Catherine Jane (Houseworth) Beebe
March 17, 1861 – Nov. 26, 1945

Berrien Woman dies at age 84

BERRIEN SPRINGS , Nov. 27 – Mrs. Catherine Jane Beebe, 84 of rural route two, Berrien Springs, died Monday afternoon at the home of her son, Arthur, Berrien Springs, after an illness of eight months. She came here from Pennsylvania at the age of seven.

She was born in Pennsylvania March 17, 1861.  In 1880 she married Albert R. Beebe and settled in Portage Prairie. Her husband, Albert, died Dec. 12, 1941. Surviving, besides the son, are two sisters, Mrs. Jacob Cauffman of Portage Prairie and Mrs. John Korn, Niles; and two brothers, Albert and John Houseworth, the former of Portage Prairie and the latter of Jackson.

 Friends may call at the Kiger Funeral Home where services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday. The Rev. Carl H. Trueschel of Benton Harbor will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mrs. Beebe was a member of the Portage Prairie Evangelical Church.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, November 27, 1945, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Florence O. (Beckwith) Beebe
Aug. 13, 1886 – June 10, 1970

BUCHANAN – Mrs. Florence O. Beebe, 83, 3201 Knight Drive, died at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Pawating Hospital, where she had been a patient since May 7.

Mrs. Beebe was born August 13, 1886 in Constantine, Mich. On June 5, 1907 she married Arthur Beebe in Niles.

Surviving are her husband and a brother, William Beckwith, Newport Richie, Fla. 

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Swem Funeral home in Buchanan.

The Rev. C. Robert parson of the First United Methodist Church will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles. 

Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 tonight.

Published Niles Daily Star, June 11, 1970

Georgia (Beistle) Beebe
Oct. 25, 1882 – Aug. 20, 1953

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, Aug. 22, 1953, page 2

Mrs. Georgia Beebe, 70.

Services for Mrs. Georgia Beebe, 533 Oak Street, who died suddenly at 8 p.m. Thursday while vacationing at Lake Charlevoix, near Boyne City, were announced today.

Friends may call at the residence. Services will be held at the residence at 2 p.m. Sunday, with the Rev. T. M. Greenhoe, Presbyterian pastor, officiating, and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Surviving are one daughter, Mrs. Wallace Coles, and two grandchildren, all of Niles.

Mrs. Beebe was born on Oct. 25, 1882, in Detroit, and came to Niles from Detroit in 1905. She was a member of the Seepewa Reading club and of the Niles Bulb of Home Gardens.

Mrs. Beebe’s husband, the late Norman P. Beebe, who died on Dec. 27, 1945, was owner of the extensive Beebe produce farms in this area known throughout the Midwest for quantities of Cole storage vegetables and mints.

* * *

Niles Daily Star, Friday, Aug. 21, 1953, page 2

Mrs. N. Beebe Dies Thursday at Charlevoix

Word was received here today that Mrs. Norman P. Beebe, 533 Oak street, died suddenly at Lake Charlevoix, near Boyne City, about 8 p.m. Thursday.

Details of her death could not be ascertained immediately.

The body was taken to a Boyne City mortuary. It will be transferred today to the Kiger Funeral Home in Niles.

Mrs. Beebe was on vacation at Lake Charlevoix with her daughter, Mrs. Wallace H. Coles, at the time of her death, according to the information received here.

Surviving are her daughter and two grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete pending arrival here today.

 

 

 

Lyle Beebe
May 17, 1903-Feb. 11, 1917

Long, Brave Struggle for life is ended in death of Lyle Beebe. 

Succumbs to injuries received when interurban car struck automobile on Walton’s Crossing August 11, 1916.

Lyle Beebe the 14 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Beebe who reside north of town, died at 4:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon in St. Joseph Hospital, South Bend from injuries sustained when an automobile in which he was riding with the late Frank Sparks was run down by an interurban car at Walton’s Crossing on the fifth day of last August. The boy had since put up a long brave fight for life but medical services were powerless to avoid the fatal termination toward which the case steadily receded. 

The citizens of town and country sided have profess apathy for the parents and death of the boy, who has been cut down in life’s all morning.

The body was brought home last evening by undertaker Price and funeral survives will be held Wednesday afternoon at 1 o’clock from the house. 

Details of Tragedy.

The following clipping from the Daily Star of August 11, 1916, recalls the details of the tragedy at Walton’s Crossing. 

If Walton’s crossing on the line of the Southern Michigan Railway Company is hear after known as “Death Crossing.” It will be because it received its baptism of blood this afternoon a well when the life of Frank Sparks a well known farmer, who resided four and one half miles northwest of town, was snuffed out and Lyle Beebe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Beebe, who reside in the same neighborhood, was terribly injured by the northbound interurban car. Mr. Sparks, who was 62 years of age, and Lyle Beebe a 13 year-old boy, were coming to town to the formers Ford Car, when the accident occurred. The interurban care swung around the sharp curve and struck the automobile, hurling it against an embankment about 20 feet form the interurban tracks. Both of Mr. Sparks legs were broken, and the bone protruded through the flesh. He was other wise mutilated and died without regaining consciousness. The Beebe boy had a leg broken and was cut up so badly that John Wynn who helped place him in an automobile and accompanied him to Dr. Van Noppen’s sanitarium, did not recognize him. Mr. Wynn also looked into the disfigure face of Mr. Sparks who he had known for years, and was unable to identify him Mr. Wynn was dumbfounded when he learned that the men who were victims of the accident were neighbors.

At this writing, Dr. van Noppen and Dr. Homer Carr are bandaging Lyle Beebe’s wounds., Undertaker  Price has gone to Walton’s Crossing to take charge of the body of the late Mr. Sparks, whose death will prove a profound shock to the entire countryside. Mr. Sparks leaves a daughter, Mrs. Lloyd Butts, where resides northwest of town.

Walton’s Crossing from a veritable ambush, by reason of the high banks and foliage that prevents the approach of an interurban car from being seen by drivers of vehicles on the highway, and numerous accidents have happened there.

Published Niles Daily Star, Monday, February 12, 1917, page 1

Norman Beebe
Feb. 6, 1908-Feb. 2, 1909

Niles Daily Star, Wed. Feb. 3, 1909, page 2

      Little Norman Beebee, the one-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. N.P. Beebee of 515 Oak street, died yesterday afternoon of pneumonia.

“And Oh, when aweary, may we be so blest,
And sink like the innocent child to rest,
And feel ourselves clasped to the Infinite breast.”

      Thus over a happy home the shadow of a little grave has fallen; and, as another has said, it is wonderful how long a shadow a little grave can throw. This beautiful baby life was so precious, so fraught with blessing to his parents that he seemed a flower of paradise permitted to bloom for a brief
season by their side, than recalled by its maker, leaving the earth road for
them dark and lonely, indeed.
      The funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon, Rev. W.R. Yonker conducting services at the home at 2 o’clock. The remains of the little boy will be laid at rest in Silver Brook cemetery.

 Niles Daily Sun, Wed. Feb. 3, 1909, page 3

The funeral of the infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Norman P. Beebe will be held from the residence on Oak street tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock. Rev. W.R. Yonker of the Presbyterian church will officiate. Interment will occur at Silver Brook cemetery.

Note:  Gravemarker says Albert M.

Norman P. Beebe
March 9, 1878 – Dec. 27, 1945

Niles Daily Star, Thurs. December 27, 1945, page 1

Norman P. Beebe, 67, dies Early today at Home

Former Mayor of Niles, Prominent Agriculturist is Stricken Unexpectedly. 

A sudden heart attack early this morning claimed this life of Norman P. Beebe, 67, in his home at 533 Oak Street.

One of the city’s most prominent citizens, Mr. Beebe was a founding director of the First National Bank of Niles, a onetime mayor of the city and one of the State’s most diversified agriculturalist.A graduate of the law school of the University of Michgian, Mr. Beebe had been admitted to the bar but had never practiced law. In his own words, he found “farming more interesting.” 

Vice President of Bank

At the time of his death he was active as vice president of the Niles bank which he helped to found in 1933.

Often described as “Michigan’s most diversified muck farmer,” Mr. Beebe was born in Mendon, Mich. March 9, 1878, the son of a farmer. He spent his youth on the farm, then attended the University of Michigan where he was graduated in 1903.

Although he received his law degree, Mr. Beebe followed his own desires and those of his father and joined him in a farm venture east of Niles in 1905. His holding now include three farms totaling 2,468 acres which have been devoted largely to the growing of mint and vegetables. 

Active in Civic Affairs

In 1950, Mr. Beebe was honored as a master farmer by member of the Michigan Muck Farmers Assocaition.

For some time he was very active in community affaires, having served as an alderman from 1920 to 1924 as mayor in 1924 and 1925 and as president of the chamber of commerce in 1928 and 29.

Active in organizing the Niles Hospital association, Mr. Beebe was a director of that organization at the time of his death. He was instrumental in establishing the original hospital and gave much of his time toward promotion of the new building program.

Before the war, Mr. Beebe spend most of his winters traveling. His trips have taken him to 80 foreign countries where he exposed countless feet of motion picture film to preserve his experience.

 

Fled flames of War.

Mr. Beebe was traveling through China when the Japanese began invading the country. With his wife and daughter he narrowly escaped the city of Peking, just before that city was captured by the Japanese other trips took him to Africa where he was a member of the big game hunting expedition. In later years he traveled extensively in Mexico, photographing unknown and out of the way places in that country.

Mr. Beebe is survived by his wife, Georgia, whom he married in Ann Arbor, October 20, 1904; his mother, Mrs. Esther Beebe, Mendon; a daughter, Mrs. Wallace Coles, Niles; a brother, Clyde of Benton Harbor, and two grandchildren.

Hold Rites Saturday

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, the Rev. T. M. Greenhoe officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, the Niles rotary club, the Masonic Lodge, the Knights Templars and the Shriners lodge.

Niles Daily Star, December 28, 1945

Pallbearers were named today for the Norman P. Beebe funeral services which will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in the First Presbyterian church.

Earl Warrell P.S. Faruhar, Fred Eaglesfield, L.S. Storms, Arthur Saathoff and Ralph Smith will conduct the body to its Silverbrook Cemetery burial site. Serving a honorary pallbearers will be William McKinney, W.F. Harrah, Harry Parker, William Saathoff, Wilber N. Burns, Floyd Wood and Thomas E. Cain Sr.

  The Rev. T.M. Greenhoe, pastor of the Niles Presbyterian Church will officiate at the rites for Mr. Beebe, who died suddenly in his home Thursday morning.

On of the most prominent citizens, Mr. Beebe served as mayor in 1924 and 1925 and was one of the founding directors of the first national Bank of Niles, of which he was vice-president at the time of his death.

Prior to services Saturday friends may call at the Kiger funeral Home.