Lucretia Stout Brewer, wife of Wiley Brewer, and her sister, Sarah Ann Stout Willet, mother of Mary Elizabeth Willet Brewer

This is a historic family picture taken about 1920.  The older women is Lucretia Stout Brewer (1828-1922), wife of Wiley Brewer (1832-1864).  The girl is Mary Ethel Shoemaker (1909-1996), Lucretia's step great granddaughter.  The boy is Willie Harrison Brewer (1918-2003), Lucretia's great grandson and the son of Thomas Benjamin Wiley Brewer (1882-1952) and Noney Lee Shoemaker (1885-1942).  Thomas Benjamin and Noney Lee married in 1917.  Noney Lee was a widow with several children from her first marriage including Mary Ethel.  Mary Ethel helped care for the young Willie Harrison whom the couple welcomed in 1918.  

Lucretia was the daughter of Jesse Stout and Sarah Roach of Chatham County, NC.  She was an impressive woman who alone raised eight children during the difficult days of the Civil War and Reconstruction.  Her granddaughter, Ora Una Brewer Connolly, said she never weighed more than 95 pounds.  Lucretia outlived all eight of her children.  You'll see more detail on her in "Stories from Our Ancestors" below.  This is the only known picture of Lucretia.

Lucretia's sister was Sarah Ann Stout Willet (1837-1930), wife of John C. Willet (1836-before 1870).  Sarah Ann's and John's daughter was Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Willet (1862-1907).  Betty married her cousin Jerry Lee Brewer  (1861-1903).  Jerry and Betty are the ancestors of a major branch of our family.  The Brewer, Stout, and Willet families are interwoven in our history.  In the "Letters from Our Ancestors" section below are several letters from our Stout ancestors.