From "Past and Present of Clinton County (Michigan)", 1906, pp 166-7

John A. Beck

John A. Beck, living on section 10, Greenbush township, [is] one of the 
industrious, energetic and prosperous farmers of Clinton county and his 
well improved tract of land of one hundred acres yields to him a gratifying 
income.  He dates his residence in the county and state form 1872.  His birth 
occurred in Holmes county, Ohio, December 5, 1848.  His father, Daniel Beck, 
was a native of Pennsylvania, as was the grandfather, Michael Beck, whose 
birth occurred in Westmoreland, that state.  The Beck family is of German 
lineage and was established in the Keystone state at an early epoch in its
development.  Leonard Beck, the great-grandfather of our subject, was brought 
by his parents to the new world when a child of two years (*).  At the age of 
fourteen years (**) he joined the continental army and served as a drummer boy
during the Revolutionary war.  Michael Beck, leaving the ancestral home in 
Pennsylvania, removed to Ohio, becoming one of the early settlers of Holmes 
county, where he entered one hundred and sixty acres and later owned and 
operated a farm of three hundred and twenty acres.  Daniel Beck succeeded to
a part of the estate and continued to carry on agricultural pursuits there
until his life's labors were ended in death when he was but thirty-five years 
of age (***).  He also ran a grist mill.  He was married in Holmes county to 
Miss Sarah A. Fair, a native of Pennsylvania.  Benjamin Beck, the youngest son
of Michael Beck, succeeded to his father's farm, which is still in possession of
the family.  He became quite wealthy and died in 1905.

John A. Beck, of this review has been dependent upon his own resources from an
early age.  He received only common-school advantages and when nineteen years 
of age he took charge of his grandfather's farm, operating the place for four
years.  As a companion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss Mary J. 
Altman, to whom he was married in Holmes county, Ohio, in January, 1872.  
She was born and reared in the Buckeye state and soon after her marriage 
accompanied her husband to Michigan, the family home being established in 
section 10, Greenbush township.  Mr. Beck had visited this state the previous 
year and had bought a farm of seventy acres.  The young couple took up their 
abode upon that property and Mr. Beck at once began to cultivate and improve 
the place, to which he has since added until he now owns one hundred and sixty 
acres.  He has one hundred and five acres on the home place and fifty-five 
acres in another tract.  He has cleared the land of timber and stumps, 
has it divided into fields of convenient size by well kept fences and has 
added all modern euqipments.  A neat residence, good barn and granary stand 
as monuments to his thrift and enterprise.  There is also a good orchard and
the farm is altogether in keeping with ideas of modern agriculture.

Mr. and Mrs. Beck have eight children.  Gilbert A. is married and is a 
substantial farmer of Greenbush township, where he owns a well improved tract 
of land.  Martha E. is the wife of Edgar Burk, who is represented elsewhere in
this volume.  Oliver E. occupies a business position in St. Johns.  Frank H. 
follows farming in Greenbush township.  George R. is a mechanic of Eureka, 
Michigan.  Guy E., Vernie G. and Albert A. are all at home.  They also lost 
one son, Lyman, at the age of five months. (****)  Mr. Beck belongs to the
Masonic fraternity, his membershihp being in the blue lodge at Eureka.  His 
political allegiance is given to the democracy where national questions are 
involved but at local elections he votes independently.  His identification 
with the interests and people of Clinton county covers a third of a century, 
during which time he has made a creditable record as a wide-awake and 
progressive farmer and successful business man.

(*) Leonard was born 19 years after his grandfather came over in 1740.

(**) Leonard would've been around 17 at the start of the Revolutionary War.

(***) Daniel died when he fell into a millpond and was caught between the logs
and had his chest crushed; they brought him up to the porch where he "coughed
his blood into a pail" per my grandmother.  As was the custom in those days,
his children were made wards of their uncle Benjamin, Daniel's brother.  
His wife Sarah died a few years later from a stroke.

(****) Lyman was an infant during a trip back to Holmes Co.; this was in the
days before refrigeration, and his milk became spoiled/contaminated.

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From page 3 of The Lansing State Journal, Friday, 8/17/1934:

Eureka, Aug 17 - John Beck, 86, died at the home of his son, Albert Beck, 
in Eureka Wednesday.  He had never been sick a day in his life until he was 
stricken 10 days ago.

He was a pioneer of Greenbush, having moved here from Ohio when a young man, 
and at the time this vicinity was a dense forest which he worked hard to help
clear up into a fine farm home.

He is survived by 5 sons and 2 daughters, 12 grandchildren, and 2 great 
grandchildren, besides a large circle of other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held Friday at Eureka, with burial in Eureka cemetery
beside his wife, who died in 1929.