Elizabeth Keplinger ^{1 2 3 4 5}

   Other names for Elizabeth were Elisabeth Keplinger and Elisabetha Keplinger.

   FamilySearch ID: 9VH8-594.

  General Notes:

Relative could be a Henry Keplinger who lived in Germany Twp., Adams Co. Needs further research.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Baptism on 31 Dec 1775 in Littlestown: Christ Reformed Church, Adams, PA. ¹⁰ Jacob, son of John Bucher and Elizabeth, born 30 Oct 1775, baptized 31 Dec 1775, sponsors Jacob Sell and wife Christine. (Typewritten transcription of original).

2. On 21 Apr 1776 in Littlestown: Christ Reformed Church, Adams, PA. ¹¹ The list of communicants listed by Rev. Charles Lewis Boehme included Anna Maria Bucher, John Bucher, and Elizabeth Bucher.

3. Census in 1790 in Germany Twp., York, PA. ¹² The 1790 U.S. Census in Germany Township, at the time in York County, recorded John Beher with this household:
Males Under 16 (born 1775-1790) = 1 (son John)
Males 16 and older (born <=1774) = 1 (father John)
Females = 3 (wife Elizabeth, daughters Elizabeth & Anna Mary)
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Henry Sr. and his sons John and Samuel are each indexed in the 1790 census as follows on images on FamilySearch.org: image 252 Henry Becher; on image 248 his son John Beher; on image 249 his son Samuel Beeher. Sons William and Peter are not found so they were living with Henry Sr. These 1790 census record pages don't identify the township, but we know it is Germany Township because on the same pages are the Klein/Kline/Little family that founded Littlestown as well as families related to the Beechers: Winterode/Winrode, Sell, etc.

4. Census in 1800 in Straban Twp., Adams, PA. ¹³ The 1800 U.S. Census in Straban Township, Adams County, recorded John Beecher with this household:
Males (born)
Under 10 (1791-1800) = 3 (sons Peter, David, George)
26-44 (1756-1774) = 1 (father John)
Females (born)
Under 10 (1791-1800) = 1 (daughter Elizabeth)
10-15 (1785-1790) = 2 (daughters Catherine and Sarah Rebecca)
26-44 (1756-1774) = 1 (wife Elizabeth).

5. Census in 1810 in Straban Twp., Adams, PA. ¹⁴ The 1810 U.S. Census in Straban Township, Adams County, recorded John Beaker with this household:
Males (born)
10-15 (1795-1800) = 1 (son George)
16-25 (1785-1794) = 1 (son David or Peter)
26-44 (1766-1784) = 1 (son John)
45 & over (<=1765) = 1 (father John)
Females (born)
Under 10 (1801-1810) = 1 (daughter Sarah Rebecca)
45 & over (<=1765) = 1 (wife Elizabeth).

6. Census in 1820 in Straban Twp., Adams, PA. ¹⁵ John Beecher and sons Jacob, George, and David are listed as neighbors in the 1820 U.S. Census in Straban Township.

John Beecher's household had:
Males (born)
45 & over (<=1775) = 1 (father John)
Females (born)
16-25 (1795-1804) = 1 (daughter Sarah Rebecca)
45 & over (<=1775) = 1 (wife Elizabeth)

Jacob Beecher's household had:
Males (born)
Under 10 (1811-1820) = 2 (sons)
26-44 (1776-1794) = 1 (father Jacob)
Females (born)
Under 10 (1811-1820) = 1 (daughter)
26-44 (1776-1794) = 1 (wife)

George Beecher's household had:
Males (born)
16-25 (1795-1804) = 1 (father George)
Females (born)
10-15 (1805-1810) = 1 (daughter Elisabeth)
26-44 (1776-1794) = 1 (wife Anna)

David Beecher's household had:
Males (born)
Under 10 (1811-1820) = 1 (son Samuel)
16-18 (1802-1804) = 1 (?)
26-44 (1776-1794) = 1 (father David)
Under 10 (1811-1820) =
10-15 (1805-1810) = 2 (daughters Elizabeth & Ann Margaret)
16-25 (1795-1804) = 1 (wife Anna Maria).

7. She has conflicting death information of A 1938 newspaper article reported records of Arendtsville Reformed Church when graves were reinterred. "Elizabeth Beecher, wife of John Beecher, Sr., (1755-Jul 11, 1845), 11 Jul 1845 and Arendtsville, Adams, PA. ⁸

8. In Aug 1845 in Gettysburg: St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church, Adams, PA. ⁶ Her death record is recorded in the St. James Evangelican Lutheran Church church register:

Elisabeth Beecher, died Aug. 15, 1845. In the 90th yr. of her age. Buried Arendts.

.

9. Obituary: Adams Sentinel on 25 Aug 1845 in Gettysburg, Adams, PA. ¹⁶ Mrs. Elizabeth Beecher, relict of John d. 14 Aug 1845 90yrs near Arendtsville, at the residence of her son.

10. Magazine: The Pennsylvania-German: article about bibles of John Christopher Gobrecht and John Beecher owned by N.A. Gobrecht, Apr 1908, , , Pennsylvania, USA. ⁵ N. A. Gobrecht, Altoona, Pa., has in his possession a German Bible printed at Zurich, Switzerland, by Emanuel and Johann Rudolff, printers, 1729. It was brought over by John Christopher Gobrecht, the ancestor born October, 1733, at Angerstein, Hanover, Germany; landed September 11, 1753, at Philadelphia, from the ship "Queen of Denmark," Geo. Parish, captain; settled in Bucks county; studied theology under Rev. John George Alsentz, and was licensed 1764 as the first Reformed student under the care of Coetus in Pennsylvania; died at Hanover in 1815. He has also another German Bible printed by Christopher Sauer, Germantown, Pa., 1763, having family record of John Beecher and Elizabeth Keplinger, the ancestors of the numerous Beecher families in Adams and York counties, Pa. John Beecher was a soldier of the Revolution, died in his 90th year, August 1838, and was buried at Arendtsville, Pa. This Bible comes to N. A. Gobrecht by his wife, who is a Beecher descendant of the third generation. Both German Bibles are in good condition and are in the hands of a worthy member of the Pennsylvania German Society of Pennsylvania and are cherished by him as family heirlooms.

11. Magazine: The Pennsylvania-German Vol. 10: Documentation of Gilbert-Fox-Beecher graves, 1909, Lititz, Lancaster, PA. ⁷ In 1909, N.A. Gobrecht Alatoona, Pa., a descendant of Jacob Gilbert and son-in-law of David Beecher, visited his Gilbert, Fox, and Beecher ancestors' graves in Arendtsville, and documented the cemetery in Volume 10 of the Pennsylvania-German magazine entitled "Paper VI, Tombstone Inscriptions of Persons Born Prior to 1800 and Past 16 years at Death at Arendtsville, Adams County, Pa."

Part I in Old Reformed and Lutheran Graveyard

1. Beecher, Elizabeth; n. Keplinger; wf. John Beecher; d. Aug 14, 1845. Aged 90 y.
2. Beecher, John; d. Nov 14, 1838. Aged 90 y. 2 m. "A soldier of the Revolution."
(list continues)
10. Fox, Christian: d. Feb 17, 1795. Aged 81 y.
11. Fox, Magdalena: d. Dec 9, 1802. Aged 76 y.
12. Fox, John Jacob: d. Nov. 2., 1828. Aged 58 y. 4 m. 2 d.
(list continues)
15. Gilbert, Jacob; d. Feb 9, 1831. Aged 74 y. 7 m. 11 d.

Part III Bodies exhumed from the old graveyard and reinterred in "Fairview Cemetery" at Arendtsville, Pa.
(partial list shown here)
4. Beecher, David; d. April 13, 1880. Aged 86 y. 7 m. 5 d.
5. Beecher, Anna Mary Gilbert; d. July 30, 1887. Aged 90 y. 3 m. 4 d.

Gobrecht stated: "This graveyard was started by the pioneer settlers in the year 1780. There are over 1200 graves, over which there are no stones or markers, many of these having been broken off or pulled out by vandal hands to be piled up, with few exceptions in the corner of the old graveyard. The names of many of the dead are still preserved in the living descendants. We are informed that no parish record antedating 1870 is extant. ."

12. Elizabeth Beecher's tombstone was read and recorded. In Arendtsvile, Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA on 21 May 1922. ¹⁷ Arendtsville, Adams County, Penna. Old Cemetery across street from Reformed church. Years ago this cemetery was desecrated and most grave markerws were broken from their base. These stones were strewn among the woods and bushes and were gradually disappearing, being used for walks, etc. On the 26th day of May 1922, at the direction of Mrs. Magdalena Minter the remaining stones were collected and buried in one spot near what appeared to be the center of the cemetery plot. Rev. T. C. Hessen made a careful examination of the inscriptions of each stone as it was collected from the area of the cemetery. 51 inscriptions were copied and here are arranged in alphabetical order by D. C. Jacobs, Arendtsville, Pa.
Beecher, Elizabeth, wie of John Beecher - 1755; 7-11-1845
Beecher, Elizabeth
Beecher, Susanna - 1759-1790
--------- Research note: Susanna is a great mystery to be solved.

13. Newspaper: Gettysburg Times, 17 Sep 1938, Gettysburg, Adams, PA. ¹⁸ Backgrounds of Adams County
By B. F. MACPHERSON No. 57.\emdash Twice-Told Tales
SINCE the publication of column No. 56, we have had several requests that we give a complete list of the people buried in the old desecrated cemetery at Arendtsville. It would be impossible to give any list as complete because no one knows the names of all the people who were originally buried there. We can, however, give the list of names as they appear on the file in the possession of the consistory of the Arendtsville Reformed church. The list was compiled when the remaining old stones were interred in what appeared to be the center of the old cemetery area.
The names and dates of birth and death are as follows: Andreas Kraft (1723-1789), Johann Hapke (September 23, 1717-December 29, 1826), Elizabeth Beecher, wife of John Beecher, Sr., (1755-July 11, 1845), Elizabeth Deardorff, wife of Anthony Deardorff (1783-November 3, 1855), John Ge. Minter (February 25, 1773-August 23, 1858), John Fohl (June 30, 1770-November 2, 1828), Eve C. Bluebaugh (1793-August 27, 1849), Maria M. Esteinour (1775-April 19, 1847), Elizabeth Graullen (1762-1816), Margaret Keckler (1834, March 5, 1938), Margaret Weigle (1850-December 13, 1853), John Walter (1820-July 15, 1858), Daniel Walter (1820-August 21, 1822), Martha Plumm, Rosina Plummen (1763-October 3, 1830).
Frederick Forester, German tailor (born 1795-murdered in his own home November 23, 1848), Maria M. Hinch (1771-1833), Jacob Gilbert (1757-February 9, 1831), David Fleck (1764-August 28, 1830), John Hoosi\endash ?, Isaac Deardorff (died October 18, 1838 aged 10 days), Daniel Bucher (1837-August 23, 1838), George Walter (1815-August 15, 1817), Elizabeth Walter, Anna M. Krouse (1826-November 5, 1845), Elizabeth Beecher, Jane Warner (1809-May 27, 1856), Mary Yoe (1798-August 30, 1833), Susanna Beecher (1759-1790), Margaret Knouse (March 111, 1785-March 22, 1854), Philip Schlosser (1740-March 2, 1791), Catherina Hapke (1741-November 25, 1819), Catherine Ge Minter (1778-July 8, 1828), Philip Schneider (1773-March 6, 1847), Charles Good (1749-August 16, 1825), L. F. Haines (1829-August 9, 1862), Henry Steinour (1771-1838).
Catherina Walter (1766-1838), John Graybill (died July 16, 1831 - aged 6 months), John S. Miller (Died October 30, 1863), John Walter (Died October 15, 1817 - aged 8 months and 7 days), Sarah Stauter (1792-June 5, 1827), Jacob Hartman (1783-February 6, 1853), Catherine Hartman (1788-July 20, 1849), Johann Blue (1759-September 10, 1829), Hanah Knous (1803-June 19, 1853), Sophia Walter (1752-September 22, 1807), Anna Ge Minter (1741-September 5, 1826), Adaline Minnick (Died November 9, 1830 - aged 4 months and 25 days), Henry Trostle, Sr. (1780-March 31, 1853), and last nut not least Johannes Guth (1776-March 11, 18050.
We have been told that many years ago this cemetery contained many markers, but as is often the case with old plots no longer in use, time and vandals caused the usual ruin. When the remaining stones were interred sixteen years ago, but few of them remain. The above inscriptions tell us that the earliest birth date was that of Johann Hapke in 1717. Earliest date of death was that of Andreas Kraft in 1789. Johann Hapke, Philip Schlosser, Charles Good, Jacob Gilbert, and Johann Blum (Plum) were within the age limit for service in the army during the Revolutionary War. We hope the above data will answer the questions of our readers.

14. Fact: John's wife was Elizabeth Keplinger, confirmed by her surname in the cited evidence. Many family trees incorrectly name her father as Johann Peter Keplinger (d. 1795, Manheim Township, York County). This is impossible because his will states his daughter Elizabeth was "not of age" (under 21) and unmarried. Since our Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter in 1780, she must have been born before 1775, making her too old to be the Elizabeth mentioned in Johann Peter's will.

Elizabeth married John Beecher, son of Johann Henrich Buecher and Catharine. (John Beecher was born in 1757 in Cocalico Twp., Lancaster, PA,^{19 20 21 22} died on 8 Jun 1842 in Menallen Twp., Adams, PA ^{19 20 21 22} and was buried in Arendtsville: Old Reformed & Lutheran Graveyard, Adams, PA ^{3 7 20}.)