Biographies & Obituaries

Biographies and Obituaries contain much of the same information, they are presented here in alphabetical order by the persons surname. If you have a biography or obituary to share, contact the coordinator.

BELL, JOHN C., of Montrose, Colo., was educated in the private schools of Prof. Rufus Clark and of Professors Hampton and Miller, in Franklin County, Tenn.; read law in Windchester, Tenn.; admitted to the bar of that State in 1874, and the same year moved to Colorado and commenced the practice of law at Saguache in June, 1874; appointed county attorney of Saguache County and served until May, 1876, when he resigned and moved to Lake City, Colo.; elected county clerk of Hinsdale County in 1878; twice elected mayor of Lake City, and in August, 1885, resigned that postition, and, forming a law partnership with Hon. Frank C. Goudy, moved to Montrose; in November, 1888, elected judge of the seventh judicial district of Colorado for a period of six years; elected to the fifty-third, Fifty-fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, and Fifty-seventh Congresses as a Democrat; defeated for the Fifty-eighth Congress.
Source: Congressional Serial Set, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1903
Contributed by MaryAlice Schwanke

CUMMINGS, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN M. D., county coroner and physician of Hinsdale County, and medical examiner for the Banker's Life Insurance company of Des Moines, is one of the rising young physicians and surgeons of Lake City. He was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1871, a son of John H. and Mary M. (Boulter) Cummings, natives of Canada, the former of Scotch parentage, the latter of English descent. His father, who was in early manhood a farmer, afterward turned his attention to merchandising, and conducted a store in Wartworth, a town named by George D. Cummings in honor of his old home in Scotland. He continued in the mercantile business until his death, which occurred in 1879. His family consisted of ten children, of whom six still survive. One of the sons, George D., is a practicing physician at Florence, Colo.; another, John H., died in Los Angeles, Cal., in 1881; and Elhanan W., who was in the employ of the Wells-Fargo Express Company, died in Nogales, Ariz., in 1890.

The youngest of the sons, and the next to the youngest in the family, was the subject of this sketch. His education was begun in a grammar school and afterward continued for two terms in a high school. At seventeen years of age he came to Colorado and visited the different parts of the state, then went to Old Mexico and was engaged in railroad work in the western part of that country, on the Gulf of California. From there, in May, 1890, he went to Kalispell, Mont., where he and his brother, George D., started the first drug store in Flathead County. With a desire to enter upon professional work, in 1892 he matriculated in Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York, where he remained for two years. During that time he passed the regent's examination with high honors and was given a diploma which entitled him to admission to any college in the United States. His college studies were concluded with a nine months' course in the University of colorado, from which he graduated, with the degree of M. D., in 1895.

After practicing for a shore time in Denver, Dr. Cummings went to Montague County, Tex., and there engaged in practice until he came to Lake City, Colo., in December, 1896. Since April, 1898, he has been county physician and since February 1st of that year has acted as examiner for the Bankers' Life Insurance Company, while the position of coroner was tendered him in November, 1897. During his residence in Texas he filled the position of examining physician for the New York Mutual Life Insurance Company, and since coming to Lake City he has been physician to the New York Mutual Life and the Union Casualty and Surety Company. Politically he is a Democrat, and fraternally is connected with Silver Star Lodge No. 27, I. O. O. F., of Lake City, and is also examining physician for Neoga Tribe No. 57, I. O. R. M. He was married on the 12th of December, 1897, his wife being Ida M., daughter of T. L. Beam, of Lake City
Source: Portrait and Biographical Record of the State of Colorado: Containing Portraits and Biographies of Many Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Part 2, 1899
Contributed by MaryAlice Schwanke

HINSDALE, HONORABLE GEORGE AARON ' (Mitchell' Aaron' Joseph4 Isaac' Barnabas2 Robert1), Lieutenant- Governor of Colorado, son of Judge Mitchell Hinsdale and Dorothy Weed, his wife, born at Hinesburg, Vt., December 21, 1826, died at Pueblo, Col, January 15, 1874. He was graduated from Michigan University, Ann Arbor, in 1849. He married at Cloverport, Ky., October 9, 1856, Josephine Murray Sebastian, born at Clover- port, Ky., May 5, 1834, fourth daughter of Doctor Charles Benjamin Sebastian and Elizabeth Murray, his wife. A year or two after his marriage, he came West and settled in Dakota, Neb., where he engaged in the practice of law. In 1859, he was elected and served as a member of the Nebraska legislature from his district. He suffered from asthma and in 1860 removed to Colorado, and was cured of his malady. He first engaged in mining in California Gulch, and in the fall of 1860, went to Canon City, which had just been laid out as a wintering town for miners, and he there built one of the first dwellings. In 1863 he settled in Pueblo, Col., when there were scarcely a half dozen families there, living in the rudest of huts. In 1864, he removed to San Louis in Costilla County, where he lived nearly two years, during which time he acquired a good knowledge of the Spanish language, and in the sum mer of 1866, he moved back to Pueblo, where he engaged in the practice of law, and where he lived until his death. At the election upon the adoption of the State Constitu tion in 1865, he was elected Lieutenant-Governor upon the Democratic ticket, being the only Democrat elected on the state ticket, and as such presided over the joint session of the State Legislature which was held at Denver, in 1865, and which elected Governor John Evans and Honorable Jerome B. Chaffee, United State Senators under the enabling Act for state admission, the Bill for which passed Congress but was vetoed by President John son. In 1868, he was elected member of the Territorial Council, and at the session of 1870, was chosen President of that body. He was a member of the first board of trustees of the town of Pueblo after its incorporation, and at the time of his death, was president of the city School Board, and County Attorney of Pueblo County. He rilled numerous offices of public trust and honor and was identified with the history and growth of Southern Colorado. One of the counties of the state bears his name. In politics he was always a Democrat of the finest type, and as one of the leaders of the party in Colorado, he held the respect of his political opponents by his ability no less than his sincerity, fidelity and conscientious in tegrity. His somewhat peculiar bent of mind, his un selfish nature, and his love of poetry and general litera ture divested him of all tendency to financial scheming in business pursuits, and he was not, therefore, what may be called a money-making man. He left three children, one of whom was born a few hours after the death of the father.
Children:
1354. i. MARY, born at Sargent's Bluff, la., Aug., 1857; died Sept., 1857.
1355. ii. CHARLES MITCHELL, born July 24, 1858; married Clara Emelia Dempsey.
1356. iii. GENEVIEVE, born at Pueblo, Col., Dec. 21, 1866.
1357. iv. GEORGE AARON, born at Pueblo, Jan. 16, 1874.
Source: "Hinsdale Genealogy: Descendants of Robert Hinsdale of Dedham, Medfield, Hadley and Deerfield", by the late Herbert Cornelius Andrews, Sanford Charles Hinsdale, Alfred L Holman, Copyright 1906 by Alfred Hinsdale Andrews, pp 278-279, individual #742.
Transcribed by MaryAlice Schwanke.

HINSDALE, GEORGE A. (1826-1874) Best known as George A. Hinsdale we assume his middle name was Aaron because the Masonic Cemetery records (in Pueblo, Colorado) list him as George Aaron Hinsdale. His son, born near the time of his death (January i5, 1874) was also named George A. Hinsdale.

George A. Hinsdale Sr. was born December 21, 1826 in Hinesburg, Vermont. He was one of six brothers born to Mitchell Hinsdale. His mother's name is unknown. His father Mitchell Hinsdale was a lawyer and once a member of Congress from Vermont.

In 1833 the Mitchell Hinsdale family moved to Michigan where George A. Hinsdale attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and graduated in the "Classical Course." He studied law and worked in his father's law office for several years and became interested in Civil Engineering.

He was in charge Of the Works of the channel Coal Mining Company on the Ohio River near Hawsville, Kentucky when he met Josephine M. Sebastian of Kentucky and they married in 1856. In 1858 Hinsdale moved to Dakota, Nebraska and established a law practice. In 1859 he was elected to the Nebraska Legislature from the Dakota District. Troubled by asthma in 1860 he assembled his belongings, wife, infant son (name was probably Charles) in an ox drawn cart and joined the Colorado Gold Rush where he mined in the California Gulch (Leadville) area.

In the fall of 1860 he went to the town of Canon City which was being laid out for wintering miners. There he built one of the first dwellings and framed a Code of Laws and organized the first people's court. In 1863 he relocated to Pueblo and joined the twelve other families that had established here.

In 1864 he moved to the town of San Luis in the San Luis Valley where he learned the Spanish language and became familiar with their customs. In 1865 he moved back to Pueblo and practiced law until his death.

Hinsdale held many volunteer and elected positions of trust that helped form Pueblo and Southern Colorado. Member of the first Board of Trustees for the Town of Pueblo; President of the School Board (Pueblo District #I); County Attorney; President of the Public Library Association; one of the founders and Trustee Of Pueblo's first church (St. Peter's Episcopal), leadership of the Democratic Party, etc.

At the election upon the adoption of the State Constitution in 1865, Hinsdale was elected to the office of Lt. Governor of the Territory. The only Democrat elected. (Interesting to note that Hinsdale County is predominately Republican today.)

AS Lt. Governor he presided over the December 1865 joint session of the state Legislature in Denver which elected John Evans and J. B. Chaffee as U. S. Senators under the Enabling Act. Evans and Chaffee were approved by the U. S. Congress but vetoed by President Johnson.

In 1868 Hinsdale was elected a member of the Territorial Council and during the 1870 Session was chosen President of that body.

In June 1868 Southern Colorado's first newspaper, the "Colorado chieftain" was established. George Hinsdale and Wilbur Stone served as editors. Later Stone was to serve as chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In 1871 Hinsdale and others organized the Pueblo Printing Company to publish "The People" aka "Pueblo's People" newspaper with Hinsdale Serving as the editor until 1874.

Hinsdale became ill after the 1873 County Court Session and died two weeks later. An excerpt from his obituary demonstrated the esteem and respect citizens of Pueblo and Southern Colorado had for Hinsdale. "The Cornet Band played and every vehicle in town was in the one half mile funeral procession. Many walked (two miles) to the burial site representing all ranks of society-from the rich banker who trusted his integrity to the ragged Mexican "paissanos" for whom he was a benefactor and friend".

In February 1874 when portions of Conejos and Summit counties were combined to form a new county the Legislature named it Hinsdale County in his honor. In 1883, Pueblo, School District #1 built an Elementary School at Seventh and Grand and named it in his honor. His daughter Genevieve was teaching there in 1885. The School was later sold and razed.

Because of his status, Hinsdale's grave in the Masonic Cemetery was probably marked even though no record of such exists. His wife Josephine and children Charles, Genevieve, and George had moved from Pueblo by 1892. The burial location of Josephine in Oregon may be the only one known.

In 1922 the Masonic Lodge had the remains of Hinsdale and six other persons disinterred from the Masonic Cemetery and moved to Roselawn Cemetery Block 13, Lot 438. Hinsdale's remains were buried in space #4 on 11/4/1922 and recorded as burial #17359. His grave at Roselawn was not marked until funds were raised by the Pueblo County Historical Society in 1998, including a contribution from Hinsdale County, to erect an appropriate headstone.

Additional information and two images of Hinsdale can be found in the files of the Pueblo County Historical Society and special collections Department of the McClelland Public Library. A search for living relatives and/or information about the Hinsdale family has been placed on the Internet by the Pueblo County Historical Society.
Source: Information prepared by the Pueblo County Historical Society

LaMear, Amanda J (Hinton, O'Brion)
I have been researching for many years for the family of my greatgrandfather, George William Hinton, who was born in 1839 in Missouri. I found my family living in Salt Pond, Saline County, Missouri at the time of his birth and that of his brother, Thomas J. (John?) and sister, Amanda. They lived with their parents, Thomas Yarnell Hinton, and Margaret (Spotts) Hinton.

I have the life story of George Hinton, especially of his life in California, so I went looking for his siblings. I may have discovered the family of Thomas John Hinton in Vermont - but that is another story that is yet to be discovered. I welcome correspondence with anyone who is interested in this family and who has further information to help me complete the Hinton-Henton family story.

Amanda's story at this time is presented from only the information I have found online and is, unfortunately, not a complete biography for her life. I only wish I had a photo of her to add to this story.

Amanda J. Hinton Obrion Lamear moved from Missouri, to Colorado about 1900 and lived in Pueblo and Hinsdale Counties until sometime after the 1930 Census which listed her as 85. Amanda Hinton, the daughter of Thomas Yarnell Hinton and Margaret Spotts Hinton, was born April 1844 in Salt Pond, Saline County, Missouri. She had two brothers, George William Hinton born 1839 and Thomas J. Hinton, born about 1846.

I have not found information about Amanda's early life in Saline County or possibly Pettis County, Missouri. Her father died 24 March 1851, presumably in Salt Pond, Missouri. Unfortunately, we do not have any record of her mother after the 1850 Census. Margaret was young when she became a widow in the early 30s, she owned a large parcel of land and had three small children to raise - so it is possible that she remarried; however, no marriage record has been found, nor do we know her death date.

Amanda's brothers, George and John (Thomas J. ?) left home in 1860 and moved to California. There is much family speculation why George at about twenty-one years old and his brother of about fourteen years old would leave their mother and sister alone in Missouri. We, in California, only have oral stories left by George to his children. According to what we have been told, the two boys left Chillicothe, Missouri about 1860 (they are not shown in the 1860 Census), for California; George remained in California and John moved on to Oregon then to Canada, where the family lost track of him. As George was my greatgrandfather, I do have more information on him than his siblings, however, this story focuses on Amanda.

Amanda's First Marriage
Amanda remained in Missouri, and she married her first husband, John O'Brion/O'Brien on August 7, 1859 in Pettis County, Missouri, the county just south of Saline County. John O'Brion was born between 1835 and 1845 in Northern Ireland. I have found very little on John other than he served in the Civil War and died after 1874. Amanda and John had at least five children, according to the 1870 Saline COunty, Missouri Census.
Children of Amanda Hinton and John O'Brion are:
1. Anna E. O'Brion, born about 1862 in Salt Pond, Saline County, Missouri.
2. Margaret C. O'Brion, born about 1866 in Salt Pond, Saline County, Missouri. Margaret was called 'Maggie.'
3. Ida M. O'Brion, born either August 11, 1867 or January 22, 1868 in Saline County, Missouri. She died October 12, 1955 in Pueblo, Pueblo County, Colorado. She married Emil W. Soderholm in 1906 in Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming. Emil was born October 18, 1874 at Fremont, Washington County, Nebraska. He died January 23, 1962 in Pueblo, Colorado.
4. Thomas J. O'Brion, born about 1869 in Salt Pond, Saline County, Missouri.
5. John O'Brion, born about 1874, probably in Saline County, Missouri.

Amanda's Second Marriage
Amanda next married Peter F. LaMear on April 22, 1879 in St. Peter's Church, of Marshall, Saline County, Missouri. Peter LaMear was born about 1836 in Canada. He had previouslky been married to Mary Holland and brought children to this marriage; we do not have the death date of Mary. According to the 1880 Census, these LaMear children were Jno. B., age 7; William D., age 4. Interestingly, the older O'Brion children were using the LaMear name at the time of the 1880 Census.

Peter LaMear served in the Civil War in G Company, 2nd Missouri Cavalry on the Confederate side of the war. He was inducted and discharged with the rate of PRivate. He is shown in the Civil War Pension Index.

In the 1880 Census, the LaMear family was living in the town of Marshall, Saline County, Missouri and consisted of:
Peter F. LaMear, self, age 44, born in Canada, brick maker, parents born in Canada
Amanda J. LaMear, wife, age 36, born in Missouri
Ida LaMear, daughter, age 16, born Missouri
Thomas LaMear, son, age 12, born Missouri
Maggie O'Bryan, step-daughter, age 14, born Missouri
John O'Bryan, step-son, age 6, born Missouri
Jno. B. LaMear, son, age 7, born Missouri
William D. LaMear, son, age 4, born Missouri
Milton Neely, other relationship, age 28, born Ohio, brick maker
Hugh McCan, other, age 78, born Ireland, laborer
Spencer Cavil, other, age 20, born Missouri, laborer

In a telephone conversation with Robert Lamear, a greatgrandson of Peter, he told me that Peter lost a leg in the war and later moved his family to the St. Louis, Missouri area. He has little other information on Peter - he also does not have Peter's death date. As there is no 1890 Census, I have not found them in St. Louis.

At what point did Amanda and any other family members move West? This I do not know, however she is shown in the 1900 Census, living in Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado, household 154-156:
Lamear, Amanda white female, born April 1844, last birthday 56, widow, MO MO MO

No other family members are shown living with her on that page.

Amanda is next found in the 1910 Census of Pueblo, Colorado, household 527-97-143:
Lamear, Amanda J., head, white, age 75, born Missouri, father born Kentucky, mother born Tennessee

Next she is found living with her daughter and son-in-law:
1930 Census Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado, household 57, 35
Soderholm, Emil, head, 2000, age 55, first married age 34, born Nebraska, parents born Sweden, merchant, general store
Soderholm, Ida M., wife, age 19, Missouri, Northern Ireland, Missouri
Lamear, Amanda J., mother-in-law, age 84, widow, first married age 19, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee

At this point I have no further information on Amanda - I do not know her death date nor just where she is buried. I am hoping that there is someone in Colorado who will be able to help me with finding this information. I would dearly love to find a real live descendant or relative of Amanda - or Ida - who can help me complete her life story.

I am waiting to receive the obituaries of Ida and Emil. The obituary for Emil W. Soderholm appears in the Pueblo Chieftain of January 23, 1962 and the obituary of Ida Soderholm appears in the Pueblo Chieftain of October 14, 1955.
Contributed by Margie Hinton February 15, 2003
End Notes:
1. Amanda must have left Missouri sometime after the 1880 Census and before she is found in Hinsdale County, Colorado in 1900.
2. This information was handed down to us by George William Hinton's youngest son, Tolly Hinton.
3. members.tripod.com/2ndmocavcsa/roster_.htm (website is defunct)
4. 1880 Census, Marshall, Saline, Missouri, Family History Library Film 1254716, National Archives Film Number T9-0716 Page Number 500C.
5. 1900 Census, Colorado, Hinsdale County, Lake City, ED 2. Sup 42, page 7-B, Ancestry scanned page 14 of 36.