Alexander Beers (1862 - 1921)

Born 4 Mar 1862 in Davis, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Adelaide L. (Newton) Beers — married [date unknown] in New York, United States

Died 12 Sep 1921 at age 59 in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States

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Biography

Alexander was born March 4, 1862 in Davis, Iowa. He was the son of Ezekiel Beers and Jane Underwood.^[1]

He came to Oregon with his parents at the age of 16 and settled in Gresham, just east of Portland.

He became a shingle maker for a short time, but at 19 he was inspired at a school house meeting to begin his life in the church.

For many years he was known as one of the best known ministers of the Free Methodist church, in the west and for the many 24 years a member of the general executive board

While preaching in the churches in Indianapolis, Indiana, prior to 1911, a member of the audience introduced himself to Alexander as the half-brother of Ezekiel Beers. He revealed that there was an eastern counterpart to the western Beers family, that Ezekiel's father had raised another family after leaving the 9 year old boy with his uncle. There were half-cousins/aunts/uncles literally by the dozens and they immediately beg corresponding, exchanging visits and attending each others' reunions.

In 1885 he was sent to New York to be educated in the First Free Methodist Church. In 1889 he was married in New York to Adelaide Newton and the couple were sent to Virginia to take charge of a school. In 1893 they were called to Seattle where for 23 years Alexander was the head of the Seattle Seminary and Pacific College (now called Seattle Pacific University). Alexander Hall on campus is named in his honor. He had an illustrious career in Seattle and before his death in 1921 had build churches and followings in Portland and San Francisco.

He is probably most known as the founder of Seattle Seminary, which later became Seattle Pacific College, and is presently known as Seattle Pacific University.

He passed away September 12, 1921. At his bedside at the time of his death were his wife, his sister, Mrs. Henry Metzger of Gresham and other relatives.

He was buried in the White Birch Cemetery in Gresham, Oregon in plot 4W, Lot 14.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 October 2018), memorial page for Rev Alexander Beers (4 Mar 1862–12 Sep 1921), Find A Grave: Memorial #28500447, citing White Birch Cemetery, Gresham, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA ; Maintained by Sherry Hess (contributor 46943118).

• https://www.ancestry.com/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=25&p=surnames.beers (accessed Oct 26, 2018)
• http://spu.edu/give-to-spu/alexander (accessed Oct 26, 2018)
• http://spu.edu/give-to-spu/alexander/alexander-hall-story (accessed Oct 26, 2018)
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGJ4-B6G : accessed 28 October 2018), Alexander Beers, Seattle Ward 9, King, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 164, sheet 11A, family 27, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1661; FHL microfilm 1,375,674.