OBIT: Cyrus M. BEACHY, 1945, native of Somerset County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library.
Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer.

Copyright 2007.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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Cyrus M. Beachy, Wichita Business Leader, Is Dead
Outstanding Citizen Many Years Dies Suddenly at His Home

  Cyrus M. Beachy, chairman of the board of directors and general manager of 
Steffen Ice & Ice Cream company, died suddenly at his home, 3751 East Douglas, 
at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, in his 83rd year.
  He had been in apparent good health until two hours before his death.
  Prominent in business circles throughout the Southwest, Mr. Beachy was well 
known in Wichita as a philanthropist and a civic leader.
  Mr. Beachy came to Wichita from Newton in 1905, where he was one of the 
founders of the Railroad Building & Loan company.  He was elected president of 
the Steffen company that year.
  Several years ago Mr. Beachy resigned the presidency in favor of John D. 
McEwen, his son-in-law, and accepted the general managership and office of 
treasurer.  He was active until the time of his death.
  He was a member of Rotary, the Wichita club and the Wichita Country Club.  He 
was active in the Wichita Chamber of Commerce.
  Besides his wife, Mr. Beachy is survived by a grandson, Owen McEwen, in the 
armed services in India; a granddaughter, Ellen McEwen, and a niece, Mary 
Purdum, all of the same address.
  Funeral services were held at the Gill mortuary Tuesday at 2 p.m.  Dr. J. 
Henry Hornung, pastor of the Plymouth Congregational Church, and Dr. Asa J. 
Ferry, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, officiated.

Native of Somerset County

  The above heading and obituary, taken from a Wichita, Kansas newspaper, 
conveys sad news for many readers of this paper, for Cyrus Milton Beachy was 
born and reared in this county and was a resident of Meyersdale during his 
youth, as was also his wife, the former Miss Annie Olinger.
  A son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Lichty) Beachy, he was born on a farm near 
Rockwood, November 12, 1862.  When he was still a mere infant his parents bought 
and moved to the William Miller farm adjoining the village of Summit Mills.  
Shortly after locating there with his family, Daniel Beachy, who had been an 
invalid for several years, passed away, leaving his widow to manage the farm and 
bring up her family alone.  Mrs. Beachy was a woman of outstanding character and 
ability and was equal to the task imposed upon her, and no children ever had a 
better mother nor better bringing up.
  Cyrus Milton was one of the youngest of her family of nine children.  Four of 
them died of diphtheria, and after her oldest son became of age and located in 
Chicago and her second son had passed away, Mother Beachy sold the farm to the 
late Andrew Rishel and with her two surviving daughters, Elizabeth and Annie, 
and son Cyrus, who was then 17 years old, moved to Meyersdale and established a 
home on Meyers Ave.
  After moving to town, Cyrus Beachy had the benefit of going to school for a 
term or two under the tutorship of Prof. John D. Meese.  He next went one year 
to Ashland College, Ashland, Ohio, and then finished a three-years course in 
Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.
  At the close of his college career he entered the bank of Whipkey & Lichty, in 
1886, at Carleton, Neb., to learn the rudiments of the banking business.

Successful Business Career

  On April 18, 1887, he established a bank of his own at Wilsey, Kan., and while 
located there returned to Meyersdale to take unto himself a wife in the person 
of Miss Annie Olinger, eldest daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John M. Olinger.
  A few years after his marriage he closed his bank at Wilsey and entered into 
partnership with his brother-in-law, the late John B. Olinger, in the banking 
business and other business enterprises in Newton, Kansas, where he became 
prosperous, and moved to Wichita in 1905, to engage in the ice and ice cream and 
dairy business on a large scale during the remainder of his life.
  The Steffins company of which he was president and general manager for nearly 
40 years, under his management developed into one of the largest and most 
prosperous business institutions in the State of Kansas, with a number of 
manufacturing plants in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
  He served one term in the Kansas legislature and declined re-election.  
Although he could have gone far in politics, he eschewed office-holding, but 
always took a keen interest in politics and good government.
  He was a very genial, kindly gentleman, and philanthropic citizen, who 
charities were administered without ostentation, but many were the worthy causes 
that benefitted by his generosity.

Devoted to Family and Friends

  He was very devoted to his family and friends and his many faithful employees 
whom he always treated with the utmost fairness and generosity.
  His family life was very happy and he and Mrs. Beachy were frequent visitors 
to their relatives in Pennsylvania during all the years they lived in the West.
  He was the last survivor of his family, his eldest sister, the late Mrs. Jacob 
M. Musser of Berlin, who died a few years ago, being the last, of the Daniel 
Beachy family to pass away before his death.  As long as his mother and sister 
lived, he came east frequently to visit them and his wife's relatives, the 
Olinger family survivors here.
  Among his surviving relatives are the following nephews and nieces:  D. Jay 
Musser, Mrs. Ruth M. Shultz, and Mrs. Mary M. Werner, Berlin; Mrs. Maude M. 
Showman, Pittsburgh; and Earl B. Musser, Kansas City, Mo.

Active Until His Last Days

  The cause of Mr. Beachy's death was a blood clot in the heart.  He had been 
ill only a few hours.
  His death coming so soon after that of Mr. and Mrs. Beachy's only daughter, 
Mrs. Bernice McEwen, a few weeks ago, makes the bereavement of the remaining 
next of kin doubly sad.
  As late as last Saturday Mr. Beachy was in his office attending to business 
and sent a telegram to his sisters-in-law, Mrs. Mary O. Cook and Miss Kate 
Olinger, here, informing them he was trying to secure train reservations for 
them from Chicago to Wichita, so they could come to visit him and their sister, 
Mrs. Beachy.  They had already secured reservations from Meyersdale to Chicago, 
but had not succeeded in getting any from there to Wichita.  They expect to 
leave for Wichita as soon as they can secure reservations for the entire trip.

Meyersdale Republican, February 22, 1945