March 3, 1854 marks the date that Martha Beecher died at sea while returning from Burma where she and her husband, John, were missionaries. Although John was the one commissioned by the church, Martha, like many wives, felt called to mission work also. In 1878 a marble plaque was dedicated to Beecher’s memory. He was given “the distinguished honor of establishing the first Christian school in Burma on the basis of the indigenous support.” ABHS has two folders of correspondence between the Beechers and the foreign mission board. The picture above is a depiction of John Beecher.
