Hugh F. Beckwith

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Hugh Floyd Beckwith’s life of almost 92 years could be described as one of utmost integrity. On the morning of May 23, 2024, that old dirt farmer, as he described himself, quietly and gently slipped away from our arms of love around him and into the arms of his newly found Savior, JESUS CHRIST. After his last breath, those gathered around him offered prayers and sang “I’ll

Fly Away.”

Hugh entered this world August 31, 1932, at home in Orwell Township, the oldest of six born to Glenn and Marion Tyrrell Beckwith. As subsequent sons entered the world, some began to nickname him Boss, others Sonny. He always said he was called Boss because he bossed his brothers around.  It didn’t take long for that dirt farmer identity to begin to take root. Even before he could reach the foot controls, his Dad had him on the tractor, hand-cranking to start it, and off Sonny would

go, working the fields, holding onto the fenders and standing up when he needed to stop. But through his growing-up years, he also knew how to have fun. He and his siblings would build various contraptions meant to “GO,” using bits and pieces of this and that they managed to scrounge up. The old farm horse was never a willing participant in testing out these latest

innovations; he was determined to get back to the refuge of the barn, one way or the other!

This spirit of learning to make something out of discards served Hugh well along the way. When he got an idea in his head, he and good friends, Claude and Karl Bradley and later Brian Edwards, would brainstorm until they found a way to bring it to fruition. His doodle bug made from a 1949 International was one of those brainstorms attracting admiration from family,

friends and passersby, until Hugh eventually sold it to David Powell.

Attending Windham Elementary School in his early years and telling the story of a disciplinary encounter with teacher Maude Snyder, Hugh insisted to the very end that he was innocent of the charges! He then went on to Rome High School where he graduated in 1950. While there, he attended a shop class where they built a doodle bug and also was in the home economics class with Mrs. Holmes. The highlight of that class was preparing a spaghetti dinner for parents, and Hugh always made a point of telling others that you had to simmer the sauce “all day” to get a really good spaghetti sauce!

During WWII when the Japanese cut off America’s access to Java plantations where kapok, a fiber used as filler in life jackets, was grown, it was imperative for the U. S. to find an alternate material. After undergoing rigorous testing, the U. S. Navy discovered that milkweed floss could keep a downed aviator or sailor afloat for more than 40 hours. Too young to serve but wanting to do his part, Hugh responded to the call in 1942 of “two bags save one life” and helped gather lowly milkweed pods, They were then bagged and shipped out to be used in making life preserver jackets.  Hugh jokingly told of how he blamed his mother for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting shot while in high school. His mom wouldn’t let him play hooky from school and go deer hunting. At the foot of the hill from their home that intersected with SR 187, Hugh and his

siblings and other neighborhood children were dropped off by one bus to wait for another bus to pick them up and complete their journey home. While waiting, the students heard a gunshot from Peck Hill. The next thing they heard was a bullet ricocheting off the rocks in the adjacent creek. One of the Sampson girls questioned Hugh as to what was on the back of his red wool, plaid jacket. Not thinking there should be anything, Hugh pulled his jacket forward to discover shredded paper. Upon further investigation, he reasoned that the stray bullet went through one of his textbooks, gathering a wad of paper, and then proceeded through his left side and exiting out the other side and through his jacket. Not having felt anything and feeling as though he fared quite well, he told his friends not to tell bus driver Sarah Horton what had happened until they reached his home. State police and game wardens, along with some very eager and helpful kids, never found the bullet.

Having purchased his first vehicle, a 1947 Chevy Business Coupe, Hugh followed in his brother in-law Harold Simons’ footsteps, venturing outside Bradford County where he worked at the Walker-Gordon Dairy Farm and Laboratory in Plainsboro, New Jersey. Although he was there less than a year, his experience left an indelible mark on him and one of his favorite stories to relive.  (It was the only time he reported falling asleep on the job!) He and some of his friends/co-workers were riding the bus one day in front of Princeton University, and he swore that they saw Albert Einstein walking on the sidewalk in front of the university (he did have a stand-out haircut!).

Returning to Bradford County to begin farming and get married, in that order, Hugh entered into a share crop arrangement with Henry Schmieder, horticulture professor at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown and owner of the farm on Struble Road in Litchfield Township. This is where Hugh brought his new bride, high school sweetheart Dolores Mary Simons, after their

marriage June 28, 1952, at the Windham Center Community Church. For his 83rd birthday, friends Pastor Rich and Kathy Vieldhouse, took Hugh on a road trip to tour the Henry Schmieder Arboretum as well as other points of interest.

Hugh and Dolores started a family early on with their two sons, Joe and Tom, arriving first and their two daughters, Julia and Kathleen after. In 1961 they purchased a farm near his parents, and Hugh began farming in partnership with his Dad before beginning work at the Grand Union Warehouse in Waverly, New York, until the facility closed in 1987, having served there for 22

years. He worked for six months at IBM in Owego and was there during the time the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. Everyone was on pins and needles waiting to find out the cause of the tragedy, hoping it had nothing to do with parts supplied by IBM. It didn’t.

Hugh always felt that where there was a will, there was a way. Always just scraping by financially, Hugh got creative in finding ways to make money. He cut and sold locust fence posts; cut and sold firewood until he was 83, even delivering and stacking it; cut out ash tree blanks that he hauled to Larimer & Norton in Troy to have made into Louisville Slugger baseball bats; hauled wood to the Monroeton handle factory; baled hay to sell; and raised Herefords. When once asked why he didn’t charge more for his firewood, Hugh’s response was, “I only charge what I would be willing to pay.”  He took great pride in keeping his expanding lawn both mowed and trimmed, slowly, methodically and proudly keeping his 1974 John Deere riding mower, given to him by his son Tom decades earlier, going as long as possible. On his 90th birthday, he could be seen outdoors still mowing for the better part of a day, only taking a break to come in for a bite to eat before returning to the task at hand. During 1969/70 winter, he undertook the monumental task of building a camper to go onto his new 1970 Ford pickup truck. Having completed it and without any jacks, the family lifted that camper onto the truck and embarked on a trip out West to visit Hugh’s brother, Bob, and his family in Longmont, Colorado. Along the way there and back, stops were made at Custer’s Battlefield, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful (Old Faceful as Hugh dubbed it), the Badlands of South Dakota, and Mount Rushmore. That camper continued to offer many pleasurable trips for Hugh and Dolores as the years went by.

In the 1980s, Hugh served on a murder trial in Bradford County where he and the other jurors were sequestered for what seemed like an eternity. His request to be excused was denied. Being the first juror called and, therefore, the one sequestered the longest at the Towanda Motel, the only bright side of that experience was the weekend trips the jurors went on. Hugh lived his life with the goal that he would do his best to treat others the way he wished to be treated. He was a man who worked hard and didn’t expect handouts. He took his responsibility to care for and protect his family very seriously. He was an incredibly self-disciplined man in virtually all areas of his life. His high moral standards and work ethic earned him respect among

family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

Surviving Hugh are his children, Joseph (Alyce) Beckwith; Thomas (Deanna Patton) Beckwith; Julia (Frank) Ripa; 16 grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Scot (Judy) Miller, Angel Miller, Starr Walters, William Hagadorn, Velvet (Bill King) Beckwith, Luke (Jessica) Beckwith, Joshua (Lindsey) Patton, Kristina Patton, Jennifer (Adam) Morkert, Jeremiah Nelson, Mark (Ruthy Siebert) Nelson, Justin McNeal, Samuel Ripa, Joseph (Lisa) Garra, Christine Lancey, Roxanne Joniec; 26 great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, Scot Miller II, Brianna Miller Hine, Cody Miller, Ryan Walters, Skylar Walters, Dayla Walters, Sadie Segur, Jessica Olson, Nathan Olson, Riley Nelson, Cameron Nelson, Steven Nelson, Alicia Nelson, Tyler Nelson, Madison Garra, Allison Garra, Kammison Garra, Emerson Garra, Jonah Beckwith, Ayriana Patton, Hayden Patton, Autumn Fuller, Alicia Sprague, Karleigh Joniec, Adrianna Joniec and John Cameron; seven step-great-great-grandchildren, Ryan Miller, Adley Miller, Oaklen Miller, Caroline Hine, Robert Hine, Lily Cronier and Kaleigh Sprague; brothers and sisters-in-law, Robert and Emma Beckwith, Philip and Pat Beckwith, Brian Beckwith (Jan Richardson), June Beckwith, and Elmer and Mary Folk; brother-in-law David (Carol) Simons; aunt Sarah Tyrrell; as well as numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.

He was predeceased by his wife (d. May 20, 2015); daughter, Kathleen Garra (d. February 22, 2022); son-in-law, George Garra (d. May 10, 2018); and great-grandson, Levi Beckwith (d. April 20, 2017) and youngest brother, Michael (d. April 30, 2023)

The family would like to thank Guthrie Hospice for the love, care and respect they gave Hugh, as well as thanks to family, friends and neighbors who visited, called, shared memories, and listened to Hugh’s stories these past two months. You gave Hugh a very special send-off with your love. And thank you to everyone who responded to the call for some country music for

Hugh’s pleasure, and special gifts from nephew Josh Simons.

A Celebration of Hugh’s Life will take place Wednesday, July 24, at Sutfin Funeral Chapel, Nichols, with Pastor Richard Vieldhouse officiating.  A period of visitation will be from 11 am until 1 pm, with the service immediately following.  Memories and condolences may be shared by visiting his guestbook at www.sutfinfuneralachapel.com  Hugh was laid to rest privately in the Darling Cemetery.   Those who wish may kindly consider a memorial contribution to the  Orwell Bible Church, 1749 Orwell Hill Rd, Rome, PA 18837;  Guthrie Hospice, 421 Tomahawk Rd, Towanda, PA 18848 or  Northeast Bradford FFA, 526 Panther Lane, Rome, PA 18837 in loving memory of Hugh F. Beckwith.