Lavina Settle ^{1 3}

   Other names for Lavina were Lovina Hewitt ⁶ and Lavinia Settle.⁷

   FamilySearch ID: L8WL-XSV.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census in 1860 in Franklin Twp., Adams, PA. ⁸ The 1860 census recorded Jacob Settle, farmer, 61, living with his children: Anna, 32; Lavina, 30; Daniel, 25; Susan, 21; and Sarah, 19. Also in the home is Daniel Weaver, 13. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. The post office was Cashtown.

2. Newspaper: Gettysburg Compiler: Marriages: Beecher-Settle. -- In Bendersville, on the 2d inst., by the Rev. W. Owen, John Beecher to Miss Lavina Settle, both of this county., 7 Feb 1869, Gettysburg, Adams, PA. ¹

3. Census in 1870 in Tyrone Twp., Adams, PA. ⁹ The 1870 census recorded John Beecher, farmer, 56, living with wife Lavina, 39; and a child not named, 6 months old, born Dec 1869. Also with them is Wesley Wolf, farm labor, 15. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. The post office is York Springs. John's real estate is valued at $2500 and his personal estate $600.

On the same page is John's father-in-law, Nicholas Guise, retired farmer, 85, living in the household of his son John Guise, farmer, 54, and John's family Rebecca, 55; Eli, 23; Emiline, 20; Anna, 19; and Eleanor, 15. Also with them is Brough Slaybaugh, 1. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. John Guise's farm was valued at $4000 and personal estate $800.

4. John Beecher's Adams Co. Estate file #5417 is online on FamilySearch.org (see source citation below) on 10 Jun 1878 in , Adams, PA. ¹⁰ FamilySearch.org has online images of the records settling the estate of John Beecher, who died in testate on 24 May 1878 according to the sworn statements of witnesses. The papers contain only accounting and reveal no mention of John's parents or children. A summary: On 29 May 1878, John's wife, Lavina, filed a statement releasing herself as the de facto Administrator of his estate. On 10 Jun 1878, an Inventory of John Beecher's estate was filed by Jesse R. Croup and William A. Sterner. It showed one item, a balance of $259.62 due 1 Apr 1879 on a bond of Elias Guise. On 19 Mar 1880, an account of the estate was filed by the new Administrator, Eli D. Guise, who in the account is charged $259.62. Also by order of the Orphan's court, from the proceeds of selling John Beecher's real estate, $1000 is charged to Lavina Beecher for payment of debts, and four other smaller transactions, for a total of $1274.03. This amount is then paid in small transactions to a long list of debtors in the final accounting, with the largest being $578 to Lavina Beecher.

The relationship between Elias D. Guise and John Beecher is not identified in the estate papers, but Eli's obituary in the 26 Aug 1936 Gettysburg Times states he is the son of John Guise and Rebecca Slaybaugh. John Guise is likely the brother of John Beecher's 2nd wife, Esther Guise (nicknamed Heatty) whose parents were Nicholas Guise and Mary Magdalene Plank. Eli is buried in Upper Bermudian Church where Heatty Guise and John Beecher are buried, and Eli's tombstone has a 13 Jun 1847 birth and 25 Aug 1936 death.

5. Census in 1880 in Huntington Twp., Adams, PA. ¹¹ The 1880 census recorded Levina Beecher, widowed, 50, living alone. She and her parents were born in Pennsylvania. Her neighbors are the same as in 1870, so it appears she is still living on the Beecher farm where husband John died.

6. Newspaper: Gettysburg Times: Marriages: Hewitt--Beecher.-- Aug. 9, By the Rev. J. H. Snoke, at the residence of Samuel Hewitt, near Middletown, William Hewitt to Miss Lavina Beecher, both of this county., 25 Aug 1881, Gettysburg, Adams, PA. ²

7. Newspaper: New Oxford Item: Died. Jan 10, at Idaville, Mrs. Lavina Hewitt, aged 60 years, 11 months and 15 days., 23 Jan 1891, New Oxford, Adams, PA. ⁵

Lavina married John Beecher, son of John Beecher and Anna Range, on 2 Feb 1869 in Bendersville, Adams, PA.¹ (John Beecher was born in 1813 in , Adams, PA,^{12 13 14} died on 24 May 1878 in Huntingdon Valley: Forest Hills Memorial Park Cemetery, Montgomery, PA ¹⁴ and was buried in Gardners.: Upper Bermudian Church, Adams, PA ¹⁴.)

Lavina next married William Hewitt on 9 Aug 1881 in Middletown, Adams, PA.² (William Hewitt was born in , Adams, PA.)