Transcribed by Mary Ann Kaylor

Page 1208:

David S. Beeler is devoting his energies to horticultural and agricultural pursuits on section 4, Springfield township, where he owns a well improved and valuable farm pleasantly located five miles from the city of Springfield. He is also numbered among the early settlers of Sangamon county, dating his residence here from the 20th of June,1857. Mr. Beeler is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Wooster, Wayne county, on Christmas day of 1854. His father, John Beeler, was born in Chester county and they removed to Ohio, living in Wayne county for about three years. In 1857 they came to Springfield, but later Mr. Beeler located on a farm and engaged in market gardening.

David S. Beeler was reared in this county and to its common-school system he is indebted for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He remained with his father until twenty-six years of age, when he started out in business on his own account and he, too, began raising vegetables for the city market in connection with general farming. Later he embarked in the dairy business, which he carried on for four years. In the fall of 1901 he purchased the place where he now resides, taking up his abode thereon in the spring of 1902. Here he has a valuable fruit farm with forty acres planted to a great variety of apples. He also has a great variety of plums, pears and small fruits and, in fact, his is one of the valuable fruit farms of this portion of the state. His business affairs have been capably managed and he is now one of the successful and enterprising horticulturists of Sangamon county.

On the 30th of December, 1880, in this county, Mr. Beeler was united in marriage to Miss Mary Frances Woodruff, a daughter of William Woodruff, an agriculturist of Springfield township. She was born here and spent her girlhood days on her parents' home, while in the public school of the neighborhood she obtained her education. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Beeler were born seven children, of whom five are yet living: Gertrude, Ralph W., Florence Edith, Alice L. and Susan Margaret. One daughter, Frances May, died at the age of four years and Mary Elizabeth died in infancy.

Politically Mr. Beeler is a stanch Republican and supports the men and measures of that party. He has never sought or desired office, but has firm faith in Republican principles and in the capacity of a private citizen does all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of the party in which he believes. He is now serving as president of the school board. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Beeler was reared in its faith and contributes to its support. He has lived in Sangamon county for forty-seven years, during which time many changes have occurred promoting the material, social, intellectual and moral welfare of the people. He has always been interested in whatever has pertained to the general progress and his well known in Springfield and the count as a man of integrity and worth, well deserving of representation in this volume.