May 1927., 20 Apr 1927 and Minersville, Schuylkill, PA. ^{2 3}

2. Census in 1930 in Minersville, Schuylkill, PA. ¹¹ The 1930 census recorded renting at 305 South Delaware Avenue: John Beicher, 29, living with wife Dorothy, 30; John, 2; and Joseph, 2. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania except Dorothy and her parents in Lithuania.

3. Census in 1940 in Minersville, Schuylkill, PA. ¹² The 1940 census recorded renting at 720 Pine Hill Street: John Beicher, miner, 40, living with wife Dorothy, 40; son John, 12; and son Joseph, 12. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania except Dorothy in Lithuania. They lived in the same house in 1935.

4. Newspaper: Harrisburg Evening News: W. Penn Wins on Intercepted Pass, 20 Nov 1944, Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹³ Practically all the real thrills of an action-packed game were confined to the last few minutes of play when a series of quick-changing events brought William Penn High School's football team a touchdown and a 7 to 0 victory over the Lebanon High School eleven before about 2000 fans on Fager Field on Saturday.
<snip> Marion went four yards in two plays and the decided to gamble on a lateral pass, but Penn fans groaned when John Beicher intercepted for Lebanon and ran to his own 21-yard stripe. Just as quickly as the Tigers lost the ball, they regained it when Tom Koons, alert center, grabbed a desparate Lebanon serial and dashed 26 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
.

5. Military on 2 Feb 1945 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA: World War II and Korean War. ⁵ From 2/2/1945 to 4/16/1951 Signalman 3/C USNR
From 7/7/1946 to 7/24/1952 Service No. 247 35 52
Rank Sm 3/c.

6. Newspaper: The Daily News, 5 Feb 1945, Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ¹⁴ A recent news item reported that the Beicher brothers headed a contingent of local teen-agers into the service of the United States Navy, most of them, if not all of them, Lebanon high school students in the senior class. What many probably did not know is that the Beicher brothers are twins and were teammates on Lebanon high school athletic teams for the past several seasons. In fact, the Beicher twins, John J. and Joseph R., respectively, played Lebanon high school football and baseball together and, incidentally, will be lost to the Cedars when the 1945 baseball season rolls around. It is also of more than ordinary note that the Beicher twins are probably the first Lebanon County twin brothers who have played sports together as teammates to enter the same branch of the service of their country together.
Joe, it will be recalled, was a stalwart guard on the Cedar football varsity last fall and was a hard-hitting outfielder on the baseball team while covering right field on Sammy Angle's Red and Blue baseball team. He gave away a lot of weight to rivals as one of Lebanon's front line stalwarts in football, but most of them knew they played against a boy named Beicher in every game of the 1944 grid season.
John was a wingman in football and when injuries reduced Coach Scoop Feeser's end material, the lad jumped right into the breach to fill in one of the terminals in the manner expected and was considered a regular wingman right down to the end of the season. In baseball he held down first base as a classy fielder and would have been depended upon by Coach Angle again this season.
They are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. John Beicher, of 357 North Harrison Street, and will long be remembered as the first set of twins to stamp their names on Lebanon high school athletic annals and the first local twins who were active in high school sports to enter the service together. May they return home together safely and sound.

7. Newspaper: Patriot-News, 9 Aug 1945, Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹⁵ Lt. (jg) and Mrs. John Beicher, of this city, who will also leave for the West Coast and Pacific duty shortly, shared honors with Lieutenant and Mrs. Viehoever Tuesday night at a supper party which a group of their fellow officers and their wives gave at the Officers' Club at the Mechanicsburg Naval Supply Depot.

8. He was described as 5'9" 168 lbs. Blue eyes brown hair, tatoo left forearm in 1946 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁹

9. Residence: in 1946 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁹

10. Census in 1950 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ¹⁶ The 1950 census recorded at 1142 Old Cumberland Street: John R. Beicher, 50, laborer in steel foundary, living with wife Dorothy, 51, and son John J., mail carrier for post office, 22. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania.

11. Newspaper: Lebanon Daily News: Beicher-Lesher Wedding Is Held In Rectory Today, 7 Apr 1951, Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ¹
Beicher-Lesher Wedding Is Held In Rectory Today

In a double ring ceremony performed by the Rev. William Boyle In St. Mary's Catholic rectory at two o'clock this afternoon, Miss Mary June Lesher, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Miles J. Lesher of 211 East Walnut Street, was united in marriage with John James Beicher, son of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Beicher of 1142 Old Cumberland Street.
Attending the couple were Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Beicher. Joseph Beicher and the bridegroom are twin brothers.
The bride was attired in white lace over satin, ankle length, with long, pointed sleeves. She wore a bonnet -shaped headdress with fingertip veil and trimmed with seed pearls, and white sandals. Her bouquet was of white roses with a cascade of ribbons.
Mrs. Joseph Beicher wore a light blue lace dress fashioned on lines similar to that of the bride, and carried a bouquet of pink roses. A light blue lace picture hat and matching suede shoes completed her attire.
The men wore tuxedos and white rosebud boutonnieres. The wedding reception was held at the Annville Legion Home for relatives and friends. After a honeymoon in New York and Philadelphia, the couple will live at 1211 East Walnut Street.
For going away, the bride wore a gray gabardine suit with navy accessories and a fur neckpiece. Mrs. Beicher is a graduate of Lebanon High School, class of 1 944, and is employed by the Bell Telephone Company in Lebanon. The bridegroom, who was graduated from Lebanon High School in 1945, was employed at the Lebanon Post Office until he was recalled to the U. S. Navy. He will report for duty on April 16.

12. Cause of Death: John died at Good Samaritan Hospital from Hodgkins Disease., 20 Apr 1955, Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁷

13. Obituary: Lebanon Daily News on 20 Apr 1955 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁴ John J. Beicher, 27, Dies; Employed in Allentown

John J. Beicher, 27, of 1142 Old Cumberland St., died of complications at 8:30 this morning in the Good Samaritan Hospital after a six-month illness. He had been a patient at the hospital since last Friday.

Beicher, a former letter carrier in Lebanon prior to entering the service in 1945, was last employed with the sales department of the Bell Telephone Company, Allentown, where he established himself as a highly respected citizen.

He was a member of the Holy Name Society and Junior Chamber of Commerce of Allentown, and was active in the Red Cross blood bank and other civic affairs.

Locally, he was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Annville American Legion.

The deceased enlisted in the Navy on Feb 2, 1945. He underwent basic training at Sampson, N.Y., and then was sent to Bainbridge, Md. He served aboard the U.S.S. Shasta and the U.S.S. Natona Bay before being honorably discharged in July, 1946.

He was recalled to duty during the Korean War and was again honorably discharged on July 24, 1952.

Survivors include his wife, the former Mary Lesher; his parents, Mr. And Mrs. John R. Beicher, Lebanon; and a twin brother, Joseph, Harrisburg.

14. Occupation: salesman, Bell Telephone Co. On 20 Apr 1955 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁷

15. Residence: 1100 E. Lehman St., Lebanon, Pa. On 20 Apr 1955 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁵

16. Residence: 1142 Old Cumberland St., Lebanon, PA on 20 Apr 1955 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁷

17. Residence: on 10 Sep 1957 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ¹⁷

John married Mary Jane Lesher, daughter of Miles Jonathan Lesher and Ida J. Lesher, on 7 Apr 1951 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA.¹ (Mary Jane Lesher was born on 10 Sep 1926 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA,^{18 19} died on 3 Apr 1983 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA ^{18 19} and was buried in Annville: Grandview Memorial Cemetery, Lebanon, PA ^{18 19}.)