Lewis Braley was the 2nd husband of my gg grandmother Mary Kneisly. After my gg grandfather drowned in the Little or Primary Miami River in 1850 she subsequently married Lewis Braley. Mr Braley's first wife had dies several years earlier. He made Mary a proposal of marriage of convenience after noticing she and her 4 children were always in church when there was a service, and the children were always clean and well mannered. The convenience was he would help raise her children training them in all ways required and she would help with his farm. It took several months for Mary to accept the offer but did so and this relationship developed to one of great respect and love for each other and him and the kids of each other. Mr Braley lost one son to the Civil War. The other, in his will he gave half of his farm, the other half was given to Mary with the proviso that she, if she ever left the place would give his son the first right of refusal. Mr Braley died in 1861 leaving her the farm to manage which she did well until her oldest son was inducted and her next son followed (3 times). She rescued him twice, but left him in the third with the promise of the commander he would make him a cook and keep him behind the lines as he was couple years to young to be in the war.
Her sons returned, with the oldest wanting to go to Missouri. The second son wanted to follow his older brother so Mary and the girls also left for Missouri to keep the family together. Mr Braley's surviving son bought Mary's half of the farm. When she arrived in Missouri so did the family bible of Lewis Braley, with Clarissa, the one name still legible on the inside. I have the bible. It is in poor condition, but still it would be better to be with Mr Braley's descendants then Mary's (me). Accordingly if there are any descendants of his reading this I would be glad to give it to them. I will need proof of relationship as my oldest son wants to keep it because of the enduring love Mr. Braley has left behind in the stories of the family. In one sense of the word he is family and was a major contributor to the family surviving.
Jerry W. Jones
