Source: History of Boone County, Indiana, by Hon. L.M. Crist, 1914.

MRS. ELIZA A. BEARD Wholly devoted to home and domestic duties, doing through
all the best years of her life the lowly but sacred work that comes within her sphere, there
is not much to record concerning the life of the average woman. And yet what situation
so dignified, what relation so endearing, what office so holy, tender and ennobling as
those of home-making, wifehood and motherhood? A celebrated author once said that the
future destiny of a great nation depended upon its wives and mothers. May this not also
be said concerning the future that is blood of her blood, and which is incalculable of
results and will never be fully known until eternity solves the problem? In the settlement
of the great middle west woman bore her full share of hardships, sufferings and
vicissitudes, helping man in the rugged toil of wood and field, cheering him when cast
down and discouraged, sharing his dangers, mitigating his sufferings, in the end quietly
and unostentatiously rejoicing in his success, yet ever keeping herself modestly in the
background. As a man's equal in every qualification save the physical, and his superior in
the gentle and loving amenities of life, she fully merits a much larger notice than she
ordinarily receives. One of the highly esteemed and worthy women of Boone county is
Mrs. Eliza A. Beard, widow of Jarrett S. Beard.

Mrs. Beard was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, in 1834, and is a daughter of John and
Nancy Nelton, both natives of Ohio also, in which state they grew to maturity, were
married and in fact, spent their entire lives there. They were, like most of the early
residents of the old Buckeye state, hardworking, honest and kind people and built for
themselves a comfortable home through their enterprise. They have both long been
sleeping the last sleep.

Mrs. Beard grew to womanhood in her native state and there received her education in
the early-day schools. She has been twice married, both husbands being now deceased.
She first married Adam Trimble, in 1865, in Ohio. His death occurred about 1868. To
this union two children were born, one of the children dying in infancy; the other, Mrs.
Mary C. Hissong, lives on a farm in Worth township, Boone county. This farm belongs to
Mrs. Beard, our subject.

The second marriage of the lady whose name heads this sketch was to Jarrett S. Beard, in
Illinois, in which state they resided on a farm until 1901, when they removed to Indiana
and bought two hundred and four acres near Whitestown, Worth township, Boone
county, but they subsequently rented this farm to Mrs. Beard's son-in-law, Mr. Hissong,
and took up their residence in Whitestown, but after living there two months moved to
Lebanon, buying an attractive home in North Lebanon, where our subject now resides,
surrounded by all the comforts of life. Her farm is one of the best in Worth township and
has been brought up to a high state of improvement and cultivation and on it is to be seen
an excellent group of buildings.

To Mrs. Beard and her second husband, one child was born, Charles R. Beard, who lives
in Indianapolis. Jarrett S. Beard died in Lebanon about four years ago. He had been
married twice before he married our subject, and he had one son by a former wife. He is
James Beard and is married and makes his home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jarrett S. Beard was
born in Ohio in 1834, and there grew up and was educated. He devoted his active life to
agricultural pursuits. Adam Trimble also spent his early life in Ohio and was living there
when the Civil war began. He served in that conflict in an Ohio regiment.

Mrs. Beard is a faithful member of the Baptist church in Lebanon. She is now advanced
in years, having attained her four score mile-post, but is comparatively hearty and has a
good memory. Her life has been an open book, whose pages have never been soiled by
any unwomanly act, according to her close friends. She has done well her part in the
world and her career from the beginning has been a simple but beautiful poem of rugged,
toilsome duty, faithfully but uncomplainingly performed as maiden, wife and mother.

BEARD HISSONG NELTON TRIMBLE

Submitted by Amy K Davis