Isaac Bracy was born on November 5, 1844, in Blanchard Township, Putnam County, Ohio, son of John and Mary (Bedway) Brazee/Bracy.  John Brazee/ Bracy was born about fifty miles from Paris, France, in 1812 and came to America with John Steiner, who settled in Allen County in 1831.  In return for the expense occurred by Mr. Steiner for his trip, he worked for him for one year after his arrival in this country.  At the expiration of this year, Mr. Steiner entered eighty acres of land in Blanchard Township, for Mr. Bracy, about one and one half miles south if the present town of Gilboa.   For this he worked an additional two years
for Mr. Steiner and then started out for himself on his eighty acres in 1834.  

About this time he was twenty-four years old.  He went to Wayne county, Ohio, and there was married to Mary Bedway, daughter of Joseph Bedwell and wife, who were pioneers of Wayne County and who, like Mr. Bracy, were Natives of France.  After his marriage John Bracy settled on the eighty acres which he had entered and he and his wife took their wedding journey behind a yoke of oxen to their new-found home in the wilderness.  This trip occupied several days, being over 100 miles. 
They built a cabin, fourteen by eighteen feet, in the woods and for several years, they had nothing but ground floor and a stick chimney, built on the outside of the wall for a fireplace.  They started to clear the land and as fast as they cleared a little piece, they planted a crop.  It is related that in those days of their early struggles and hardships, John Bracy was compelled to go on horse-back to Tiffin, Ohio, fifty miles, to mill with a two-bushed sack of grain, the trip sometimes taking a week. 

At times when they ran out of meal, he would take corn on the cob and grate it on a homemade grater, consisting of a piece of tin with nail holes punched through it.  This product was used to make bread.  Mrs. Bracy spun her own flax, but later the flax was taken to an old woman by the name of Butler, who had a loom, and there the flax was woven into linsey cloth, which material had to serve for clothing for all members of the family.  After their first few years of privations and hardships, they succeeded, by dint of energy, in becoming quite comfortable and in that day were considered prosperous.  

From time to time John Bracy added to his original land holdings until, when he died in 1872 he owned four hundred acres.  His wife died in November, 1865.  To this union were born five children, Mary Jane, deceased, who was the wife of G.W. Devore of Carroll County and who had nine children, four daughters and five sons;  Jerusha who is the wife of Aurora Geisinger of Blanchard Township and has two daughters and one son;  Isaac, the subject of this sketch;  John, who married Esther Harris, and who has two daughters and one son, and Violet, who died in infancy.

John Bracy was married a second time, in December 1867 to Mrs. Sarah (Pence) Jones of Putnam County, but formerly of Allen County.  To this union were born two children, one son and a daughter.

Isaac Bracy received his early education in the district schools of Blanchard township.  He remained on the old homestead until he was eighteen years old, when he enlisted in the Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, on September 7, 1863.  He saw active service in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.  He participated in the work of exterminating
Morgan's Raiders in Kentucky, which terminated at Mt. Sterling, June 11, 1864.  After this he was engaged in Scouting expeditions, raids and advance work after the western campaign.  Among others he served General Sherman. He was discharged at Lexington, Kentucky, July 3, 1865.

After the war, Isaac Bracy returned home and occupied him self with farming and bunching cattle.  He was married to Mary A. Crawfis on January 17, 1867, daughter of Lewis and Mary Ann (Henderson) Crawfis, pioneers of Putnam County, Ohio.  She died on July 28, 1887.  To this union were born eight children, Lewis J., who died in infancy; Charles of Cabri, Saskatchewan, Canada, who married Pearl Conine and has two children, Reva and Kenneth;  Wildy P., who married Nellie Miller and has three children, two boys and a girl; Carey, who married Arlowa Todd and has three children, Cloyd, Delia, and Lena; May who is unmarried and lives at home; Mate who is the wife of D.U. McCullough and has four children, Leonard, Lawrence, Naomi, and Dorothy;  Isaac who is unmarried  and at present is in California; Ada who is widow of James Cober, of Ottawa, Ohio and has one child, Ruby.

After his marriage, Isaac Bracy rented the old home place from his father for two years, and after he purchased eighty acres, three miles north of Gilboa, and moved there in the spring of 1869.  He sold out three years later and moved to the northern part of Riley township. 
Mr. Bracy owns this farm of 120 acres which was later cleared and improved by him.  A little later he bought the old homestead of his half-brother, though he continued to farm the place in Riley township until 1900, at which time he retired and moved to Gilboa, where he now resides. 

Since his retirement, Mr Bracy has spent his time, partly at his home in Gilboa and partly in traveling.  Mr Bracy has owned as much as three hundred acres of land and has made his money in raising, buying and selling stock, as well as in general farming.  He has been a director in the bank at Gilboa and one time owned a heavy interest in this bank.

Mr Bracy is a Democrat and throughout his life has been influential in the politics of his community.  He has served as township treasurer for seven years and has also served twenty-three years as a member of the school board of Riley Township.  For six years he was trustee of Riley township.  Mr Bracy is a member of the Ottawa Lodge No. 325, Free and Accepted Masons, and Gilboa Lodge No. 459, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

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