Rev. James M. Beeson

Hanover—Rev. James M. Beeson, 93, entered the presence of his Lord and Savior Thursday, March 29, 2012. He was the husband of Joyce L. (Lehmann) Beeson to whom he was married for 67 years. A Celebration of Life Service will be 11 AM, Monday, April 9, 2012 at Calvary Baptist Church, 2740 Roosevelt Ave, York, with the Rev. Gregory Wahlberg officiating. A visitation will be held from 10-11 AM, Monday, at the church. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc, 1551 Kenneth Rd, York is in charge of arrangements. Born November 5, 1918 in Wilmington, Delaware, he was a son of late George W. and Helen I. (Beugless) Beeson. A United States Army Veteran of World War II, he began his military service with enlistment in 1940. Following his training in Officer Candidate School, he was assigned with the First Cavalry Division serving as 2nd Lieutenant. While serving with the First Cavalry Division on Luzon, Lieut. Beeson was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Philippines. The citation reads in part, “For 5 days Lieut. Beeson led his patrol through enemy held positions, traveling through nearly impassable mountains and taking up an observation post under the very noses of the enemy, all under the constant threat of discovery. The aggressiveness, superior leadership and personal bravery of this officer resulted in securing information vital to future operations in this section.” He was honorably discharged 1945. A few years after his discharge from the United States Army, he became a small business owner operating a general store in New Britain until 1956. From 1957-1960 he studied at Philadelphia College of the Bible. He was officially ordained by the Independent Baptist Board on December 10, 1965 while serving the Community Baptist Church in Gorham, NH. Rev. Beeson served several churches from 1961- 1982, in New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and New York. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in York and enjoyed wood working, vegetable and flower gardening and liked the outdoors. As a youth he rode horses and had a job as a stablehand in Wilmington, DE. In addition to his wife, Rev. Beeson is also survived by a son, Leonard J. Beeson of Street, MD; a daughter, Charlotte B. Burkhardt of Hanover and two grandchildren, Amy & Alex Burkhardt. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 2740 Roosevelt Ave, York, Pa 17408 or Hanover VNA Hospice, 440 Madison St., Hanover, Pa 17331.