Henry Bernard Beck I (1877 - 1945)

Born 14 Jul 1877 in Jasper, Dubois, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Bertha Felicitas (Brenner) Beck — married 17 Jun 1903 in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, USA

Descendants

Died 15 Jul 1945 at age 68 in Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio, United States

Biography

Romuald Beck and Ann Cricentia Fisher are the parents of Henry Bernard Beck, who is their ninth child. Henry Bernard Beck owned a shoe Store that was flooded out in 1913 flood. When his wife died during the 1918 flu epidemic, he put his 9 children into St. Joseph Orphanage and visited them there. Leonard Henry Beck said, " After a child got a job, they would return home."

Florence Kelble Beck said that Bertha Brenner died the children went to an orphanage where the Sisters took care of them until they were 15, when they could go back to their home and live with their Dad. The older girls took care of the younger ones. Lucella, Genevieve, and Agnes were Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and taught at Julienne High School in Dayton, OH, one was at the Convent in Reading in Cincinati, where she did book keeping and office work. Helen was in convent in Erie, PA and taught families religion in the mountains of PA. Helen was in the Mother House when she retired North of Chicago.

Henry Bernard died at age 68 of a Corary Occl/Myocardial Disease.

Family of Henry and Bertha Beck:

1 - Genevieve Elizabeth, Sister Helen Marie, S.N.D., b. 4/26/1904

2 - Lucille Mary, Sister Genevieve Mary, S.N.D, b. 9/25/1905

3 - Helen Mary, Sister Lucy, S.Sp.S., b. 7/9/1907

4 - Leonard William, b. 9/3/1908, d. 11/27/1980

5 - Mildred Lucy, Mrs. Pearl Wortz, b. 11/15/1909

6 - Joseph Henry, b. 12/23/1910

7 - Raymond Andrew, b. 2/21/1912

8 - Agnes Marie, Sister Agnes Marie, S.N.D, b. 1/29/1914

9 - Henry Bernard, b. 7/14/1916, d. 7/15/1945

Henry was born 7/14/1877 and died 7/15/1945 and Bertha was born 2/13/1880 and died 10/14/1918.

Calvary Cemetery Lots:

Father - Section 4 Lot 11, St. Michael Drive Mother - Section H-10, Lot 1, St. John Drive

According to Sr. Helen Marie Beck, S.N.D., whose was baptized Genevieve E.:

"Father was a shoe salesman for Fanger and Rampe Co. Cincinnati, OH. In 1904 the family moved to a residence at Wayne and Jones St., Dayton, OH. Her Father had his own Shoe Store. Five years later Father moved his shoe business to Fifth and Jackson Sts., and the family moved to Clay Street.

"The 1913 Dayton flood destroyed Father's store completely. The home had 6 inches of water in the second floor. After a day and a night without food and light, rescue boats were sent out. Mother and Raymond (13 months old) were taken in the first boat. Father and the six children went in the next boat. We were handed out of the second floor bedroom window. The current was so strong that the boat began to be filled with water. The operator was able to guide the boat onto the porch roof of a cottage and there we were transferred to another boat which happened to be coming along. It was a miracle that all of us were saved.

"Father did not go back into the shoe business. He was assistant superintendent of the U.S. Free Employment Center; shoe salesman for Elder and Johnston Co., salesman for the Crystal Water Co. and salesman for Schoenling Beer, from 1913 until his retirement.

"Mother was an expert dressmaker. Before marriage she worked for Alms and Doepke Dept. Store in Cincinnati. She made all of our clothes. During the 1918 Influenza Epidemic 8 of the children had the flu. We had about recovered when mother took the flu. In two days time she was dead, leaving father with 9 children.

"A week after mother's death all of the children were placed in St. Joseph Orphanage. When I became sixteen, father took Lucille and myself home. I went to work and Lucille kept house. Each year more of the children were taken home.

"Father would come to visit us every Sunday afternoon. He voluntarily came to the orphanage every Wednesday evening to repair shoes. This also gae him an opportunity to see his children.

"Father always enjoyed having a vegetable garden. He and mother would put up the winter's supply of catsup, canned vegetables, pickles, sourkraut and preserves. Turtle soup was one of their specialties. The last place we lived was 220 Park Drive. On this property ws a grape arbor and a large cherry tree. Father enjoyed making wine from this fruit.

"Father and mother were fervent Catholics. They never missed receiving the sacraments on First Fridays. All of us would gather together for night prayer. When we were tucked into bed mother would come around and bless us with holy water. She had great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Poor Souls.

"Father was ill only a weak. He was in St. Elizabeth Hospital. We visited him on the 14th which was his birthday, and he was in good spirits. By 2:30 a.m. he had gone to God, having suffered a heart attack. Father died July 15, 1945.

"Mother was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital the afternoon of 10/14/1918. By 7:20 p.m. she had gone to God. At that time all churches and schools were closed on account of the flu. Hospitals were over-crowded and doctors were hard to get. Many people died during that epidemic.

"Mother was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame at St. John the Baptist School, Cincinnati. Father went to St. Francis of Assissi School. Bother were devoted to the Sisters of Notre Dame and the Franciscan Fathers. Apparently these are the roots of the religious vocations in later generations.

In the forward to the Beck Tree, Sr. Helen Marie Beck, S.N.D., whose baptized name was Genevieve E., was one of Bertha Brenner's children, said in the Beck Tree, which was updated as of 1/1/1990, the following:

"Henry Bernard Beck and Bertha Brenner were blessed with 9 children and all were born with good health. All of the children were born at home, as was the custom in those days.

"All of the family were rescued from the 1913 Dayton flood. We had 6 inches of water in the second floor of our home, and were without food and light for a day and a night. The rescue boat almost capsized due to the strong current. Our safety certainly was miraculous.

"In 1918 the Influenza Epidemic took many lives. Eight of us had the flu and recovered. Our dear Mother took the flu on Saturday and by Monday evening she had died. We shall never understand her death but God provided for us.

"World War II called Raymond and Henry into the Service. Both were drafted in 1940 and were not discharged until the end of 1945. Both saw action but both returned home safely.

"Four of their daughters entered the Religious life. This was a great blessing, yet each departure was felt very much by Father.

"Mother died at the age of 38 years, when her oldest child was 14 and a half years old. Father lived to be 68 years old and saw all of the family married or enter the Convent, except myself. Seven years after Father's death I entered the Order of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

"At this date, 11/1/1980, all nine children are still living. All are very much united and every year we plan a family reunion. Leonard died 11/27/1989.

^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by George Brundage.

The Beck Tree, compiled by Sister Helen Marie Beck, S.N.D on 11/1/1980. (There were a few changes made 1/1/1990.) Input was done by George Brundage in 2013 with the advice of Florence Kelble Beck.

Descendant List of Jacob Allgeyer, 8/5/2014, provided by Jack Hilbing to George Brundage, who made changes to several Beck profiles based on the information contained in this listing. These changes were input on 11/15/2014.

"United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHMR-8W3 : accessed 03 Dec 2014), Romuald Beck, Jasper, Dubois, Indiana, United States, 169; citing sheet 183C, film number 0275, NARA microfilm publication T9, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 1254275.

Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 March 2020), memorial page for Henry B Beck (unknown–15 Jul 1945), Find A Grave: Memorial #56952557, citing Calvary Cemetery, Kettering, Montgomery County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by Bonecollector (contributor 46583636) .

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Thanks to George Brundage for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by George and others.