Rev. Noah Vernon Beery, born August 9, 1869, in Marion Township, Hocking County, Ohio, died August 30, 1945, at home in Lanier Township. He was the eighth child of eleven of Margaret Hunsaker, daughter of John and Luvina (Hoffert) Hunsaker, and Abraham S. Beery, "Little Abe", who was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1829 and went with his parents, Jacob and Hannah (Stoner) Beery, and brothers and sisters to Fairfield County near Bremen, Ohio, in 1838. On November 15, 1891, Noah married, in Montgomery County, Ohio, Eliza
Catherine Bowman, born January 13, 1869, in Montgomery County, died February 10, 1953, in Miami Valley Hospital. Eliza was the youngest of six children of Mary Ann Priser (daughter of
Sarah Flory whose parents came from Germany and Michael Priser who came from Pennsylvania to Montgomery County in1816 with his father Philip Priser whose wife was Mary Foutz) and
David R. Bowman whose grandfather David Bowman, Sr. married Barbara Bowser in 1794, came to Ohio in 1795, and settled first in Warren County and then in Montgomery County. David R. Bowman̓s parents were John Bowman who married Elizabeth Bright in 1829.
Eliza and Noah first lived in Elida, Ohio, a short time, then moved back to Jackson Township, Montgomery County. In February 1894, they moved with children John (born October 23, 1892) and Ruth (born January 28, 1894) to a farm next to Gregg Farm on Carlton Road, Lanier Township. Zelma (born April 20, 1896) and Naomi (born January 5, 1899) joined the family. They attended the Twin Valley Church. Main crops raised were tobacco, corn and hay. They caught fish over two feet long in Twin Creek. In spring 1901, they sold the farm and moved to one with a big cherry orchard near Covington, Miami County. In 1906, they moved to an 86-acre farm one-half mile north of Johnsville, Montgomery County. In 1911, a huge, slate-roofed white house with full basement was built in front of the log house.
In 1908, Noah was elected to the ministry in Wolf Creek Church of the Brethren. Noah took training at Bethany Bible Seminary. He also became an elder. He was one of the Eversole
Church preachers but, in 1917, moved to Liberty, Indiana, and pastored several years at Four Mile Church of the Brethren.
November 1918, they moved to the King farm east of West Alexandria in Lanier Township on U. S. Route 35. Noah helped with the preaching at Sugar Hill Church. In 1921, they sold the King farm but Eliza kept ten acres. They moved into the tenant house on their farm north of Johnsville. Noah invested in oil in Louisiana, which turned out to be a fraud. They sold the entire farm north of Johnsville and took bankruptcy. Eliza and Noah built a large shed of used lumber on the ten acres Eliza owned in Lanier Township. They lived in the west end of the strip house while they built a house themselves. This was their last home. They raised livestock and crops, had a large truck patch, and attended market in Dayton for years.
Noah was a ‘coon hunter. He made mush in a brass bucket for the family and for his dogs to eat. They never had a tractor or a bathroom. Each day started with family worship before breakfast.
Eliza and Noah were married fifty-four years but Eliza lived eight more years. She spent the last few winters visiting her children. They are buried in Twin Valley Cemetery.
Noah V. Beery was a fourth cousin of Noah W. Beery, father of Wallace and Noah Beery, the famous movie actors.
John Samuel Beery first married Opal May Bowser (child Wilda), second Bertha Ellen Oliver (children Janet Lee and Ann);
Ruth Estella married Russell Samuel Landis (children Lucille May, Russell, Jr. and Catherine Naomi); Zelma May married Rev. Clarence Gilmer (child Mary Elizabeth); Naomi Virgil married
Rev. John Milton Garst (children Genevieve Ruith and Dorothy Mae).

Submitted by Lucille M. Brubaker (granddaughter)
Page 363-364 Preble County Ohio, Preble County Historical Society 1992