Shortly before his death, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's second president, J.F. Rutherford requested to be buried at Beth-Sarim. Shortly before his death on January 8, 1942, the Society created Beth-Sarim's Rest, a cemetery corporation for burying Rutherford at Beth-Sarim. Local officials denied this burial request. The original site for Rutherford's burial was located just below Beth-Sarim which is seen in the following photo. A second site was proposed on the Beth-Shan property but this second location was also denied by local officials in court.