Wesley C. Beachner

  General Notes:

Memories of Wesley from Randy Beachner:

He referred to Wesley as a very wonderful fellow. Wesley was excellent with his hands. He was good at playing banjo and was very skilled at laying wood floors and making wooden cases. He remembers that Catherine, "Kitty", left Wesley when there was little work for Wesley. He also remembers that Kitty was tough on the kids.

Memories of Wesley from Kathi Beachner McDonnell:

Kathi remembers being told that Wesley would travel looking for work during the depression.

Wesley's timeline:

1891: Wesley was born on either November 25th or November 29th. His WWI draft registration card indicates the 25th and his death certificate indicates the 29th.

1900 US Census: Living with parents and brothers at 149 Alphonse St., Rochester, NY. Listed "At School"

1910 US Census: Living with parents and brothers at 415 Alphonse St., Rochester, NY. Listed as a pattern maker for shoe patterns.

1914 Rochester, NY Directory: Beachner, Wesley C. casemaker 12 Caledonia bds 415 Alphonse

1915 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley C. casemaker 12 Caledonia Ave (near Poco) bds. 415 Alphonse

1916 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley C. (Katherine) casemaker h. 415 Alphonse

1917 same

1917 World War I Draft Registration Card:
Name: Welsey C. Beachner
Home Address: 415 Alphonse St. Rochester, NY
DOB: Nov. 25, 1891, Rochester, NY
Present Occupation: Leather Worker at Eastman Kodak, Caladonia Ave.
Married, one child
Description: Tall, slim, grey eyes, brown hair, not bald
Date of Registration: June 1917

1920 US Census: Living at 67 Clairmont St., Rochester, NY with wife Catherine, daughter June, & son Harvey. Listed as a Casemaker at Eastman

1920-21 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley C. (Katherine) casemaker h. 67 Clairmont

1922-23 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley C. (Katherine) casemaker h. 415 Alphonse

1924 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley C. (Katherine) floorlayer 47 East Ave. h. 415 Alphonse (Note: brother Roland is also a floorlayer at same address)

1925 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley C. (Katherine) floorlayer 42 East Ave. rm 126 h. @ Sea Breeze

1927-1928 Roch, NY Dir: same

1928-1929 same

1929-1930 same

1930 US Census: Owns 155 White St, Irondequoit, NY. Living with wife Catherine, daughter June, & son Harvey. Listed as a House Carpenter. Home worth $2500.

1930-1931 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley C. (Katherine) floorlayer 43 East Ave h. @ Sea Breeze

1931-1934 No Wesley in Rochester

1935 Roch, NY Dir: Beachner, Wesley tile layer r. 130 Franklin Sq.

Wesley must have moved to Florida sometime after 1935. According to Wesley's death certificate his usual residence prior to hosital admission was Dade County, Florida.

15 June 1946: Admitted to Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, Florida. Information on his admission card from the hospital states that he was age 54, weighed 117 lbs, was 5'8" tall, and had blue eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. His occupation was a Floor Layer. Civil condition listed as separated. His religion - Protestant. Son and daughter listed on the card are Harvey R. Beachner of 210 Chile Ave, Rochester, NY and Catherine Beachner of 38 Hillendale St., Rochester, NY (Not sure why Catherine was listed as a daughter - maybe a mistake or intentional?)

26 June 1946: Committed to Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, Florida. Per his Inquistion of Incompetency papers from the Court of Gadsden County, Florida, Wesley was found to be incompetent by reason of mental incompetency (Psychosis with cerebral arteriosclerosis). The papers say that Wesley was experiencing hallucinations where he was seeing and conversing with his deceased mother and that his propensities are confused, worried, and anxious. Members of his family mentioned are June Heck, daughter residing at 38 Hillendale St, Catherine Beachner, separated wife residing at 38 Hillendale St, Rochester, NY and Harvey R. Beachner, son residing at 210 Chili Gates Town Line Road, Rochester, NY.

Info on Wesley Beachner's Death Certificate (Florida, #17231):


Date of Death - 2 Aug 1950, 5:40 p.m.
Place of Death - Florida State Hospital, Chattohoochee
Attending Doctor - Dr. William DeWitt Rogers
Time at hospital - 4 yrs, 1 mo, 18 days
Marriage - Separated
Date of Birth - 29 Nov 1891
Informant - Doris Hill
Cause of Death - Acute Cardiac Failure
Other medical conditions - Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease with Decompensation, Arrested Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and Psychosis with Cerebral Arteriosclerosis

According to a movie "Chattahoochee" and a separate book "Insanity: Inside Out" the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, FL was one of many in the US that severely abused mental patients. It is sad to know that Wesley was probably one of many who suffered from abuse in institutions like this.

Wesley married Catherine L. Englert, daughter of August M Englert and Caroline M. Blohm, in 1915. (Catherine L. Englert was born on 10 Jul 1893 in Kentucky,⁶ died on 9 Jun 1981 in Lakeshore Nursing Home, 425 Beach Ave., Rochester, Monroe, NY ⁶ and was buried on 10 Jun 1981 in Plot 1113, Section V-2, Riverside Cemetary, Rochester, MonroeNY ⁶.)