Charles E. Clark, the son of Moses Hobart Clark and Elnira Elizabeth Woodbury, was born 10 May 1860 in Craftsbury, Vermont. He died 19 April 1903 in Barnet, Vermont and is buried in Wolcott, Vermont. Charles married Anna Solomon in July 1886 and had one child, Lucile, before Anna died in June 1895. He married Flora M. Thompson in November 1897 in Wolcott. Their son George was born in 1901 and Madge, a posthumous child, was born in August of 1903.
Charles was the fourth child of his parents with two older brothers and one older and one younger sister. The first four children died in the order they were born and all before their parents. Helen Langford, a niece of "Charlie" Clark's prepared a typescript on the Clark Family and I will quote from her work several times. Frank died of pneumonia. "He got up too soon to help his father, caught cold, had a relapse, went into a quick consumption and died at the age of 19...for years Lucile A. Clark had a ball in the front room. All one could see were the cloves as this was a apple that he held in his hand but was unable to eat it. His last words were, 'Lord, I'm coming". (HL)
George Clark was reputed to be one of the most brilliant men that ever came out of Morrisville Academy. He taught Latin and planned to go to college. In June 1877 while helping his father in the woods he was killed by a falling tree. "His mother walked from the house to the barn so much that the path could be seen late in the fall. They were afraid for her mind. The Rev. John Langford held morning prayers one day when she finally broke down and cried" (HL)
In August 1891 Lizzie Clark Langford went to visit her parents in Wolcott and while there was taken ill with typhoid fever. She died on 10 September of that year, leaving motherless her two young sons.
The story of Charlie Clark's death is preserved in a letter from Lucille Clark Hoskins to her half sister, Madge. Lucille was 14 when her father died.
I should have written you about your-- our-- father's death, perhaps Mamma told you but if not here it is. If he could have died as God meant to and if death could be called beautiful, he had or would have had a beautiful death. He asked first where George was-- he was at Grandpa's across the road-- he wanted to bid him goodbye. Mamma said something like "you think you are going to die". Yes, he was going to die that day. He bid us all goodbye-- said it was a beautiful day--- but it was a dreary April day. He was happy, said "tell Mother goodbye". She had had a shock the January before. Somehow a nurse arrived and commenced to give "hypos". Mamma said "is it necessary to do this" and she said "we always do". Papa got so he would draw away when she came to give them, he went out of his head and said things he never would have said in his right mind, and finally died the 19th, not the day he bid us goodbye. Mamma said no one would ever do that to any of her loved ones again, but of course that's what doctors and nurses do. I have myself*. They looked at as long as there is life there is hope".
*Lucille trained and worked as a nurse.
Here is the link to the web album for Charles Clark and Flora Thompson:
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