John Altlande Beecher ^{1 2 3 4 5}

   FamilySearch ID: 9VH8-5MG.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census in 1850 in Butler Twp., Adams, PA. ² David Bucher, farmer, 35, was living with Elizabeth, 40; Mary, 8; Elizabeth, 5; Sophia, 4; Lydia, 1, and John, 7 months old when the census was recorded on 10 Aug 1850. David has no real estate value. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. Neighbors are 70-year-old John Altlande and his wife Elizabeth, 64 whose farm is worth $3,000.

2. Census in 1860 in Franklin Twp., Adams, PA. ³ David Beecher, farmer, 44, was living with wife Elizabeth, 49; Mary, 18; Elizabeth, 15; Sophia, 14; Lydia, 12; John, 9; Sarah, 7. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. David's real estate was worth $3,000 and personal estate $1,000. The post office was Mummasburg.

3. Census in 1870 in Franklin Twp., Adams, PA. ⁹ The 1870 census recorded David Beecher, farmer, 56, living with wife Elizabeth, 60; Mary, 25; Elizabeth, 23; Sophia, 22; John, farm laborer, 18; and Sarah, 16. Also in the home was farm laborer Francis Dittenhafer, 18. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. David's real estate was valued at $10,000 and personal estate at $2,500. The post office was Mummasburg.

4. Census in 1880 in Franklin Twp., Adams, PA. ¹⁰ John A. Beecher, 28, farmer, was living with his mother, Elizabeth, 69. Everyone and their parents were born in Pennsylvania.

5. Census in 1900 in Franklin Twp., Adams, PA. ¹¹ John A. Beecher, farmer, 47, born Sept 1852, was living as a single person. He and his parents were born in Pennsylvania. The neighbors are Alfred Slonaker, 64, and Charles Bushey, 46. Also other surnames which married into Beecher families: Deardorff and Trostle.

6. Newspaper: Gettysburg Times: Big Cabbage: John A. Beecher, of Franklin township, has a head of cabbage weighing nineteen pounds and measuring four feet, five inches in circumference., 3 Dec 1918, Gettysburg, Adams, PA. ¹²

7. Cause of Death: paralysys following cerebral haemorrhage. The death certificate states 17 Feb 1919 but tombstone & newspaper say 16 Feb 1919., 16 Feb 1919, Butler Twp., Adams, PA. ⁵

8. Occupation: farmer on 16 Feb 1919 in Butler Twp., Adams, PA. ⁵

9. Obituary: Gettysburg Times on 17 Feb 1919 in Gettysburg, Adams, PA. John A Beecher, of Franklin township, near Mummasburg, died at 10:30 Sunday evening at the home of his nephew John E Fleck, in Butler township. He had gone to the Fleck home last Thursday and was ill at that time. He was aged about 68 years. He was never married and he leaves three nieces; Mrs. Martha Zimmerman, of Philadelphia; Mrs. Israel Geisler and Mrs. Elizabeth Berkheimer, of New Oxford; and one nephew, John E Fleck, of Butler township. The funeral will be held at 1:00 Wednesday afternoon from the Fleck home. Interment at Mummasburg Mennonite Cemetery.

10. Newspaper: New Oxford Item: John A. Beecher died, 20 Feb 1919, New Oxford, Adams, PA. ⁸ John A. Beecher, of Franklin township, near Mummasburg, died at 10:30 o'clock on Sunday evening at the home of his nephew John E. Fleck, in Butler township. He had gone to the Fleck home on last Thursday and will ill at the time. He was aged about 68 years. He was never married and he leaves three nieces: Mrs. Martha Zimmerman, of Philadelphia; Mrs. Isiah Geisler and Mrs. Elizabeth Berkheimer, of New Oxford, and one nephew, John E. Fleck, of Butler townshp. The funeral will be held at 1 o'clock this Wednesday afternoon from the Fleck home. Interment at Mummasburg.

11. Newspaper: Adams County Independent: John Beecher House Destroyed, 18 Apr 1919, Littlestown, Adams, PA. ¹³ HOME ON CHURCH FARM IS DESTROYED BY FIRE
Church of Brethren Loses Valuable Property
Work of Incendiaries
GETTYSBURG, April 17. One month ago John Beecher died at his home near Gettysburg, leaving the bulk of his estate, including his farm, to the Church of the Brethren. Today the house on the farm is a mass of charred ruins, fire, supposedly of incendiary origin, having destroyed it. Mr. Beecher lived alone and since his death the house has not been occupied. The blaze, when discovered, had made such headway and was fanned by such a stiff wind that nothing could be done to save the property, and people living on neighboring farms had to content themselves with seeing that other buildings did not burn. The destruction of the house places the Church of the Brethren in a rather peculiar position, as the congregation is not in the habit of building residences, and if they have to hold the property and rent it, a new house will have to be erected. The sale of a farm without a dwelling on it is an unusual proceeding here, and the question is puzzling officials of the denomination.

12. Newspaper: Gettysburg Times: "...the Brethren Church farm, formerly known as the John Beecher Farm, one and half miles east of Mummasburg...", 2 Feb 1923, Gettysburg, Adams, PA. ¹⁴