Dennis Keith Beecher ^{1 3 4 5 6 7}

   FamilySearch ID: LF2L-YTD.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Newspaper: The Sentinel: Births: Carlisle Hospital: Mr. and Mrs. Lynn (Geraldine Bitner) Beecher, 547 West Penn Street, a son Nov. 12, 13 Nov 1953, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ⁹

2. Newspaper: The Sentinel: Seaman Recruit Dennis Keith Beecher, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Beecher, 547 W. Penn St., is home on leave from recruit training. He will next report to Great Lakes, Ill., to receive 15 weeks training as a Navy radarman., 22 Nov 1972, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ⁷

3. Residence: 1600 E. Ocean View Dr., Apt 6, Norfolk, VA on 18 Aug 1973 in Norfolk, Norfolk, VA. ¹

4. Newspaper: The Sentinel: Beecher-Braught Wedding, 27 Aug 1973, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ¹ Judy E. Braught became the bride of Dennis Keith Beecher at 4 p.m. Aug. 18 in the First United Methodist Church. The Rev. Thomas Springman performed the double ring ceremony. Ms. Claudia O'Neil, Carlisle, was soloist, and Mrs. Bruce Long, Carlisle, was organist. The bride was given in marriage by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mervin L. Braught Sr., 76 Linn Drive. The bridegrom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. L. K. Beecher, 547 W. Penn St. The bride's gown of lace-trimmed white chiffon was styled with a scooped neckline, bishop sleeves and empire waistline. Lace and pearls embellished her Camelot cap which held her elbow-length veil of illusion. She carried a colonial bouquet of white roses, stephanotis and blue baby's breath. Miss Linda Statson, Carlisle, was the maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Miss Jan Beecher; the bridegroom's sister; Misses Carol and Jeanie Braught, the bride's sisters. Loci Nagle, RD2, the bride's cousin, was flower girl. The gowns of the maid of honor and flower -girl were multi-color printed chiffon. The bridesmaids' gowns were blue chiffon. Blue baby's breath fashioned ihe flower girl's headpiece. The other attendants wore blue picture hats with streamers matching their gowns. All carried nosegays of mixed flowers. The bride's mother chose a pink floor length gown and the bridegroom's mother a long blue gown, white accessories and complementing corsages. Ray Black, Carlisle, was best man. Ushers were Jim Oliver, Alan Neusbaum and Don Nagle, all of Carlisle. The reception was held in the Shangri-La Restaurant. The bride, a 1973 graduate of Carlisle High School, had been employed at Kentucky Fried Chicken, N. Hanover St. The bridegroom, a 1971 Carlisle High graduate, attended Harrisburg Area Community College. He is serving in the Navy on board the USS American stationed in Norfolk, Va. After a honeymoon in the Poconos, Mr. and Mrs. Beecher will live at 1600 E. Ocean View Drive, Apt. 6, Norfolk.

5. Newspaper: The Sentinel, 28 Feb 1974, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ¹⁰ Navy Seaman Dennis K. Beecher, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lynn K. Beecher, 547 W. Penn St., deployed for training in the Mediterranean aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS America homeported in Norfolk, Va. During the 6 month deployment he will visit ports in Spain, Greece, France, Italy and Tunisia. A 1971 graduate of Carlisle Senior High School, he attended Harrisburg Area Community College and joined the Navy in September 1972. His wife is the former Judy E. Braught, 76 Linn Drive.

6. Residence: 1767 E. Little Creek Road, Norfolk, VA on 6 Aug 1975 in Norfolk, Norfolk, VA. ¹¹

7. Residence: on 18 Jul 1981 in Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ¹²

8. Residence: on 22 Oct 1985 in Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ⁶

9. Residence: on 12 Apr 1986 in Gardners, Adams, PA. ⁵

10. Newspaper: The Sentinel: Train ride transports family back to Civil War battles, 2 Jul 1988, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ¹³ Ceremonies commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg have drawn thousands of people from all over the world. But some participants haven't had to travel very far. Take the Dennis Beecher family of Gardners, for instance. Beecher, his wife Judy and their two children, Chris and Michael, could practically march to Gettysburg, where they will participate in tonight's rededication of the Eternal Light Peace Memorial a ceremony to be attended by President Reagan. The Gettysburg observances are just part of a long list of activities the Beechers have been involved in since becoming Civil War re-enactors nearly two years ago. They are members of the Pennsylvania 11th Volunteer Infantry Fife and Drum Corps. Based in Gettysburg and consisting of about 20 members, the 11th is one of many ceremonial units that exist across the nation to keep alive the history of the Civil War. The 11th keeps the Beechers busy nearly every weekend from June through September, and every other weekend from then until November, Mrs. Beecher says. Group members fight battle re-enactments, march in parades, eat and sleep in living-history encampments, present educational programs at schools and at other activities such as private parties and Special Olympics. The 11th recently gave a show for a private party that featured a Civil War storming of the host's house, Mrs. Beecher says. Each member of the Beecher family plays a "role" in the unit. Mrs. Beecher, who has attended classes on Civil War-era dress to learn how to make these types of clothes for herself and her family, portrays a Union soldier's wife who accompanies her husband from battle to battle. Son Chris, 12 1/2, is a drummer boy modeled on those whose steady beats propelled the infantry into battle. His father who Mrs. Beecher says is the real Civil War fanatic of the family, portrays a fully dressed Union infantryman. His uniform and its accessories, accumulated hither and yon since the family joined the unit, are worth $1,000. That includes a $450 reproduction of an 1863 Enfield rifle. Most accessories can be picked up from "sutlers" who market their goods at Civil War re-enactment events, the Beechers say. Waiting in the wings is 2-year-old Michael. Mrs. Beecher says Michael was a willing Civil War baby during the family's living-history encampments last year, but things are getting a bit strained now that the "terrible 2's" have set in. It doesn't help that Michael isn't permitted to have modern toys during the encampment because children back then had to make due with less. She's confident the situation will improve, however, because while "Chris grew up on The Beach Boys," Michael "is growing up on the fife and drum." The unit has been a big boon for Chris. Mrs. Beecher says at one time the family was having trouble getting him interested in reading. That hasn't been a problem since the family starting accumulating books related to the Civil War. As much as he wants to, however, Chris will have to cool his heels a bit before he's permitted in the thick of things. Rules governing Civil War re-enactments prevent him from carrying a rifle until he is 14, and even then he won't be able to fire it until he is 16. Mrs. Beecher says the family got involved with the 11th after participating in a Civil War train ride from Gettysburg to Biglerville and back. On the train Union troop re-enactors tell riders to keep an eye peeled for J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry. The train is subseqently hijacked by the Confederate soldiers but Union troops retake the train halfway back to Biglerville. "I always thought the Civil War was important because we fought ourselves," Mrs. Beecher says. "I don't think they teach it enough in school." Members are informed of coming events by Dave Swisher, a sergeant who has been in the 11th for 10 years and coordinates group activities. But "we don't have to show up for anything," Mrs. Beecher says. "It's totally volunteer, so you can put in as much time as you want." She says she doesn't know how long the family will always keep up this hectic of a pace. Her mother "gets a little perturbed" because the family is seldom around during weekends, Mrs. Beecher says. "Some day I'll get tired of it, I'm sure," she says. "But for right now it holds a lot of interest for us. Everybody has a little bit of ham in them, and everybody likes to portray somebody they're not."

11. Residence: on 26 Jan 1991 in Gardners, Adams, PA. ³

12. Newspaper: The Sentinel: Marriage Licenses: Dennis Keith Beecher, first block of Holly Estates Drive, Gardners, and Brenda L. Ketterman, 100 block of Center Street, Carlisle., 13 Jun 2001, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ²

13. Residence: 20 Holly Estates Drive, Gardners, PA 17324 in 2002 in Gardners, Adams, PA. ¹⁴

14. Newspaper: The Sentinel: Deed Transfers: Hykes, Kenneth D. & Diana M. to Beecher, Dennis K. & Branda L, 70 Chestnut Ridge Rd, (Gardners) $235,000, $138.720, 2 Jan 2008, Carlisle, Cumberland, PA. ¹⁵

15. Residence: on 15 Feb 2017 in Gardners, Adams, PA. ⁴

Dennis married Judith E. Braught, daughter of Mervin Leroy Braught Jr. and Mildred Dorothy Nagle, on 18 Aug 1973 in Carlisle, Cumberland, PA.¹ (Judith E. Braught was born on 27 Jan 1955 in Carlisle, Cumberland, PA ^{16 17}.)

Dennis next married Brenda L. Ketterman in Jun 2001 in Carlisle, Cumberland, PA.² (Brenda L. Ketterman was born on 16 Oct 1958.)

Dennis next married Lorraine Isabel McCalister, daughter of Oliver B. McCalister and Esther A. Shambaugh. (Lorraine Isabel McCalister was born on 20 Jun 1954 in Carlisle, Cumberland, PA ¹⁸.)