George A. Clark 1835-1920

CLARK, BLANCHARD, THAYER, HAMSHER

Posted By: Sharon K Hesebeck (email)
Date: 12/29/2022 at 15:06:46

After a period of partial invalidism, which dates back to 1915, and a serious illness since the last of January, Geo. A. Clark, aged nearly 85 years, passed away at the family home near Royal on Friday afternoon at five o'clock. Members of his family were with him to the lust and, with the aid of skilled medical help, did all in their power to prolong a good and useful life. With the passing of Mr. Clark, the family has lust a loved one, the vicinity in which he lived a friends and neighbor, and the county one of Its pioneers.
George A. Clark was born in Smithville, Chenango county. New York, on April 23, 1835. In 1841 he came with his parents to Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood.
In 1857 he was united In marriage with Miss Rachael Blanchard and four years later they
decided to leave the east and try their fortunes in the west. They stopped for a short time in the then small town of Chicago, then pushed on farther west, settling near Eldora, Iowa. In 1871 they came to Clay county and settled on the homestead which was to be the future Clark home. Here, after a two years struggle with the early lift of the pioneer wife and mother, Mrs. Clark died, leaving in her husband's care the four little ones of which they had become the parents. The children are: Herbert, of Sparks, Maryland; Charles and Fred, of Baker, Montana; and Mrs. Susie Thayer, of Kansas City, Missouri.
During the same year the home was destroyed by fire and closely following this was the grass hopper devastation which so disheartened the early settlers of the county. Through all these trials and troubles Mr. Clark remained the cheerful optimist who sees tomorrow brighter than the dull today, and it is to such men that we give the credit for the foundation of the splendid county of today.
In 1870 Mr. Clark was again married, his bride being Miss Hattie A. Hamsher. To this union five children were born: Leon, Ross, Rolla, Pearl and Bernice, all residing on or near the home place.
Besides the wife and the children. Mr. Clark is survived by fifteen grandchildren and twenty-three great grandchildren, together with a host of friends.
Funeral services were held from the home on Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock conducted by the Rev. Herbert Marsh.
Interment was made in the Riverside Cemetery in Spencer.
Spencer News Herald, published in Spencer, Iowa on Thursday, February 12th, 1920