You could try (in the spring) to get the sucker bases to grow roots themselves - essentially what's called a 'layer'. You peel a 1" high belt of bark from the place you want roots to grow, then scrape away the green cambium underneath. Dust on some hormone rooting powder and blow off the excess, then wrap a tangerine sized lump of sphagnum moss around it - not soaking or dripping wet, but 'wetted' throughout and lightly squeezed. Get a friend to help here... wrap some Saran or similar around the lump without compressing it beyond 'neat' (keep its relative shape and size) and tie off above and below with something like raffia or strong cotton twine - anything that won't cut the bark, like wire, but it should not admit water, and then wait... could be months, but hopefully you'll see the lump fill with roots (whitish) in time and when there are a good number (vs just a few fine ones) then cut below the layer and plant it. Then send me one as a souvenir :-)! You must be sure there's no cambium left when you're cleaning up before wrapping with moss. Don't bother unwrapping it before planting unless there's one obvious unroot-filled piece.

I was thinking of trying something like that. In fact I'm sure I will give that a go, the only issue being I don't know what kind of time frame I'll have till this place gets bull dozed. Its behind a local graveyard and I believe scheduled to become an expansion of the graveyard.
I did collect a couple of seedlings, but most of the trees small enough to collect are the root suckers I described, and the seedlings are very young, some of the root suckers have a bit of age on them and have developed quite a bit of character.

John,

I know exactly what you mean. I have tried collecting those great looking suckers from Beeches as you describe and they always failed. There is an excellent article in Bonsai Today describing a layering process that creates exceptional nebari on collected Beech. Unfortunately the process takes two years to complete so it seems unlikely that you will have the time. You should be able to complete an abbreviated process in one season if you have that much time. If not content yourself with the seedlings. Beech seedlings are often used to create group plantings, in this way you can utilize the small seedling that would otherwise be inappropriate.

Norm

I am planning a group planting as you mention, most likely growing a few seedlings for a season or two, at least a bit of training.
I'd like to try something with the root suckers, I'd rather try, than regret not trying.

well you might run out of time but at least you can take some pictures first. if you dont succeed then you will still always have the pictures. good luck.

I have some pictures of the site, but not specifically of the root suckers. I'll try and take some when I go back. Its a shame this place is going to be cleared. So many unusual things. When we were visiting during the spring, on three different occaisions there extensive flushes of different mushrooms. Red prodominated on the first trip, blue the second, primarily earth tones the third. There's tons of club moss of at least two species as well. Honestly I would prefer that the place were preserved. Its going to be cleared for an expansion of the graveyard nearby.

That's why I intend to be cremated. I'm not so full of myself to think that it is appropriate to leave my corpse hanging around for decades or even centuries.

Norm