BEATY, Sarah A. - b. January 17, 1815 - d. December 21, 1910

[Janet Harrington]

A Mother of Soldiers.

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  The following from a Washington, Ia., paper, tells of the death of the aged mother of Henry H. Beaty of Union Center township, and the grandmother of Wm. S. Beaty of Howard:

  Another of the few remaining mothers of soldiers has gone to her reward.  Mrs. Sarah A. Beaty died Wednesday afternoon Dec. 21, 1910, after a brief illness from lung trouble, perhaps pneumonia, but likely, more just a breaking down of the system.
  She was one of our oldest residents.  She would have been 96 on January 17, 1911.  She was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, and came to Iowa in 1855.  In 1864 she moved to town and in 1879 her husband died.
  They had four sons, one adopted son and two daughters.  She gave every boy she had to the Union cause and we know of no higher honor that a woman in this world could attain than to give all her sons to so worthy a cause.  We are sorry we never knew so notable a woman.
  Her sons that were in the army were Swayne who was in Co. H. Seventh Iowa, Henry H. of Howard, Kansas, who was in Co. I. of the 13 Iowa. Crocker's Brigade, DAvid Co. H. 2 Iowa.  Her adopted son or a boy they raised by the name of George Wells was in Co. H. 2 Iowa and was killed at Shiloh.
  One might write a book on the achievements of these five sons.  It would make a bright page in the history of our Union and of our fair state.  Greater devotion can no woman have than to give her sons to the cause of humanity.  All honor to Mother Beaty.
  Henry lives in Kansas as stated, "Jim" or David lives in Webster City, Iowa, William S. and Swayne are dead.  The two daughters are Mr. Miriam McMaster and Mrs. Henry Sanford of this town.
  Mrs. Beaty was a notable woman, say those who knew her.  She was remarkably bright and her interest in lilfe never wavered merely because she was up in years.  Her intellect was maintained up to the last day of her life.
  One might also write a book of more pages than are contained in the Bible on the achievements of our country since this remarkable woman first saw the light.  A very few of the things suggested are that she was born when madison was president.  Napoleon was just about in his last days of glory.  Andy Jackson was not yet thought of as president.  Thewar of 1812 had just been concluded.
  For 49 years slavery would agitate the country before the war of the Rebellion was to come.  It was prior to the Dred Scott Decision.  The Missouri Compromise was not even lying dormant in the brains of its authors at that early day.  No steamship had ever crossed the ocean, it was only seven years after Fulton's steamboat plied the Hudson, his boat called the Clermont, such a thing as a railroad was perhaps dreamed of but not come into existence.
  Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay and all the big men of the early days of our country were either in their prime or not yet entered into prominence.
  One might write and keep on writing and not cover all the principal points even, let alone the thousands of interesting features of this remarkable country.  And all of these this remarkable woman saw.  Hers was a full life and a long one.
  She had lived with her daughter in the old home, Mrs. Henry Sanford ever since we can remember her.
  All her chidlren were here when she died and for the funeral which took place Friday afternoon conducted by her pastor Rev. U. S. Smith.  She was a Methodist all her life.