Obituary
The Bethlehem Globe
June 7, 1880
Charles Frederick Beckel
Kindly submitted: Lea Nissley
It becomes our sad
duty to chronicle the death of one of Bethlehem’s venerable and
honored citizens. Last evening at 9:15 o’clock, at the family
residence on Cedar Street, Charles F. Beckel, while sitting in
his easy chair, in the presence of his aged wife, suddenly
leaned forward, gave symptoms of apparent dissolution, and
before all members of the household could be summoned, he calmly
breathed his last, aged 79 years and 21 days.
Our venerable friend was born in
Bethlehem on May 16, 1801. His parents were the late George
Frederick and Anna Maria Beckel. His father was a stocking
weaver by trade. While still very young he was apprenticed to J.
Samuel Krause to learn watchmaking, where he continued to work
until Mr. Krause’s death, when he finished his years of
apprenticeship with the late Jedediah Weiss. It was in those
years of apprenticeship that the great and life-long friendship
originated between these two of Bethlehem’s most eminent
musicians. On the 19th of August, in the year 1823, he led to
that altar Miss Charlotte F. Brown, at that time a teacher in
the Young Ladies’ Seminary. The officiating clergyman was Rev.
Chas. F. Seidel. After the wedding, the young couple removed to
Doylestown, Bucks County, where they resided for about 16
months, Mr. Beckel continuing in the watchmaking business. In
the year 1825 Mr. and Mrs. Beckel returned to Bethlehem, and
continued to live there ever since. In connection with the
watchmaking business, Mr. Beckel came into possession of the
foundry. This was in the year 1826, when was established the
first furnace for the melting of iron in Eastern Pennsylvania.
The foundry has been in operation, under the direct
superintendence of Mr. Beckel, since the above mentioned year.
Mr. Beckel, outside of his eminent musical services, served the
Moravian Church as a member of the board of trustees, and for at
least 30 years served as secretary of said board, up to the time
of his death. He also held the secretaryship of the Beneficial
Society of Bethlehem for many years, up to the time of his
death. He represented his constituents in town council as a
member of that body during the years 1854, ‘55 and ‘56. In the
year 1864 he was elected to serve as burgess, and presided in
that capacity over town council for six successive years,
declining a reelection in the year 1870. As a musician, Mr.
Beckel was widely known and celebrated for his practical
knowledge of the divine art, which he loved so well, and to
which he gave so much attention. We cannot in this brief sketch
of a long and useful life give as extended a notice of his
musical life as we should like to. Mr. Beckel was a member of
the choir of trombonists which served the Moravian congregation,
and which was organized in the year 1871. The quartette then
consisted of Jedediah Weiss, C.F. Beckel, Timothy Weiss and
Jacob C. Till. The members of that celebrated quartette have all
been called home, save one, Mr. Till, who at present resides at
Easton. Mr. Beckel filled the part of post of alto trombonist
uninterruptedly for over 50 years, together with Jedediah Weiss
and Jacob C. Till, celebrating his jubilee in this branch of the
Church service on Easter morning of 1867. During all this time
he was first violinist in the Philharmonic Society, and a great
part of the time also leader of that musical organization. He
was one of the nost active members of the society, his untiring
interest in music- often putting to shame younger and less
zealous members. Mr. Beckel was teacher of the first brass band
which was organized in Bethlehem in the days when sax-horns or
cornets displaced the old style of military instruments, a medly
of clarinets, hautbois, flutes, trumpets, Franch horns and
trombones. Mr. Beckel was also an excellent vocalist, and
rendered long and faithful services as a member of the Moravian
Choir. On the 19th of August, 1878, Mr. and Mrs. Beckel were
permitted to celebrate their golden wedding, which interesting
event was observed in an appropriate manner by the members of
the family. Mr. Beckel possessed a happy frame of mind. In
seasons of prosperity or adversity he remained the same genial
gentleman, and continued to superintend personally the work at
the foundry up to last Saturday, when he returned from his work
as usual. He complained of feeling somewhat unwell during
yesterday, but there appeared no occasion for alarm, as he
frequently, within the past year, had slight attacks of illness,
but always rapidly recovered. His sudden death is attributed to
an affection of the heart. At the time of his death he was, we
believe, the oldest resident born in Bethlehem. He leaves,
besides his aged widow, four children- Louis F. Beckel, Charles
N. Beckel, George M. Beckel and Rosalie T. Beckel, ten
grandchildren and two great grandchildren. A kind and
affectionate husband and father, a quiet, unassuming and good
citizen has been called home to eternal rest. In the decease of
Mr. Beckel another link binding the past generation with the
present has been broken. His memory will long be cherished by
those who had known him long and well.
