Bethania Crandall Dunlap

Bethania, seventh of nine children of Richard Crandall and Abigail Crane (descendent of Jonathan Crane, Revolutionary soldier) was born at Burdette, Tompkins County, New York, December 28, 1829; she was educated at Courtlandville public school and academy and taught in the village. Later she attended the normal school at Albany from which she was graduated with honor in 1849.

She came to Walworth County, Wisconsin in 1852. She then received a certificate from Hon. Charles M. Baker which admitted her to Wisconsin teachership and taught in Beloit, Wisconsin.

December 21, 1853 she married Charles Dunlap, then a resident of North Geneva and their children were born and raised to maturity there. Her marriage and motherhood did not withdraw her wholly from keenly intelligent interest in general reading, special study and the progress of history-making events; nor did these matters of the great world beyond her threshold make her a whitless and helpful wife and careful mother. She neither sought nor found literary eminence, but she was often an unknown contributor on such topics of general interest as well befit the pen of a clearly-seeing, kindly-judging, womanly woman -- and on such topics as "Inconsistencies, Enjoyment of Life, The Old Kitchen and its Influence, Weeds and Work While you Work", are found among her subjects. For many years she wrote for the Rural New Yorker.

She, like the sturdy pioneers worked industriously and lived plainly, but they were not more averse to amusements than their descendants are at this day. One particular enjoyment was the Donation parties which were held during the winter. Every one went regardless of his individual opinions. It was often noticed with smiles that as many as eight babies were asleep on the same bed. They had little money to give but of the necessities of life they gave with lavish generosity.

A trip to town to purchase dry goods and other supplies, made in a lumber wagon with a grasshopper seat, as it was called, freshened the toilers on the farm. The County Fair was a boom not only to the farmers, bound to a rut in his methods, but to the busy farmer's wife it brought a needed and healthful change.

The work of these enduring spirits opened the way for churches, schools and other desirable and important helps to society.

As accessible markets were opened near their homes, some of the openhanded generosity of the old times changed to more careful attention to the yearly revenue. The foot peddler who carried his stock tied up in a couple of bandanna hankerchiefs was no longer entertained over night free of cost, that the family might look over his supply of needles, pins, thread, and other necessities, buying carefully of him what they needed.

The free off-hand speech of casual acquaintances who saw in each other warm friends has changed to more conventional greetings.

Cultivation has done much to change the face of the country, as well as to increase the fortunes of the tillers of the soil. The rolling prairie and the adjacent woodland is as beautiful as ever to the practical eye, perhaps more so, but the lovely wild flowers have disappeared. The cattle that grazed over the pastures, together with the plow and the drag have left hardly a vestage of the painted-cup, the dainty fringed gentian, cardinal flower and the lady slipper which have given place to the weeds of scientific farming.

The fiftieth anniversary of Mrs. Dunlap's wedding finds many changes that time has wrought; the children have each found his own station in the busy walks of life; the neighbors in that pioneer life on the farm have long since scattered, many lie buried in the old cemetery on the hill and of the Yankee colony which entered the land and settled these fertile prairies scarcely one remains.

September 24, 1904 her death came after a trying illness.

Of her it was written "To know her casually was to confide at once in her perfect integrity and her entire freedom from conventional falsehood and hollowness. The graciousness of her face and manner was the true reflection of a heart that knew neither deceit nor unkindness."