Family Stories of Loss in Printed Genealogy Book

My husband's family tree, like all family trees, includes many stories of happiness and heartache, luck and loss. We are fortunate that a descendant of his LARIMER patriarch recorded lots of these stories in a printed (now digitized) genealogy book, Larimer Family, 1740-1959. 

The author, John C. Work, and his father, Aaron C. Work, were (like my husband) descended from Robert Larimer, born in the North of Ireland and shipwrecked en route to America about 1740. Father and son contacted dozens of descendants over the years, and then wrote down what they were told, in as much detail as was available at the time.

Let me share just a few snippets of family loss recorded in this Larimer genealogy book, with the intent of keeping alive the memory of these long-ago ancestors:

Loss at an early age

Lucy E. Short died in 1858 before the age of 2. Her brother, Frank B. Short, died at age 32. William Larimer died in 1849 of cholera, age 30. His brother Isaac died of consumption in 1858. Jennie Landon Short died of heart disease, age 36, leaving a son. Eleanor Larimer Haglind died at age 37, leaving three young children. Many other infant deaths were recorded, most by name but some, sadly, were noted only as "child died in infancy."

Loss due to accident

Harvey J. Larimer died when he was hit by a board kiln. James Larimer died when he hit his head on frozen ground after being thrown from his horse. Amos Larimer and his family built a boat to sail from California to Oregon in the 1870s, but they never arrived and were never heard from again. Frank A. Evans lost his life in a streetcar accident, circa 1927. William Poyser died after being struck by a falling tree. John Larimer died after being infected by a deer bone splinter in 1843. 

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This is my "loss" post for Amy Johnson Crow's #52Ancestors challenge.

Gen Do-Over 2015: Finding Dr. Bartlett Larimer's Will from 1892

Dr. Bartlett Larimer (1833-1892) -- hubby's 2nd great-grand uncle -- had a thriving medical practice and had a major influence on the lives of his extended family, inspiring 2 nephews to become dentists and 2 nephews to become doctors. He died in January of 1892 and his will, made about a week before he died, was probated soon afterward.

As part of the Genealogy Do-Over, I was able to find the contents of Dr. Larimer's will among the newly-posted probate records on Ancestry!

The will begins: "In the name of the Benevolent Father of All." The good doctor's beneficiaries included his children, relatives of his late wife, Sarah E. Miller Larimer (1843-1881), and several children of his siblings, plus family friends (?).

• To his oldest son, Edson F. Larimer, 80 acres of land in Millersburg county, IN where the doctor was living when he made his will.
• To his second son, Bartlett Larimer Jr., 80 acres in Millersburg plus 40 acres in Perry township, Noble County, IN.
• To his third son, John S. Larimer, 35 acres of land in Perry township, plus more land in a different section of Perry township.
• To his niece, Margaret Anna Haglind (daughter of his sister Eleanor Larimer), 20 acres in Eden township, Lagrange county, IN, and $200.
• To his nephew, William Tyler Bentley Larimer (son of his brother Brice S. Larimer), a note held by the doctor for the sum of $350 plus interest. In other words, the note was forgiven by the will.
• To his nieces Emma O. Freeland and Margaret Jane McClure (daughters of Brice S. Larimer), $200 each.
• To his mother-in-law Elizabeth Miller and his sister-in-law Hester Miller Coy, interest on $2,000 on mortgage notes held by the doctor against William Haller and Lorenzo D. Haller. Also forgiveness of a note held against Hester by her brother-in-law for $40 and interest.
• To friends (?) Luella Widner, wife of Charles Widner, $200 and Leoter? Blanche Hard, wife of Hale Hard, $200.

Son Edson Franklin Larimer was the executor, and the witnesses were Charles F. Widner and Brice Larimer, who were also beneficiaries.

The will may also be a clue to what I've long suspected, that three of Dr. Larimer's children didn't live long enough to be named as beneficiaries: Ulysses Larimer, born about 1865 (of course), Alice Larimer, born about 1866, and William Larimer, born in 1868. RIP to these 1st cousins, 3x removed, of my hubby. 

52 Ancestors #42: John Larimer Haglind, Cousin and "Useful Citizen"

This week's post continues my look at hubby's Larimer family. His 1st cousin 3x removed was John Larimer Haglind (1852-1918), the first son of Eleanor Larimer and Eric Haglind. Born in Elkhart, IN, where many Larimers lived and worked, John and his family moved to Lagrange, IN when he was a teen.

Using Newspaper Archives (accessed through my membership in the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center), I was able to locate dozens of news snippets about this cousin.

During his life, John served in many civic roles, including as superintendent of a municipal water works, clerk of the town of Lagrange, recorder for the adjutant general in Lagrange county, and on and on.

As his obits show, he was also active in the Masons, Odd Fellows, and Knights of Pythias. Plus he found time to play the violin. As the newspaper says, "Mr. Haglind was a good man and a useful citizen and Lagrange sustains a great loss in his demise."

PS John's son, Harry W. Haglind, became a bandleader in the 23d Engineers during WWI and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. This means music runs in the family in the Larimer line as well as the Slatter line.