USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the Brethren of the Western District of Pennsylvania > Part 24
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While his travels did not extend over a large portion of the geographical map, yet his labors were by no means confined to his home congregation. He was a valiant Sunday-school pro- moter, as he also was a pioneer supporter of missions. He en- couraged the sick, lifted the downtrodden, and entered devoutly into the spirit of that which the Apostle James defines as "pure and undefiled religion." He was obedient to the church, adhered to her counsels, defended her doctrines, extolled her faith and promoted her good. He was instant in season and out of season. There was no call so inopportune as to admit of postponement or neglect. I have still the vivid remembrance of a messenger who knocked at our door one winter night. It was to summon my father to the bedside of a woman ill with typhoid fever, who the doctors said was dying. She wished to be baptized immediately. The hour was one o'clock and the night was cold. I still remem- ber how I shuddered when my father gave the messenger instruc- tions to haste, in advance, and cut the ice at a certain point in the river; for I was but a child and feared that both himself and the sick woman would surely perish. Through feverish questionings I kept awake, for it was a ride of weary miles. At four o'clock our father returned, nothing worsted. His staunch voice and cheery face were assuring. Let me add that the sick woman's recovery was speedy and complete.
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The adversities and sorrows, incident to the factious relations of his Fraternity, bowed him down with grief; for troublous times were, indeed, upon him, and the stand he took for God and a con- science void of offense, rendered him locally unpopular, to a de- gree, and laid him bare to unjust criticism and unfounded calum- ny. Yet he swerved not from his post, knowing that One was also spoken against, whose ambassador he was. Through this perilous epoch Elder Quinter was his staunch friend and counselor, and such men as Brethren Hays and Wise held up his hands and sus- tained him with their prayers and sympathy. Yet the ravages of grief, because of an apparently unrequited service, unmanned him, in a manner and to an extent which was pitiful to see. Not- withstanding the crucible in which God should prove him, he laid not his armor down, and when the heat was at its fiercest, the most pathetic thing of all was to hear him entreat God to forgive his persecutors and slanderers. This monument to his memory shall survive any of bronze or marble.
He was a living exemplification of that truth uttered by our Savior: "The poor ye have always with you." He surely had. I can remember how our house was literally besieged with unfortu- nate sojourners. In fact, it was famous for miles around as a sort of wayside inn, free to poor travelers. To be exact, such were re- ferred to " the great yellow house," with perfect and accustomed freedom. He never turned any such away, neither suffered them to be so turned, empty-handed. He must have considered it his due recompense to remember that angels had been thus entertained unawares. Yet my father possessed the native tact of inspiring the principles of honesty and self-respect within those unfortunates; and more than once gave those that were sound in body the priv- ilege of paying their way by chopping wood, gathering sheaves, etc. His high sense of duty had not permitted him to do other- wise.
On the morning of October 1, 1894, we were summoned to his bedside, where the angel of death almost preceded us. Already the chilly dew was upon his forehead, and in his eyes was reflected the light from the eternal shore. With his two little children, and . the wife of his later years, we surrounded his bedside with sorrow unspeakable. His lips moved and we bent our ears to catch the whisper: " If I must die, oh, let me die in peace with all man- kind." O Peace! the keynote of his faith; the principle he had sus- tained throughout his life, and which was so dear to him at the entrance of the life beyond!
Thus lived and died Samuel Brallier, the veteran ambassador of Jesus Christ and dauntless soldier of the cross. Oh, I re- joice to believe that the gracious Father, into whose care he com-
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mended his spirit, tenderly received him into everlasting rest. Johnstown, Pa.
JACOB BRIDGE.
Jacob Bridge and his wife, Mary, were residing in Bolivar, and when the Brethren began preaching in that place became inter- ested in the meetings, and in the doctrine that was preached. Brother Bridge was an educated man, having been educated for a Catholic priest. He was able to read the Scriptures in the original Latin and Greek.
When he married he was expelled from the priesthood, and some time later united with the Methodist Church. Finding the doctrines preached by the ministers of the Church of the Brethren substantiated by the Gospel, he and his wife were baptized in 1879 by J. W. Smouse, an evangelist of those days.
He was elected deacon in 1881, minister in 1883, and advanced to the second degree in 1885, and died in the faith in Bolivar in 1894, at a good old age.
URIAH D. BROUGHER.
Uriah D. Brougher was born in Brothers Valley Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1847. His parents were Daniel and Lydia (Hersh) Brougher. His father died before he was born. He remained with his mother until he was about five or six years old, when he made his home with William Hay, where he lived at intervals for about ten years.
He attended the public schools of Brothers Valley Township and Berlin Borough. He never followed school-teaching, but con- ducted a great many singing classes, not only in his own Frater- nity, but for nearly all denominations in the county. He had taken lessons from the best instructors he could find and followed the profession for about a dozen years.
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His parents were Lutherans, and William Hay, with whom he lived until he grew to young manhood, belonged to the Reformed Church. On January 9, 1868, he was married to Barbara Hostetler, at the home of John Klingaman, near Meyersdale, by Elder Elias K. Beeghly, of Waterloo, Iowa. Several years after his marriage he united with the church, and was elected to the ministry at Mey- ersdale when he was about thirty years of age. About three years before his death he was ordained to the eldership.
His field of labor comprised, principally, the Meyersdale and Middle Creek congregations. He never conducted many series of meetings. He followed the occupation of blacksmith for a num- ber of years, after which he went to farming. He died December
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6, 1907, and is buried in the Somerset cemetery. His age was 60 years, 7 months and 27 days. His funeral was conducted by Elders D. H. Walker and Silas Hoover in the Reformed church in Somerset. The church was crowded and many people could not get inside.
He was a great Sunday-school worker, and while living in Meyersdale he was superintendent a number of years of a large thriving Sunday-school. As an elder he did considerable commit- tee work among the churches.
Elder Mahlon J. Brougher, Wife and Child.
MAHLON J. BROUGHER.
Mahlon J. Brougher, son of Deacon Madison and Maggie (Meyers) Brougher, was born October 27, 1885, on his father's farm near Kingwood, in the Middle Creek congregation, Somerset
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County, Pennsylvania. There he grew to manhood as a farmer boy, attending the public schools in the winter and helping on the farm in the summer. He also attended the County Normals, and began teaching in the common schools at the age of seventeen. He taught eight terms of school.
He united with the church in his young days, and in June, 1906, he and Jacob W. Sanner were elected to the ministry in the Middle Creek congregation. Within a year he was advanced to the second degree. Brother Brougher assisted in the work of the ministry in his home congregation until January 1, 1911, when he began preaching for the Greensburg church. On May 1, 1911, he became the pastor of the Greensburg church, which position he still holds.
Brother Brougher was united in marriage to Sister Mary Wol- ford, of Waterford, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1911. To this union a daughter, Gladys Evelyn, was born March 22, 1913. Sister Brougher is a daughter of John Wolford, a dea- con in the Ligonier congregation. She was born October 27, 1888, and began teaching school at the age of seventeen. She taught five terms in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County.
In June, 1913, Brother Brougher was ordained to the elder- ship. Brother and Sister Brougher have done an excellent work in Greensburg, as the history of that congregation will show. In addition to his pastoral duties Brother Brougher has conducted eighteen evangelistic meetings with good results. He has offi- ciated at fifty funerals, thirteen weddings, and has assisted in fifty- three anointings and three Bible Institutes. He is a member of the Sunday-school Mission Board of the District. He.was one of the delegates from his District on the Standing Committee of the Annual Conference at Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1915.
W. N. BRUBAKER.
W. N. Brubaker, son of Jacob H. and Mary Brubaker, was born at Rockton, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, October 22, 1870. Brother Brubaker has worked at whatever work came to hand, which comprised nearly all the occupations of his neigh- borhood.
He united with the church in his early teens, and was called to the ministry in the Rockton congregation in 1897. He is one of the active ministers of that congregation. His ministerial du- ties are confined principally to his home congregation.
SOLOMON BUCKLEW.
Elder Solomon Bucklew was born in Preston County, West Virginia, August 25, 1840. He united with the church in 1860, and
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Elder Solomon Bucklew and Wife.
the same year was elected to the deacon office. In 1862 he was married to Elizabeth Strawser, and in 1864 he was elected to the ministry. He was soon forwarded to the second degree, and ap- proximately in 1866 he was ordained to the eldership.
The work being great and only a few to work, he was pushed out far and near to labor for the salvation of souls. He was called to hold many series of meetings, principally in West Virginia, Middle and Western Pennsylvania.
In 1876 he moved from the Cheat River congregation, West Virginia, to the Sandy Creek congregation, same State. After this congregation was divided, and the Markleysburg congregation was organized, Elder Bucklew was given the oversight of the new congregation. When Brethren J. H. Myers and Jacob Beeghley were ordained to the eldership, he resigned although he continued to labor considerably in Maryland and Western Pennsylvania. In 1884 he moved to Markleysburg, where he lived and labored three years, when, in 1887, 'he sold out and moved to Canton, Illinois, where he lived twenty-three years. His wife's failing health
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caused him to leave Illinois and move to a daughter, living in Southwestern Iowa, where she soon died. Feeling lonely, Elder Bucklew now made a visit to the East, laboring for the churches as he passed over the old homeland, and in 1914 he again located in Markleysburg, Pennsylvania, where for a year he did most of the preaching. February 6, 1914, he was married to Mary C. Sterner by Elder Jeremiah Beeghley. Elder Bucklew was blessed with a strong physical body and a powerful voice, and was, and still is, a fearless defender of the Gospel.
In the spring of 1915 he located in the Mount Union congre- gation.
THE BUECHLEY (BEEGHLY) FAMILY.
The Buechley family has played an important part in the work of the church in Western Pennsylvania. Michael Buechley settled in the vicinity of what is now Meyersdale, Somerset County, as early as 1774. He was a member of the Amish Church, and with a number of other families of the same denomination had come from the eastern part of the State. This Michael Buechley is in all probability the ancestor of all the Buechleys, Beachleys, Beek- leys and Beeghlys in Western Pennsylvania, Maryland and the West. According to Holsinger's History, Buechley and a number of other Amish families united with the Brethren, probably about 1785, and Brother Buechley was called to the ministry, as well as Brethren Peter Livengood and Christian Hochstetler.
Nothing is known of his ministerial labors, but his children's names are known. They were: Jacob, John, Joseph, Abraham, Michael, Barbara, wife of Christian Moyer, Mary, wife of Michael Moyer, Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Flora, Hannah, wife of John Cober, and Susannah, wife of John Forney. These names have con- tinued to be prominent in the church. Brother Buechley died in 1812. For some years his descendants remained in Somerset County, but gradually many of them emigrated to other fields of labor.
Of his sons at least two were elders-Jacob and John. At least two of his sons-in-law were elders-Michael Moyer and John Forney. Of John's family we have David, a son, and Martin, a grandson, and John W. Beeghly, who lives in Ohio. Of Jacob's family we find five generations in the ministry, as told in Elder Jeremiah Beeghly's biography. In Abraham's family we find Elder Elias K. Buechley, formerly of Meyersdale, and late of Waterloo, Iowa. Of Joseph's family we have Josiah Beeghly, of Maryland (deceased), and Ananias J. Beeghly, of Friedens, Penn- sylvania. If there were any more ministers in the family they have not come to my notice. Biographies of these servants of the Lord
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would be interesting, but it seems almost impossible to secure them.
Concerning Elder John Buechley, I find the following: Susan- nah Buechley died November 21, 1856, aged 88 years, 8 months and 7 days. She left six children. She was the consort of the late Brother John Buechley, who was a well-known minister and died about twelve years ago. He lived and labored in the Elk Lick congregation.
JEREMIAH BEEGHLY.
Jeremiah Beeghly is a son of Elder Jacob Beeghly, Jr., and a grandson of Elder Jacob. Beeghly, Sr., and was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1834. In 1839 the family moved to Maryland. Here he grew to manhood, and while yet in his teens united with the church.
In 1854 he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Harden. This union was blessed with four sons and five daughters. One son died in infancy. The rest grew to manhood and womanhood, and all
Elder Jeremiah Beeghly and Wife.
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united with the church. The third son, James W. Beeghly, is an elder in the Oakland congregation, Maryland. One grandson, Samuel A. Beeghly, was also a minister in the Church of the Breth- ren for a number of years.
Elder Beeghly was called to the deaconship in 1857 and to the ministry in 1858. In 1876 he was ordained to the eldership. At different times and for a number of years he had charge of the Bear Creek and Maple Grove congregations in Western Maryland. Elder Beeghly did his active church work while living in Maryland. He represented his District on the Standing Committee in 1878, in North Manchester, Indiana, and in 1891 in Hagerstown, Maryland.
In 1910 Elder Beeghly moved to the home of his son-in-law, Andrew Chrise, a deacon, in Markleysburg, Pennsylvania, where they at present reside. Elder and Sister. Beeghly have traveled life's journey together for more than sixty-one years, and while they have retired from all business, and he is not able to preach any more, he is still willing to do what he can on the side of right and good, awaiting the summons to the kingdom triumphant.
It is worthy of note that in Elder Beeghly's family five gener- ations are represented in the ministry-his grandfather, his father, himself, his son and his grandson.
Ananias J. Beeghly.
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ANANIAS J. BEEGHLY.
Ananias J. Beeghley, son of Brother Daniel and Sister Mary Beeghly, was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1872. Brother Beeghly is a descendant of one of the oldest Breth- ren families of Somerset County.
Brother Beeghly's education was confined to the public schools of his county. By occupation he is a farmer. He was married to Miss Cora M. Gnagey, daughter of Deacon Christian C. and Mar- garet Gnagey, February 22, 1894. They located in the Sipesville arm of the Quemahoning congregation, where they lived twelve years.
He united with the Church of the Brethren when but twelve years old. Being called to teach in the Sunday-school in his teens he became more and more interested in that department of church work, and served as superintendent about ten years. On April 22, 1899, he was called to the deacon office in the Quemahoning con- gregation. In this capacity he labored cheerfully until October 26, 1906, when with his family he moved to Richland County, Illi- nois, settling in the Big Creek congregation. There he was elected to the ministry on October 31, 1908. Although feeling his ina- bility he took courage in the thought of Romans 8: 28. He was advanced to the second degree of the ministry September 4, 1909.
Returning to Somerset County December 17, 1909, they located in the Brothers Valley congregation, near Friedens. His first evangelistic effort, June, 1915, inspired him to desire to do more work for Christ.
JOSEPH S. BURKHART.
Joseph S. Burkhart is a son of Ephraim and Catharine (Hilde- brand) Burkhart, and was born in Jackson Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, December 22, 1829. The Burkharts are of German descent and Brother Joseph distinctly remembers his grandparents as typical, industrious Germans.
When Joseph was a boy there were no public schools. His father had subscribed for an older brother and sister to attend a subscription school for several months. The sister becoming sick and missing seven days, the teacher allowed little "Josie" to go those seven days. That was his first schooling, but he had already learned to read at home. He made use of every opportunity to get an education, and after growing up he taught school a while. However, preferring an outdoor life, he did not teach very long.
One unusual incident in the boyhood period of Brother Burk- hart had much to do in after-life in determining his life activities. His aged grandmother made her home at their place one winter, and as her sight was poor she had her little grandson daily read-
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ing the Bible to her while she was engaged in her knitting. In this way he not only acquired a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, but by faithful reading his mind became so occupied by thoughts of God and heaven and good people, that he felt called of the Lord to give him his young heart, and had it been as common then as now for children to unite with the church, he would have been bap- tized. But in those days there were no Sunday-schools and only grown people belonged to the church, so Joseph had to quench the Spirit's call.
Something took place, however, that has always remained with him, and many a time when he was inclined to go wrong it called him back to the path of rectitude. Reading so much of God and heaven naturally had the effect of making him think a great deal about heaven as a beautiful and good place to be. So one night he had a vision, or a dream (he hardly knows which), that he was talking with God, and that he asked him to be taken to heaven. But the answer came, "No, not yet. I have much work for you to do yet before you can come to heaven." The remem- brance of this incident has followed Brother Burkhart through life and many a time has spurred him on in his religious duties. As a reader for his grandmother, she always called him her " little preacher," and told him he certainly would sometime become an ambassador for God.
On December 21, 1854, he was united in marriage to Miss Catharine Sproul, daughter of Andrew and Mary (Ripple) Sproul, of Stoyestown, Somerset County, by Reverend Lock. They set- tled down to housekeeping in Adams Township, Cambria County, in which township (though at several different places) they lived until the fall of 1914, when they moved to Walnut Grove, Johnstown, in order to be nearer their children and the church. Brother Burkhart has been a farmer, though he says he has been sort of "Jack-of-all-trades."
Brother Burkhart served his country during the War of the Rebellion, serving in front of Petersburg, Virginia, from Sep- tember, 1864, to June, 1865. When he returned from the war the hearing of his left ear was entirely gone. For many years the other ear served him well, but it gradually gave way, until now for about ten years he has been entirely deaf. For a number of years the doctors have warned him not to preach and not to use his voice unnecessarily, for fear of losing it too. His eyesight is becoming dimmed, so that he says his satisfaction is not much in this life any more.
Brother Burkhart united with the church about 1866, and in 1867 he was called to the ministry in the Conemaugh congrega- tion. He was active and aggressive in the work the church placed
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upon him, and did a great deal of preaching before the above- mentioned infirmities became a hindrance. He held a number of successful series of meetings in the time when these means of grace were not very common. He held views far in advance of the general church thought, but to which the church Conference has now acceded. He attended but few Annual and District Meet- ings, believing the expense of them was too great in compari- son with the good done in them. During his active ministry he did his full share of the preaching, marrying, baptizing and preaching of funerals. He almost knew his Bible by heart, and was a strong defender of the Bible doctrines as practiced by the church. Several years while living in the eastern part of Adams Township, his membership was in the Shade Creek congregation.
Brother and Sister Burkhart were blessed with six children, four of whom grew to maturity and are living. John, Ephraim and Jennie Harshberger live in Johnstown, the latter being the wife of Elder Cornelius W. Harshberger, and the mother of Lori B. Harshberger, a talented young minister. Sister Flora Trout, of near Petersburg, Virginia, is a daughter. The children were given splendid educational facilities, and the sons were for a number of years successful teachers. These dear old saints have traveled life's journey together hand in hand, sharing each other's joys and sorrows for nearly sixty-one years, and still are keeping house for themselves. In a recent visit I found them sitting at the supper table, one at the head and the other at the foot, content and happy. While it is rather laborious to hold a conversation with Brother Burkhart, as it must be done by means of a slate and pencil, it is exceedingly pleasant and profitable to converse with the aged sis- ter. Her mind is good, her expression clear, and she is a woman above the ordinary in intelligence and information. Both are in the eighty-sixth year of their pilgrimage, and seemingly are good for a number more.
(Portrait on Page 117.) RUFUS D. CASEBEER.
Rufus D. Cascbeer, son of Deacon Henry and Sarah (Blough) Casebeer, was born November 19, 1882, in Somerset County, Penn- sylvania. He is a grandson of Elder Valentine Blough, and a great-grandson of Elder Jacob Blough. He was reared on the farm, and followed that occupation until several years ago, when they moved to Somerset. He taught school one term. He united with the church in 1900.
On December 25, 1906, he was married to Sister Carrie Maust, daughter of Brother and Sister Daniel Maust. He was elected deacon in the Quemahoning congregation in 1907. On May 13,
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1915, he was called to the ministry in the Middle Creek congrega- tion, and took up the work September 19, 1915.
In order to make some preparation for the work whereunto the Lord has called him, they have gone to Bethany Bible School, Chicago, where they are now students. Brother Casebeer has been an active Sunday-school worker for a number of years.
JOHN HARRY CASSADY.
Elder J. H. Cassady was born on a farm in Grant County, West Virginia, October 24, 1871. His early life was spent on a farm. He began teaching school at the age of nineteen, and taught every winter and worked on the farm during the summer. Besides his public school education, he went to Fairmont State Normal two terms. January 25, 1896, he was married to Miss Meribah Virginia Idleman, of Maysville, West Virginia.
He became a member of the Church of the Brethren on De- cember 25, 1890, during a series of meetings conducted by Elder Silas Hoover, of Pennsylvania. He was elected to the deacon office at the Luneys Creek church, West Virginia, in 1897. He continued teaching at Bayard, West Virginia, until the fall of 1900, when, with his family, he moved to Juniata College, Hunt- ingdon, Pennsylvania, where he entered the school to prepare him- self better for his chosen profession, teaching:
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