Smyrna times., 1931-09-02
DEATH RECORD OF WEEK
Mrs. Joseph l.. Beckett, One of
Smyrna's Best Known Women,
Dies i'm Germantown, Pa.


ett, a prominent carriage manufac-
turer, passed to her eternal rest
Sunday afternoon at the home of
her daughter, Mrs. Frank S. Bus
ser in Germantown. The sad in
telligence of her death, while ex-
pected, was nevertheless received
with regret by her circle of friends
to whom she had endeared herself
by her exemplary character and
her constant and lovable devotion.
Last spring Mrs. Beckett despite
her advanced years went to a Phil
adelphia hospital to be operated
upon with the hope of better
health. She withstood the ordeal
wonderfully and after leaving the
hospital went to the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Busser, to recuper-
ate. The operation, while it prob
ably prolonged her life, did not eff
feet the cure hoped for. Recently
a change for the worse took place
and despite medical attention she
lost ground steadily until the end
came peacefully on Sunday. Mrs.
Beckett was daughter of the late
/ Joseph Wilson and Sarah (Wise)
Mariner of Millsboro, this State
and had spent her whole life in
Smyrna since she was four years
of age. She married in early life
Joseph L. Beckett well-known
carriage manufacturer and was his
constant help-mate until his death
March "a, 1915. Since then she
has been residing in the old home,
always dispensing a cordial hospi-
tality and eliciting an interest in
all that was best for the commun-
ity in which she lived. Her devo-
ton to her children and grandchil-
dren was ever sweet and abiding,
a home circle exemplary and beau
tiful. She was a member Of AS
bury Methodist Episcopal Church
of this town and was a constant
and faithful attendant as long as
her health would permit. She was
also member Of the Century Club,
Kings Daughters, Red Cross and
w. @. t. u. Mrs. Beckett is sur
vived by five children and num-
Der of grandchildren as follows:
Mrs. Frank S. Busser and Mrs.
James H. Sitter Jr., Germantown,
Pa, Miss Anna Bell Beckett, ,Smyr
ma, Joseph Mariner Beckett, Wood
bury Heights, New Jersey; Gard
ner Wise Beckett. Jacksonville,
Florida The grandchildren are:
Mrs. Wallace S. Martindale, Jr.,
Germantown, Joseph NJ. Beckett,
Jr., Miss Dorothy Beckett, Wood
bury Heights, Mrs. John g. Wilcox,
Pitman, New Jersey, Miss Mar
guerite Elizabeth Sitter, German
town, and Gardner Wise Beckett,
Jr., Jacksonville, Florida. ,F'uner-
services were held yesterday after
noon at 2 o'clock at her late resi-
dence with interment in the family
lot in Odd Fellows cemetery. In
the absence of the pastor Of AS
bury Church, the Rev. Essell =.
Thomas, the services were in
charge Of Rev. DR.. r. K. Stephen
son, a former pastor, now residing
in Smyrna. There was an abund-
ant expression of floral tributes
and DR.. Stephenson paid a beauti-
full eulogy on the life Of the de-
ceased.
Isaac Janvier Woods, iiiddletown
Isaac Janvier Woods, aged 68,
well known citizen of Middletown
and president of the society Of
Friends of Old Drawers, died Sun
day after lingering illness. For
years Mr.. Woods had been farm
agent, supervising the work on
about 16 large farms in that sec
tion. He was readily identified in
lodge circles of the town, having
been a member of the Order of
United American Mechanics and of
the Middletown Rotary Club, of
which he was president. His wife,
Mrs. Kate Woods, survives. A
niece, Miss Elizabeth Clayton, also
survives, as do two sister-in-laws,
Mrs. Edgar Clayton and Mrs. Lydia
Eliason, all of Middletown. The
funeral took place from the home
at 1.3O o'clock this Wednesday af-
ternoon. Burial will be in Old
Drawers cemetery, Odessa.
Miss Catherine Downs of Dover
Miss Catherine A. Downs, aged
40 years, of Philadelphia, died
while visiting her mother, Mrs.
Kate Downs, at Dover, on Satur-
day. Miss Downs, who is employ
ed in Philadelphia, had been with
her mother at Dover for the past
few weeks. She formerly lived in