Caroline Hiester ^{2 3}

   Other names for Caroline were Caroline Heister,^{4 5 9} Carrie Heister ¹ and Carolina Hiester.¹⁰

   FamilySearch ID: L6V2-Y26.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census in 1850 in East Coventry Twp., Chester, PA. ⁴ The 1850 census recorded John R. Heister, miller, 34, living with wife Mary A., 27; Caroline, 6; Samuel P., 4; Mary A., 2; Margaret, 0. Also in the home: Samuel Heister, 63; Isaac Rhoads, 24; Rudolph Srager, 19; Lydia Larken, 21; and John Reese, 10. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania.

2. Census in 1870 in Pottstown, Montgomery, PA. ¹ William Beecher, retail dry goods merchant, 30, was living with wife Carrie, 25 and John S. Beecher, 18, clerk in store. Also Henry Arms, 19, clerk in store, and Charlotte Jones, 23, domestic servant. William's real estate was worth $7,000 and personal estate $5,000. William and Carrie were born in Pennsylvania, but John in Missouri. The census lists that William and Carrie were married in Sep 1849. The post office was Pottstown.

3. Census in 1880 in Pottsgrove Twp., Montgomery, PA. ¹¹ William C. Bucher, dry goods merchant, 40, was living with John H., 9; daughter Marchin, 6; Grace, 3; Mary 1 month old, and Jacob F. Beicher, laborer, 40. William's wife, Caroline H., 37, is shown living in the next househould, but a hand-drawn bracket indicates this is a mistake and she is indeed part of family, although indexed online in a different home. Everyone and their parents were born in Pennsylvania.

4. Census in 1900 in Pottstown, Montgomery, PA. ² William C. Beecher, 60, born Oct 1839, was married for 30 years to Caroline H., 55, born Nov 1844. She had birthed 4 children by 1900, all alive: John H., 29, Sep 1870; Margaret J., 27, Apr 1873; Grace, 23, Aug 1876; and Carrie M., 20, May 1880. William was born in Missouri, his wife and all his children in Pennsylvania. His occupation was "salesman dry goods", and son John was a real estate agent. William owned his home at 643 High St.

5. 317 N. 33rd Street in 1908 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹² The history of this home is documented online at the Powelton Village website at http://poweltonvillage.org/interactivemap/files/317n33rd.htm

In the 1908 Philadelphia City Directory William C. Beecher and his daughter Margaret are listed as living here (although so was his wife and daughters Grace and May.) William's death certificate says he died here. The 1910 and 1920 census shows Caroline Beecher, widow, was renting this home and living with her three daughters (in 1920 joined by Grace's husband, Charles). On 12 Apr 1920, ownership of the home was transferred by Mary S. Marot to C. May Beecher. In 1930, the census shows only daughter Grace Beecher Epler and husband Charles living here. In 1940, Carrie May, Margaret, Grace and her husband Charles are all living here. On 16 May 1945, the title transferred from C. May Beecher to Clara J. Pierbower.

6. Census in 1910 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹⁰ The 1910 census recorded Carolina H.Beecher, widowed, 65, living with daughters: Margarett, 34; Grace, 32; May, 28; and servant Jacob F. Pirches, 55. Carolina and her parents and her daughters were born in Pennsylvania. Her deceased husband was born in Missouri.

7. Residence: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1911 in 1911 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹³ BEECHER:
Caroline wid Wm h 317 N 33d
C May musician h 317 N 33d
Margaret J librarian h 317 N 33d
May C musician 317 N 33d.

8. Census in 1920 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹⁴ The 1920 census recorded Caroline Beeecher, 75, living with daughters Margaret, 45; May, 40, Grace Epler, 42, and her husband Charles Epler, 42.

9. Residence: Wildwood City Directory: Beecher, Caroline H. (wid Wm. C) r 210 E 23d av N Wildwood in 1924 in North Wildwood, Cape May, NJ. ¹⁵ R.L. Polk's 1924 Widlwood Directory listed:
Beecher, Caroline H. (wid Wm. C) r 210 E 23d av N Wildwood
Beecher, C May r 210 E 23d av N Wildwood
Beecher John H (Katherine E), Pres Beecher Kay Realty Co, h 301 E 23d av N Wildwood
Beecher-Kay Realty Co, John H. Beecher Pres, John J Kay V-Pres, Robert J Kay Sec and Treas, Harry L Nickerson Mgr, Wildwood av opp Penna Station and Cardinal rd opp Penna Station Wildwood Crest
Beecher Margaret J r 210 E 23d av N Wildwood.

10. Cause of Death: cerebral hemorrhage, arterial sclerosis., 5 Dec 1936, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ⁶

11. Residence: Caroline died at home at 317 N. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, Pa. On 5 Dec 1936 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ⁶

12. Obituary: Pottstown Mercury: obituary of Caroline Hiester Beecher on 7 Dec 1936 in Pottstown, Montgomery, PA. ³ Fallen Asleep
BEECHER - In Philadelphia, Pa., on December the 5th inst., 1936, Caroline Hiester, wife of the late William C. Beecher. Funeral services will be held at her late residence, 317 North 33d street, Philadelphia, Pa., on December 7 at 7 p. m. Interment private Pottstown cemetery.

13. Obituary: Pottstown Mercury: funeral of Caroline Beecher on 9 Dec 1936 in Pottstown, Montgomery, PA. ⁸ Funeral services for Mrs. Caroline H. Beecher, widow of William C. Beecher, former Pottstown merchant, who died in her home in Philadelphia, were held privately at the graveside in Edgewood cemetery yesterday morning at 11:30 o'clock. The service was in charge of the Rev. Arthur H. Simpson, pastor of First Presbyterian church. Funeral directors H. R. Houck and Son had charge.

14. Newspaper: Pottstown Mercury: Hospital's Benefactor Born Near Here, Was Beecher Family Kin, 25 Nov 1950, Pottstown, Montgomery, PA. ¹⁶ Samuel Hiester, who left $10,000 to Pottstown hospital, was born in the Pottstown area and was related to one of the borough's best known businessmen of the late 19th century, older residents of the borough recalled yesterday.
Hiester was born in Lower Pottsgrove township, on a farm on the Schuylkill river, near the site of the Firestone Tire and Rubber company.
He spent nearly all his life in Philadelphia, however, were he became a member of the wholesale grocery firm of Krause, Ingham and Hiester. He often visited Pottstown but never lived here.
Hiester died in 1933 and the balance of his $46,187 estate went to Phoenixville hospital, the Home for the Aged in Philadelphia, and three nieces living in North Wildwood, N. J., as well as to Pottstown hospital.
He was a brother-in-law of William C. Beecher, who, with his cousin, Lyman Beecher, operated the L. and W. C. Beecher dry goods store, on the site now occupied by the Ellis Mills department store.
Hiester's sister, Mrs. Beecher, lived in a house at the northwest corner of High and Bailey int he last years of her life and of her husband's.
The Beechers operated their store for many years, but their name has lived in Pottstown among old-timers because of the "Beecher fire."
At 1:30 o'clock the morning of Saturday, Dec. 13, 1890, fire brok out in the clothing store of John R. Shaner, 227 High street.
It spread quickly to both sides, including the Beecher shop. Although the fire involved several shops in the block, it became known as the "Beecher fire."
Before the borough's small fire department put out the blaze, it had caused property damage estimated at $160,000 and became the most disastour fire int he town's history up to that time.
Not only were the Beecher's and Shaner's stores damaged, but also the George Evans book store; the R. M. Root men's furnishing shop; the W. L. Stone Jewelery shop; Howard Leopold's dry goods and dressmaking shop; H. A. Custer's stationery store, and quarters occupied by M. J. Ensminger, painter, and Mrs. M. B. Geyer, dressmaker.
The Beechers rebuilt their place after the fire and continued in business for several years.
Hiester's family settled in Philadelphia and in Wildwood.

Caroline married William C. Beecher, son of Samuel Beecher and Margaret Jane Smith, in Sep 1869 in Pottstown, Montgomery, PA.¹ (William C. Beecher was born on 2 Oct 1839 in Washington, Franklin, MO,^{1 17 18 19} died on 29 Dec 1909 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA ^{17 18 19} and was buried on 1 Jan 1910 in Pottstown: Edgewood Cemetery, Montgomery, PA ^{17 18 19}.)