John Henry Beacher ^{1 2}

  Burial Notes:

His tombstone is in Lot 38 Sec K

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence, 1924, Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA.

• Census, 1930, Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁴ He is listed as John H. Beacher (age 13) living in the household of his father, Benjamin F. Beacher (age 53) with his mother, Bertha P. (45), sister Ruth E. (24, occupation piano teacher), and brothers B. Donald (16), Bruce F. (10), and Robert L. (5).

• Letter: John was an entomologist, earning his bachelors degree from Penn State and masters from Ohio State. Following is his letter to his parents about his job after graduation, 2 Apr 1941, Newark, New Castle County, Delaware, USA.
University of Delaware
Agricultural Experiment Station
Newark, Delaware
Department of Entomology

Wednesday, 8 PM
April 2, 1941

Dear Folks,

You are probably wondering how the bug-hunter is making out, since my post-card was very brief, so I'll slip some scandal in your direction.
As you know, I am comfortably settled at a nice home within twenty yards of the Experiment Station, living with a young couple who operate the town drug-store. They are Methodists (for Bertha's benefit), and are very nice people. I also obtained a garage next-door for $2.50 per month, as I will not need the car in town, excepting for those occasions when I will use it to make trips down state.

The set-up is excellent, and I should make some money on the side. The majority of the orchards are located in central and southern Delaware, which will necessitate weekly trips of from 50 to 100 miles south of Newark. On these occasions, my meals will be paid for by the Experiment Station, and since I am not paying a weekly board bill in town, I will save on that item. There is a 1940 Ford Coupe for the Station staff to use on trips, but if the car is being used when I need it, then I will take my car, and collect 5 cents on every mile I drive it. So you can see that we are treated very well. And how, compared with Arendtsville.

Yesterday Dr. Stearns, the state entomologist, (my boss), took me for a trip thru the entire state, right down to the southernmost point, in order to show me the location of the experimental orchards, and the familiarize me with the state. We went down through Dover, and cut over to the western portion, then returned up through Lewes. It certainly is a nice place over there at Lewes, and I can see why you liked it so well. In the area around Dover (Kent County), the principal apple and peach region is located, and at Camden there is a serious outbreak of pistol case-bearer, which I must work on myself, so that will involve a trip of 55 miles to get down there from Newark. Down in the southern portion, strawberries and grapes are the big fruit crops, and next week I will be spending several days south of Lewes in dusting strawberries for the weevils.

An outbreak of malaria occurred last year, and I will have a hand in mosquito control against malarial mosquitoes later in the summer. However my big job will be the testing of several new chemicals, which have just been developed by DuPont. Today two chemists from duPont's labs at Wilmington came here, and I spent the entire morning with them, as they explained the chemicals to me. I will test these new sprays - made out of coal tar oils - on apple and peach for various insects, to determine whether they will be effective or not, and at the end of the summer, I must submit a report on my work, and it will be published as a bulletin by DuPont. I am sort of scared to undertake it, as I haven't had an experience in this line, but there is no time like the present to learn, and I will pick up a great deal in running tests like this, so I'm buckling down to it in fine shape. I spent the afternoon in planning this work, and tomorrow I will travel down to Dover, and obtain the first batch of apple twigs infested with red mites to run in the laboratory here.

I am certainly pleased with everything down here, and I am more than glad I decided to come here, instead of going to Louisiana. There are six entomologists here, including myself, and two more Ohio State men are coming on April 15^th, to take over that work on Japanese beetle, which I had told you about previously. Incidentally they can thank me for their jobs, as Dr. Stearns had asked me if they were dependable which I had been here for my interview, and I gave them a good recommendation, so they got the jobs.

I don't know whether or not I will get home this weekend, as I may be down state on Saturday, but I will certainly be home on Easter. Incidentally I learned that it is 9 miles shorter to come down here via Emmaus, Boyertown and Pottstown, rather than coming through Norristown, so I will travel that route in the future. Furthermore, we only are paid once a month, which is just as well, as I will save more money that way.

Now I must do some work yet, as I am not fully settled here in the lab. Be good, and if I remember it, I'll bring some of the new spray material along for use on the aphids in the sun-parlor. It surely will kill the bugs, but maybe it will also kill the plants! Well, we'll see. Heh. We will also spray it on Bobby, as he has fleas.

That John

[Attached to the letter is a note written by John's mother and sent to his brother with John's original letter]

Dear Bruce,

Will send you John's letter as you can better understand his line of work. He can come home every Saturday, leaving five-thirty Monday morning. He likes it very much, so I am glad both of you love your work. He took Dad & Izzy & I for a ride to the Poconos yesterday (Easter) afternoon. It was a beautiful day.

Don gets home about every two weeks or so. Last Thursday night I was in the kitchen, and I heard someone come in the Sun Parlor. At first thought I guessed it might be Brucie, but then my Don came asking for "eats." Wanted to send you a dollar with the Easter Card I send you; but Dad discouraged me; saying: "he believed you were away from Billings since you had considered making application for the Air Corps." But I felt it would not be in such a hurry as you'd have to take your examination etc. So that's how Dad figured you may be on your way home first. I was glad for your letter, I received today, telling of your expectations for the fishing season. I imagine you will not get your vacation until the Christmas holidays perhaps. So I'm glad you are busy as you no doubt are tired and ready for bed at a reasonable hour.

Bob & Ken Grasley, Schuler and Jack Lapp played up in the tower at the church Easter morn. John was at the Young People's breakfast in the church basement. He said: "it was very nice, about forty were present." I want to go to a W. C. T. U. Regional Conference at Bristol, Pa tomorrow, so I washed and ironed today. Cherie send us a nice Easter greeting card. Thanks to you for your Cheery Telegram. It came at noon time Easter Sunday. May the good Lord sustain and keep you in his care.

Lovingly, Mother

P.S. Honey: John thinks Bob had better go to State College and start right in Agronomy instead of going to Mt. Alto. But I guess it's better to leave it to Bob. He said: "you advised him, how to go about it; so it's up to him to carry it out. He is at an Order of the Arrow banquet tonight. (Monday) We met Schantz down town on Saturday night. He said: "there is quite a change at the fraternity house and it is not unusual for the fellows to sit down to the table and open a can of beer, something not allowed before.

• Occupation: Aerosol Engineer, 1950. During World War II, John's experience as an entomologist was put to use by the Army, who sent him to Asia to help control malaria outbreaks that were threatening troops. John learned the new technology of using aerosol cans to package insect sprays, and following the war, went to work for a dvision of Allied Chemical in the emerging aerosol industry. Soon after, he was hired by Avon to create their spray products and worked there as an aerosol engineer until retirement. He was given an award for never missing a sick day at work for 20 years!

• Obituary: Allentown Morning Call, 27 Feb 1985, Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. It read:

John H. Beacher, 68, of 106 McEwen Drive, Niceville, Fla., formerly of Allentown, died Feb. 11 in Twin Cities Hospital, Niceville. He was the husband of Isabel (Bury) Beacher.

He developed spray products for Avon Products, Inc., Suffern, N.Y., before retiring in 1980. He previously worked for Allied Chemicals in New Jersey and conducted pioneer research in pesticides at the University of Delaware for E.I. DuPont DeNemours and Co., Inc.

After World War II, Beacher accepted a position in the Department of Entomology at the University of Delaware and, before the war, was an economic entomologist for the state of Delaware.

During the war, he served with Army malarial control units in Burma for three years.

He received a master's degree in entomology from Ohio State University in 1941, and a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1939. While at Penn State, he was a member of the Alpha Zeta honorary agricultural fraternity.

Born in Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, he was a son of the late Benjamin F. and Bertha (Snyder) Beacher.

Active in Scouting and music groups in the Lehigh Valley, Beacher served as bugler and counselor at Camp Trexler.

Surviving with his widow are two sons, David of Niceville and Jonathan of Atlanta, Ga; a daughter, Mrs. Martha Fisher of Edgewater, Md.; two brothers, Donald of Havertown, Delaware County, and Bruce of Biglerville, Adams County, and five grandchildren.

The McLaughlin Funeral Home, Niceville, was in charge of arrangements.

John married Isabel Martha Bury, daughter of Frank Henry Bury and Katie Isabelle Knerr.