PHOEBE ELSTON BRADY
A Biographical Account by an Unknown Author

Phoebe Elston Brady was born in New Jersey in 1790 and died in Darke County, Ohio in 1882. Her husband was James Brady, born in 1787 in New Jersey and died in 1838. They settled in Washington Township in 1817 where they lived the remaining years of their lives. Her husband James Brady, died at the age of 50 years and left his wife alone in the woods for 43 years to fight life's battles alone among the howling wilderness, that was then lined with Indians and wild animals. She often told us how she kept friendly with the Indians by feeding them. Alone she was in the forest with sons and daughters, John E. age 29 yrs., William 24, Asa 21, James III 19, Martha 17, Elizabeth 14, David D. 12, Mary C. 8, and Robinson 5.

But the most wonderful part of this lady's life is that she had smoked for forty years and she had not tasted water for thirty years. Her father William Elston was born on the same farm in N.J. in 1763. Her mother was a daughter of Peter Walling, who was a native of Holland. Peter Walling left his plow and horses standing in the field, joined the army and died in the struggle for freedom.

(Extracts from the Tribune of Greenville, Ohio)

Phoebe Elson Brady was born in Sussex County, New Jersey, Apr. 13, 1790, died March 22nd, 1882. She was a daughter of William and Elizabeth Elston. She was married to James Brady Feb. 12, 1812, and in 1816 left her native state for the then far west, and first settled on Mad River about Dayton, Ohio; But in March, 1817, they moved to Washington Township, Darke County, Ohio and bought the Northeast quarter of Sec. 26, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Her husband, James Brady, died in 1838, leaving her with a family of 9 children to care for: 6 boys and 3 girls, all of whom preceded her to the grave except one son and one daughter. Mrs. Brady remained a widow a little over 44 yrs, living with her children. When Mr. and Mrs. Brady settled in Washington Township all was a wilderness, only two families having settled in the Township, they being Martin and Jacob Cox, who settled there in Oct. 1815. They were pioneers in the fullest sense of the word. Aunt Phoebe, (as she was most always called) lived a little over 65 years on the same farm. Her house was a home to all who called to see her, always kind and sociable, never failing to make her guests feel that they were welcome. In her youth she united with the Baptist Church at Wantage, N.J. She is buried in the old Snell grave yard at Sharpeye.

Source: Photocopy of a typed page owned by Jean Karns Ladd. Her source is unknown.