Minerd.com Biography of Jacob Victor and Bessie Belle (Lytle) Brady Sr. of Forest Hills, PA

Bessie Belle (Lytle) Brady
(1889-1966)

When Bess was a young girl, the Lytles moved with her parents to Cambria County, PA, where her father had found work in the coal mines. In about 1899, the Lytles made their permanent home in the small borough of Lilly on Railroad Street, so named because it ran alongside the railroad track of the busy Pennsylvania Railroad.

On Nov. 30, 1904, her sister Edna gave birth to a daughter named Pearl. Edna was young and unwed, so John and Lizzie raised the little girl as their own.

Then on April 13, 1906, Bess gave birth to a boy, John Sherwood Lytle, who they nicknamed "Pete." Bess was only 16 and unmarried, so her parents also took in the boy Pete as their own as well.

Around 1918 Bess married Jacob Victor Brady Sr. (1882-1964), a native of Lilly. He was a veteran of World War I, having served as a sergeant with the 12th Regiment.

They together produced another six children of their own: Jacob Victor "Jake" Brady Jr., Clarence L. "El" Brady, Sarah Elizabeth "Betty" Airhart, Anna Mae Fletcher, and Richard Sherwood "Dick" Brady.

By 1930 the Bradys made their permanent home at 815 Braddock Road in Forest Hills, Allegheny County, PA.

On March 23, 1964, Jacob died suddenly at home of heart disease. He was 81. An obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said he was survived by nine grandchildren.

Bess remained in her longtime Braddock Road home for the rest of her life. Suffering from heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer, she died less than two years after her spouse, in Braddock General Hospital, on Jan. 30, 1966. Her son Jacob signed the official Pennsylvania certificate of death.

They are buried at Restland Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroeville, Allegheny County, PA.

The family resided in Linesville, Crawford County, PA, where Pete worked for the department of forestry and waters.

He died on July 25, 1978 in Greenville, PA, at the age of 72.

It is not known what kind of relationship he may have had with with his birth mother.

He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, holding the rank of private first class. Evidence suggests that he spent his life as a bachelor.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette once noted that he "was a gentle and caring soul to all who knew him."

Sadly, Jacob died at the age of 95 on April 28, 2014. In his Post-Gazette obituary, the family asked that any memorial donations be made to the Salvation Army.

Son Clarence Lytle "El" Brady (1919-2022) was born on Oct. 6, 1919 in Lilly, PA. He also carried the nicknames "C.L." and "Brady."

He was a 1939 graduate of North Braddock High School and then was employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was a government work relife program that put men to work, tasked with making improvements to conserving and developing natural resources and the national park system. His monthly salary was $30, of which he kept $5 and sent the rest home. He joined the U.S. Air Force during World War II, holding the rank of lieutenant.

Said an obituary, "He received his Aviation Wings in June of 1944 and became a P-51 fighter pilot in the Air Force during WWII. He flew his P-51 fighter from 1943 to 1945 and carried out 40 missions in the pacific theater. One memorable day, he and his 341st fighter squadron were flying back from a mission over Japan when they noticed a very bright flash of light. They would soon find out that they had witnessed the dropping of the first atomic bomb."

After returning home, he enrolled in Pittsburgh's Ad-Art School and then Penn State University in Williamsport.

On June 17, 1950, at the Covenant-Central Presbyterian Church, Clarence was joined in wedlock with Jean L. Peeling ( ? - ? ), whom he had met at a YWCA dance. She was daughter of Clarence A. Peeling of near Williamsport. Rev. William A. Morrison officiated, with the news published in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Jean was an alumna of Williamsport High School, and at the time of marriage she was employed in the local office of Bell Telephone Company. Their union endured the ebbs and flows of an extraordinary 72 years together.

Three offspring born to this couple were Susan Jeanne Brady, Mark William Brady and Michael Robert Brady.

Clarence first was employed as an advertising artist by Sears, Roebuck & Company. He rejoined the Air Force during the Korean War, assigned to radar control duty. He remained in the military for 27 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel, and retiring in 1970. As a civilian, he obtained a position teaching fifth grade at El Mirage Elementary School. His career as an educator lasted for 15 years.

Clarence loved to travel and is known to have visited Australia, China, Europe and South America as well as every state in the USA. He liked to work with his hands crafting furniture, artworks and paintings. At Munds Park, he constructed a cabin "from the ground up." Their final residence together was in Litchfield Park, AZ.

He died at the age of 102 on May 16, 2022. Funeral rites were conducted at the Church at Litchfield Park.

Son Michael Robert Brady ( ? - ? ) tied the marital cord with Stephanie ( ? - ? ).

The brood of four children they bore together were David Charles Airhart, Diane E. Myers, Donna Thiem and Dorre Weiss.

Charles spent 37 years as sports editor of the Braddock Free Press near Pittsburgh. He often was quoted in Al Abrams' and Joe Browne's columns in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for his observational skills and knowledge of statistics and accomplishments.

The couple dwelled in the Braddock and Swissvale neighborhoods of the city. Their address in 1950 was 1625 Oakgrove Avenue. He was an avid bowler, and they enjoyed summer vacations to Geneva-on-the-Lake.

Grief blanketed the family when Betty died on Oct. 8, 1981 at the untimely age of 60. Her remains were laid to rest in Jefferson Memorial Park in Pittsburgh's South Hills.

Charles survived his wife by two decades and stayed in Swissvale. He was elected to the East Boros Hall of Fame and in the summer of 1982 received a testimonial dinner at the Braddock Elks Club.

He surrendered to the spirit of death on the Fourth of July 2001. His obituary was published in the Post-Gazette. His mass of Christian burial was conducted at the Word of God Parish of St. Anselm Church in Swissvale.

Son David Charles Airhart (1950- ? ) was born in 1950. News of his birth was printed in the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. David resided in Penn Hills near Pittsburgh in 2001.

Daughter Diane Airhart married (?) Myers. She dwelled in Levittown, PA in 2001. They are believed to be the parents of Sara Myers.

Daughter Donna Airhart wed James Thiem. They put down roots in the Pittsburgh suburb of Forest Hills.

Daughter Dorre Airhart was united in matrimony with Daniel Weiss ( ? - ? ), son of Edward and Lottie M. (Hebrock) Weiss. Circa 2001, they were in Wilkins Township, and in 2004 in Penn Hills, both near Pittsburgh.

Published on Minerd.com with permission