MCELROY Elizabeth "Betty" (nee Minges). Beloved wife of the late Glenn McElroy. Loving sister of George (Joan) Minges and the late Richard Minges, Mary Radcliffe and Catherine Baltov. Also survived by several nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews. Age 87, residence West Chester, OH formerly Harrison, OH; April 22, 2007. Visitation Friday, April 27, 2007; 11 A.M. followed by services at 12 Noon at Jackman Kercheval Meyers Funeral Home in Harrison, OH. Memorials are suggested to WHHHS Scholarship Fund
(Cincinnati Enquirer 24 Apr 2007)

******************************************************************
1. Michael Betscher  (1793-1861)
   2. Amand Betscher  (1831-1913)
      3. Frances Betscher-Minges  (1864-1941)
         4. George J. Minges  (1894-1976)
            5. Elizabeth Minges  (1919-2007)
******************************************************************

BEARD Dorothy I. (nee Betscher) wife of the late William H. Beard, beloved mother of Nancy (the late Marvin) Kegler and Gerald (Lisa) Roberts, also survived by four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. February 14, 2007. Age 93 years. Residence Mishawaka, IN, formerly of Amelia, OH. Service at T. P. White & Sons Funeral Home 2050 Beechmont Ave. Mt. Washington on Monday, February 19, at 2 P.M. Friends may visit on Monday from 1-2 P.M.
                                                            (Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Feb 2007)

****************************************************************************
1. Michael Betscher   (1793-1861)
   2. John Betscher  (1827-1903)
      3. Charles E. Betscher  (1857-1941)
         4. Wilbur E. Betscher  (1889-1955)
            5. Dorothy I. Betscher-Roberts-Beard  (1913-2007)
****************************************************************************

Hamilton County Oh Archives Biographies.....Betscher, Joseph August 1874

Joseph August Betscher. The career of Joseph August Betcher has been
characterized by unfaltering energy, progressive methods and reliability in
trade transactions so that today he is recognized as one of Hamilton county's leading agriculturists. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 2, 1874, a son of Amand and Caroline (Braun) Betscher, both of whom were natives of Baden, Germany. Amand Betscher came to the United States at the age of fourteen and located with his father, Michael Betscher, in Dry Ridge, Hamilton county. Here, after completing his studies, he engaged in agriculture, at which he continued throughout the rest of his life, with the exception of a few years he spent in Cincinnati, when he engaged in the coal business. Mr. and Mrs. Betscher were the parents of these children; Louisa, deceased; Frank, who resides in North Bend, Ohio; Caroline, deceased; Amand, Jr., deceased; Emil, deceased; Frances, who is the widow of George Minges, of Crosby township; Anna, deceased; Bernard, deceased and Joseph August, whose name is the caption of this article. He obtained his early education in the public and parochial schools of Cincinnati, Ohio, and then began farming in company with his father. He continued in this until he reached the age of twenty-six and then engaged in agriculture for himself. In 1912, he purchased the present fine farm of eighty-two acres in Whitewater township, and is at present engaged there in general farming. In politics, Mr. Betscher is an Independent, and holds allegiance to no party. He is a member of the St. John's Catholic church, at Harrison, and the Catholic Knights of America and the Grange. Mr. Betscher married, October 24, 1899, Miss Ludwina Miller, a daughter of Anton and Ludwina (Steiner) Miller, of Harrison township. Anton Miller was born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to this country in 1860. He soon after, enlisted in the Ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company F, as sergeant and served from 1861 to 1863 when he was discharged on account of wounds received in battle. Upon returning from the war, Mr. Miller became a cooper and saddle tree maker, which occupation he followed for a time. Later he engaged in agriculture in Harrison township, where he continued until his demise, which occurred July 12, 1914. Mrs. Miller now resides.at Harrison, Ohio. In politics, Mr. Miller was a Republican, and held the office of township trustee for some years. He was also a member of the St. John's Catholic church of Harrison and the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. and Mrs. Betscher have been the parents of the following children: Alfred, Frances, Paul, George and Richard, at home; Helen and Charles, at home, and Herbert, deceased. In concluding this review of Mr. Betscher's life, we may say that he is a man of strict integrity and sterling worth and he commands the confidence of those with whom he is brought in contact and is certainly worthy of a place in the history of the Miami valley.

                                                                                   Author: John C Hover, et.al.
(Posted with permission of Ann Anderson.........................
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson ann.g.anderson@gmail.com October 14, 2005, 6:21 am)

*************************************************************
1.  Michael Betscher  (1793-1861)
   2.  Amand Betscher  (1831-1913)
      3. Joseph August Betscher  (1874-1947)
*************************************************************

This Coment was submitted to the previous posting for Earl "Bob" Betscher:

Rupert Pratt	Dec 23, 06
Hi, I am the author of the book "Touching the Ancient One," for which you posted information on your site. I'm one of six survivors of the crash that took the life of pilot Earl "Bob" Betscher. Your readers might be interesting in visiting my web site at: http://touchingancientone.squarespace.com/. There are many photographs there that do not appear in my book. Earl Betscher's son, Keith, has a significant presence in "Touching the Ancient One."

I found this posting on the Internet today, and it may be of interest to some of you Betscher readers (See previous posting, entitled "Earl L. Betscher"dated 16 Aug 2004):

             This concerns the C-47 Air Force plane crash in Alaska on 5 Feb 1954

                                    when Earl L. (Bob) Betscher was killed:

Touching the Ancient One: A True Story of Tragedy and Reunion 

By Rupert Pratt

On February 5, 1954, an Air Force C-47 broke apart over the Susitna Valley of South Central Alaska and fell onto Kesugi Ridge. Six miraculously escaped, survived bone-chilling cold, and were rescued through the efforts of pilots Cliff Hudson and Don Sheldon. Unacquainted with one another before the accident, the Air Force men bonded in the hospital. Forty-two years later, the survivors and their families, the families of the victims, and rescuers came together for a reunion in Dayton, Ohio. It was a meeting that would change their lives. This is a true story, told by one of the survivors. Rupert Pratt's book celebrates life and friendship— themes set appropriately against the backdrop of Kesugi, "The Ancient One."

Published 2006 Rupert Pratt

Biography/Autobiography

392 Pages

ISBN 1587365812

                Here is an excerpt from the book, which related to

                                     Earl “Bob” Betscher                       

                          Chapter Five

Presidents of Georgetown College

Robert Mills    1959-1978

    When Robert L. Mills assumed the reins as the twentieth president, emotions still ran high after the failed effort to move Georgetown College to Louisville, Kentucky. His character as a Christian gentleman, gave Mills the diplomatic skills that enabled faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college to move beyond the turmoil. The college united behind a progressive program to improve Georgetown academically, physically, and fiscally.  

    A native of Erlanger, Kentucky, Mills was born to John Clifford and Dixie Lee Mills on November 13, 1916. He received his early education from local schools, graduating from Lloyd High School in 1934. He went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Kentucky in 1938 and 1941 respectively. While working on his master's degree, he taught algebra at Covington (Kentucky) High School. World War II interrupted his education in 1942. He married Mildred Sizer of Cincinnati and joined the Air Force Technical Training Command, where he became an aircraft hydraulics instructor at Chanute Field in Illinois and at Lincoln Air Base in Nebraska. After the war, Mills worked in Oakridge, Tennessee for two private companies—Tennessee Eastman Corporation and Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation. He returned to the University of Kentucky in 1948 to work on his doctorate in Education, which he received in 1951. 

    As director of research of the Kentucky Department of Education's Bureau of Administration and Finance, he took an active role in campaigning for the passage of two laws that significantly advanced education in Kentucky by permitting the legislature to distribute funds to public schools under broader criteria. Funding was generally equalized between poorer districts and wealthier districts. He continued his climb upward in educational administration in 1954 by becoming Registrar and Dean of Admissions at the University of Kentucky. After three years there he went to the University of Texas at Austin to chair the Department of Educational Administration.  

    In the spring of 1959, Mills was elected president of Georgetown College. Mills was the college's third non-ministerial president. The two major initiatives of his presidency were to improve student housing and to upgrade working conditions for the faculty. Mills began in the 1960s and early 1970s by expanding the capacity for student housing. Wings were added to Anderson and Knight Halls, and a residential park, consisting of four dormitories for independents and eight dormitories for fraternities and sororities, was developed on the site of and in the area behind old Rucker Hall.  Much of the construction was financed by low-interest government financing, which was a controversial issue among Baptists at the time. The area was later named the Robert L. Mills Residential Park. Student life was further enhanced by the construction of a new student center, made possible by the donation of Louisville businessman Lee E. Cralle, in 1965. Enrollment peaked to 1,610 students in 1967.

    Mills led in the improvement of academics by giving faculty a voice in affairs of the college.  He formed faculty advisory committees, encouraged the organization of a American Association of University Professors chapter and used that organization's guidelines in preparing the first Faculty Handbook, establishing tenure, and standardizing a salary schedule, which increased faculty salaries and benefits. Academics were further supported by building a new science center and by increasing the endowment. 

    In 1979, President Mills retired, holding the titles of Chancellor and President Emeritus of Georgetown College. He and Millie lived in Owen County, Kentucky. Dr. Mills died 16 January 2006, and Millie followed soon afterward on 10 September. They are survived by three children.

********************************************************
1.  Michael Betscher (1793-1861)
   2.  Melchior Betscher (1830-1918)
      3.  George Betscher (1859-1934)
         4.  Louise Betscher-Sizer (1885-1958)
            5.  Mildred Sizer-Mills (1913-2006)
                  Robert L. Mills (1916-2006)
*********************************************************

Mildred "Millie" Sizer Mills, 93, widow of Dr. Robert L. Mills and former First Lady of Georgetown College, died Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006 in Bradenton, FL. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Charles Thomas & Louise Lydia Betscher Sizer. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, Owenton.

Millie graduated from Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati and received her bachelor's degree in 1935 from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the University of Cincinnati. She taught music in the Media, Pennsylvania, and Covington, Kentucky schools. She served as choir director at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, and Georgetown Baptist Church in Georgetown, Kentucky. She was a member and former President of the Woman's Association of Georgetown College.

Millie was a loving and dedicated partner to her husband Robert, former President of Georgetown College. Together they shared a devotion to the college. With her gracious hospitality and unbounded energy, they welcomed several generations of students, alumni and friends to the President's Home and to a multitude of college events. She had a deep Christian faith and used her music as a witness and comfort to others. She was a loving and affectionate mother. She shaped and inspired the character of her husband and children.

Survivors include three children: Robert Lee (Maggie) Mills, Jr., Cincinnati, Dixie Louise Mills, Bloomington, IL, and Barbara (Dale) Mills Harrell, Bradenton, FL; three grandsons, Robert Lee (Katie) Mills, III, Steven P. (Heather) Harrell and Michael S. Harrell; one sister, Mabel Sizer Rose, Auburn, IN, and one brother, Rev. Thomas Sizer, Cincinnati. She was preceded in death by a sister, Muriel Sizer, and two brothers, Charles and George Sizer.

Funeral services will be 2:30 P.M. Thursday at Faith Baptist Church, Georgetown by Pastor Daven Watkins. Burial will be in the Georgetown Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday from noon until time of services at the church. Honorary bearers will be Robert L. Mills, III, Steven P. Harrell, Michael S. Harrell, Danny Tilford, Ken Hanson, Tom Corts, Paul Beasley, Robin Oldham, David Stowe, and Dave Griffith. Johnson's Funeral Home, Georgetown is in charge of the arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Robert & Millie Mills Scholarship Endowment Fund, C/O Georgetown College, 400 E. College Street, Georgetown, Ky. 40324

********************************************************
1.  Michael Betscher (1793-1861)
   2.  Melchior Betscher (1830-1918)
      3.  George Betscher (1859-1934)
         4.  Louise Betscher-Sizer (1885-1958)
            5.  Mildred Sizer-Mills (1913-2006)
*********************************************************

School Days:

Name:	Virginia Ruth Betscher
Estimated Birth Year:	abt 1925
School:	Hughes High School
School Location (City, State):	Cincinnati, Ohio
Yearbook Title:	Classics of 43
Yearbook Year:	1943
Picture on Page:	41

"Betscher, Virginia Ruth

Aeronautics Club, Secretary 4; Art League 2,3; French Club 3; "Gargoyle" Stafff 1;  Girl Reserves 3; Honor League 4; Latin club 2,3; Lunchroom Cashier 3,4; Math Club 4; "Old Hughes" Staff 3; Scribblers 2."  (Ancestry.com)

HEIS . Joseph Stanley "Joe'', beloved father of Jodie (Stoney) Brown, Eleanor Heis, Ronald (Kim) Heis, and Michael (Margie) Heis; adored grandfather of Ashley, Brittany, Alexandra, and Cody; dear brother of Pamela (Ken) Martin. Also survived by his ex-wives Kate Heis and Judy Weingartner and many other family members. . Joe passed away Saturday June 3, 2006, age 60. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4-7 pm at NEIDHARD-GILLEN FUNERAL HOME, 7401 Hamilton Ave. Mt. Healthy, Ohio. Funeral service will be Thursday at 10 A.M. at the funeral home. Interment will be at Dayton National Cemetery with full military honors. Memories and condolences can be shared at www.neidhardgillenfuneralhome.com
                                                                        (Cincinnati Enquirer 6 Jun 2006)

**********************************************************
1. Michael Betscher  (1793-1861)
   2. Mary Anna Betscher-Heis  (1837-1927)
      3. John J. Heis  (1881-1973)
         4. Stanley J. Heis  (1920-1986)
            5. Joseph S. Heis  (1946-2006)
**********************************************************

Cincinnati Enquirer - May 10, 2006

City hall may contain treasure
Project to see if mural underneath

BY DAN KLEPAL | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Workers at Cincinnati City Hall will begin peeling back the years this week - along with decades-old paint, glue and acoustical tile - from the ceiling inside council chambers in an attempt to uncover a mystery.

The effort could lead to a larger project to restore a piece of the city's history, covered more than 70 years ago.

It is believed that local artist Charles Pedretti, a world-famous muralist who lived in Price Hill, painted the ceiling of council chambers as part of a $25,000 contract he won to be the interior designer when the building was under construction from 1888 to 1893.

The murals were covered with acoustical tiles in the 1930s because it was difficult to hear debates of the day in the enormous room.

No one has seen the murals since they were covered, and there are few photographs taken before 1935 that show any part of the ceiling.

Pedretti complained in 1935 to an Enquirer reporter about his work being buried.

"Pedretti lamented the fact that cherubs and artistic figures which he painted on the ceiling of council chambers have been covered up in the city's program of improving acoustics of the auditorium," says the article. Another clue can be found in the official dedication program, dated May 13, 1893, which provides this description of the chambers: "The panels of the ceilings are frescoed with seals of the nation, of the state, of the county and of the city."

Scaffolding will be installed in council chambers Monday, so a small section of the tiles can be removed during the next two weeks.

Joel Koopman, principal architect for the city, said Pedretti's murals were probably painted on plaster and canvas. It will cost $5,000 to study a small portion of the ceiling, and that is being done before routine maintenance is performed.

"It's time to paint and restore some water damage," Koopman said. "But we want to do this investigation before that work, so we don't do any more damage if it is something that can be restored."

If the murals are salvageable, the next step will be to figure out how much it will cost and how to pay for it. Any restoration work could be years off, Koopman said.

The local architectural firm of Fearing & Hagenauer will supervise the project. And staff from the Cincinnati Art Museum will evaluate the murals.

Stephen Bonadies, interim co-director of the museum, said the type of glue used to attach the tiles could make all the difference.

"If the glue can be softened or dissolved, it's possible to remove it," Bonadies said. "If it's something like a more modern adhesive, like carpenter's glue, (restoration) would be quite a task."

Pedretti was trained in Italy before retuning to Cincinnati and opening a business with his brother. They painted murals in houses and municipal buildings in the city.

A 1990 maintenance project in council chambers didn't include a peek at the murals. The city considered removing all the acoustical tiles, but determined the $300,000 price tag was too expensive.

"We don't believe it is high art," then-superintendent of architecture Ronald Kull said at the time, adding that removal of the tiles would likely "rip up the canvas."

Koopman said acoustics wouldn't suffer much if the tiles are removed from the ceiling. There's a state-of-the-art sound system in the chambers today. He also said placing tiles over artwork isn't the only questionable design decision made.

Over the years, he said, shag carpeting and wood paneling were placed over marble in the mayor's office.

But Koopman says people nowadays shouldn't be too critical of decisions made decades ago.

"I don't fault them. That's just the way they did things," Koopman said. "They had an issue, they put tile in. It was a different time. But with everything we do today, we are mindful of what City Hall is - a historic piece of architecture.

"And this is a special project."

(Note:  The 1930 U.S. Federal Census lists Charles and "Mina" Pedretti residing on Pedretti Ave in the Delhi - the western area of Cincinnati. Charles' Occupation: Interior Decorator.)

****************************************************
1. Michael Betscher (1793-1861)
   2. Caspar Betscher (1823-1877)
      3. Wilhelmina Betscher-Pedretti (1864-1945)
          Charles Pedretti (1864-1941)
*****************************************************