Obit: French, Robert B. Sr. (1838 - 1909)

Contact: Stan      

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: French, Kennedy, O’Brien

----Source: Neillsville Times (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 05/27/1909

French, Robert B. Sr. (1838 - 22 MAY 1909)

Slowly, one by one, the pioneers of Clark County are passing away and Saturday Robert B. French Sr., who has seen Clark County develop from a wilderness of pine trees to a garden spot, passed into the great unknown.  Death has thus closed a remarkable life, a career fraught with hardships and sunshine.  The deceased lived a most exemplary life, one that was ideal in many respects.  For some time he had been in failing health, but not until last Thursday was he in a dangerous condition.  At that time he was taken with a stroke of apoplexy, from which he did not recover.

Robert B. French was descended from Mayflower Pilgrims.  He was born in 1838 in Chautauqua Co., N.Y.  His father, Capt. John French, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and his grandfather served in the Revolutionary War at the age of 14.  He traces his genealogy to the pilgrim fathers, Capt. John French was a native of Vermont, marrying Nancy Kennedy.  With his family Capt. French left his native state and moved to Pennsylvania, and in 1842 emigrated overland to Iowa.  In 1858 Robert French left the parental home and came to the Black River Valley, a few years later securing a portion of the land it the town of Levis (Clark Co., Wis.) that became his home until his death.  In 1864 Mr. French was united in marriage to Ella O’Brien who died in 1891.  Mr. French was the youngest and only child of a family of twelve children.  He is survived by one son, Robert B. French Jr.

During all the years that Mr. French lived in Clark County, he was identified with the progressive and enterprising element.  He served on the river, was a logger, a sawmill man, and in 1873 went to Hatfield and conducted a hotel for many years, after returing to his Levis homestead.  He was an extensive reader, was continually in touch with all topics of the day and a most intelligent conversationalist.  A kindlier man never lived, and the animals and birds about the farm seemed to realize that at the hand of this charitable man no harm could come.  His memory was of the utmost keenness, and in his death the pages of a veritable encyclopedia of history, wit, anecdotes of the earlier days of Clark County are closed forever.  His death is generally condoned, and at the homecoming this fall he will be most sincerely missed.

The funeral occurred Monday afternoon at the family residence, Rev. Burrows officiating, and was attended by a large number of his sorrowing associates.