Biography: Elizabeth Brey
Elizabeth Brey was born on 1 March, 1808, in eastern Pennsylvania, possibly Lehigh County. Her parents, Michael and Maria Brey , resided in Lehigh County for a time and owned land in Lower Macungie Township. Elizabeth Brey and Jacob Beals were married in about 1828, probably in Lehigh County. Their first three children, Flora Ann (b.1829), Samuel (b.1831), and Benjamin (b.1833), all reported being born in Lehigh County.
By 1839 Elizabeth and Jacob had migrated westward to the border area of Venango County and the newly-created Clarion County. They settled in Beaver Township, but after the creation of new townships in 1856, they found themselves living on the boundary of Richland and Salem townships. Their homestead is said to have contained 540 acres.
The family included one daughter, the oldest child, and seven sons. The land was still covered with oak forest. Clearing fields was a first priority, and all hands found work to do sawing timber, pulling stumps, plowing and planting. Primary crops in the area were corn and oats, with enough hay grown on each farm to feed a few animals. Jacob and Elizabeth would have been viewed as lucky to have seven strong sons.
The vegetable garden, potato patch, and orchard kept Elizabeth and daughter Ann busy planting, gathering, cooking and canning for winter use. Laundering work clothes on a scrubboard, ironing with an andiron, baking bread, and churning butter would have been her weekly chores. Daily there would be three big meals to prepare for ten people, eggs to gather, cows to milk. All water for cooking and dishwashing was carried in from the pump in the yard. In the spring, they probably made maple syrup; a stand of maples called the sugar bush grew near the old Beals homestead. Weaving, and sewing clothes and quilts took up the quiet evenings.
From 1861 – 1865 the Civil War dominated the life of the country. Two of the Beals sons volunteered in 1862 and were away fighting for three years. The battles were fought farther east, and these farm communities of western Pennsylvania escaped the damage of actual warfare. Nevertheless they feared for their sons and they helped with the chores on neighboring farms where men were away fighting.
At home Elizabeth watched her children marry, and helped care for the new grandchildren. She worried about her son Benjamin, married twice and both wives died within five years. As the war dragged on and more men were needed, her son Billy was drafted for service in March of 1865. Then a month later the war was over. The three boys weren't released from duty until June and July, as the troops collected guns and restored order. This period also provided a buffer for the men, between days of battle, and returning to the life at home.
Son Jacob returned from the war and married, but after a time, having no children, he and his wife Clara took in a foster daughter. She was Olive Bower, whose father had died in 1866 of an illness unrelated to the war.
Only twelve years after the war had ended, son Jacob died. Three years later Samuel's wife died. And grandchildren continued to be born. The large family owned several farms within a mile or so of each other.
Eventually as they aged, Elizabeth and Jacob left the hard work of farming. Son Levi and wife Sarah moved into the Beals home and remodelled it with an apartment for the parents. It turned out to be an untenable situation though. Jacob and Elizabeth were moved out to live with daughter Ann and her husband Nathan Biery. The Biery's bought a farm across the road from Levi and Sarah, with a house large enough to be able to keep the parents there with them. Jacob however was 83 years old, and did not long survive the move. He died in October of 1890. He was buried in the cemetery at Salem Lutheran Church.
Elizabeth lived on for nine more years, and died at age ninety. She was buried beside Jacob at Salem Lutheran cemetery.
