BEECHER, Mary E. (1907-1995)

BEECHER

Posted By: Mary E Boyer (email)
Date: 2/19/2007 at 06:59:43

BEECHER, Mary Evelyn (1907 - 1995)

MARY BEECHER

Graveside services for Mary Evelyn BEECHER, 88, of Tempe, Ariz., and formerly of Traer, will be held Friday, July 21, 1995, at 2 p.m. at Buckingham Cemetery, rural Traer. There will be no visitation.

She died Saturday, July 15, 1995, in Tempe, Ariz., following a short illness.

Mary Evelyn BEECHER was born in Traer, Iowa, March 3, 1907, the oldest of three daughters of William and Nellie (HARRISON) BEECHER. She graduated from Traer High School with a normal training certificate and taught several years in rural area schools. She attended summer sessions at Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls until she received her B. A. Degree.

After teaching in the Dumont and Vinton, Iowa, schools, Mary returned to Traer to keep house for her father and sister following her mother’s death. Later, she secured a position in the Traer Schools where she taught for many years.

At the request of the University of Iowa, she was invited to prepare a geography curriculum to present on television for the Iowa school classrooms. While at the University she received her Masters Degree.

In 1957 Mary and her father moved to Tempe, Ariz. She worked in the cataloging department of Arizona State University and later took library science courses in Denver, Colo. Later Mary was in charge of making an index of the Solar Energy Collection at Arizona State University until her retirement in February of 1977.

Following the death of Mary’s father, she opened her home to a number of Vietnamese college students. She enjoyed having people come to her home and enjoyed camping and was familiar with many of the wilderness areas of Arizona. She loved the desert and enjoyed sharing her knowledge of its birds, trees and scrubs.

Mary was an active member of the First Congregational Church of Tempe and served on its diaconate board and Margaret Circle. She was also a member of Gamma Theta Upsilon, professional geography fraternity and the Eastern Star.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by one sister.

Mary is survived by a sister, Ruth BOETTCHER of Grinnell, Iowa, and other relatives and friends.