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Discovering the Homestead
In 1997, after discovering a copy of the Brady Annals in the Tennessee State Library, Dick Brady was intrigued with the wealth of
family history he had just found. His interest was particularly ignited by a photograph that had been taken in 1909. This photograph
included a group of unknown ancestors gathered at the grounds of the family pioneer patriarch, Hugh Brady who had immigrated
from Ireland in 1732 and settled in Pennsylvania. Behind the group of people stood a two story structure known as the Old Brady
Homestead.
Immediately he knew that he had to find out whether it still was standing or
not. His wife, Joanne, was equally curious and convinced
him that they must find out. The fact that the house had survived the constant threat of Indian attacks during the early years to still
be standing in 1909 was miracle enough; but what could
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possibility that it had withstood the threats of nature and urban sprawl
to still be standing in 1997. A trip to Pennsylvania was immediately planned, and after exploring all of the country roads near and
around the Conodquinet Creek, the discovery was made. Thanks to
Dick, the Homestead has been saved and countless descendants will
have the opportunity to learn of the rich family history through
the reprinting of the BRADY ANNALS and the BRADY
REUNION & FRAGMENTS of BRADY HISTORY - 1909,
which have since been reprinted and distributed through the Brady
Family Heritage Association.
The Birth of the BFHA
Now that the Homestead had been found, something had to be done in order to protect it - the Brady Family Association must be
revived! Dick began surfing the internet to find other descendants of Hugh and Hannah. After a year and a half of searching, a group
of descendants gathered in Shippensburg, PA to form the association, now known as The Brady Family Heritage Association. The
first charter of officers and board members were selected and the bylaws were ratified - the journey had begun!
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The Officers were - |
Richard E. Brady, President
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Allen H. Brady,1st Vice President
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David Hill, 2nd Vice President
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Robert L. Brady, Treasurer
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Deborah A. Krueger, Secretary
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Serving on the 1st Board of Directors, along with the Officers were:
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Elizabeth Brady Lurie
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Donna Cuillard
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Joy Wehegan
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Patrick Brady
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Our Mission |
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The Brady Family Heritage Association is dedicated to identifying the descendants of Hugh & Hannah Brady, and to the
preservation of the family's rich tradition of honor and service to our country. The sense of duty to public service runs very boldly
through all of the lines of descent from Hugh and Hannah. We are dedicated to making sure that the younger generations are aware
of the sacrifices their ancestors made and their part in the history of the Untied States of America.
The jewel of the Association is of course , the Brady Homestead. Under the Victorian clapboard siding, beats a heart of a rough
hewn log cabin built by the hands of our ancestors in 1740. She has survived, unlike the others of her day, the constant burning
down of pioneers homes. That is a rather amazing fact, due to the Bradys being the prolific Indian fighters that they were.
We are also dedicated to the education of the general public, who seems to take this period in our nation's history for granted. The
children of today are not instilled with the strong love of country and the value of honor and hard work that was prevalent in our
ancestors. The Homestead is an opportunity to take them back into time to see how people lived and worked in the 1700's, so that
they may better appreciate what was done in the past and understand what the application of these ideals could mean to their
future. |
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