Henry Harrison Crofford (1862 - 1939)

Born 4 Apr 1862 in Parkman, Geauga, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Anna J. (Tubbs) Crofford — married about 27 Dec 1883 in Hamilton, Butler, Ohio, United States

Died 29 Apr 1939 at age 77 in Port Byron, Rock Island, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Henry was born in 1862. He was the son of Stephen Crofford. He passed away in 1939.

Newspapers

”Daily Times”, (Davenport, Iowa), 1939-Apr-29, page 16

Henry H. Crofford of Port Byron Dies

PORT BYRON, Ill. — (Special) — Henry H. Crofford, 77, of Port Byron died at his residence today at 10:30 a.m. following a heart attack. Mr. Crofford had been ill for two years and was confined to his bed for three months.

The decedent was born April 4, 1862, in Parkman, Ohio, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Crofford. He came to Port Byron when one year old and has resided here since that time.

On Dec. 27, 1883, Mr. Crofford married Anna Tubbs in Hamilton, Ohio. She preceded him in death Dec. 12, 1932. Mr. Crofford leaves no near relatives.

The body was removed to the Wendt funeral home.

”The Dispatch”, (Moline, Illinois), 1939-Apr-29, page 10

Henry H. Crofford of Port Byron, 77, Dies

Port Byron, April 29 — Henry H. Crofford, 77, died shortly before 11 this morning in his home in the village. He had lived here since he was one year old.

His parents were Stephen and Daphne Crofford. He was born in Parkman, O., and his mother died while his father was serving in the Union army during the Civil war. He came to Port Byron with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Merritt, and lived with Mr. and Mrs. Henry Merritt. He married Annie Tubbs in Hamilton, in 1883. She died in 1932.

Funeral services will probably be held Monday.

“The Dispatch”, (Moline, Illinois), 01 May 1939, page 7

CROFFORD LAST RITES HELD AT PORT BYRON

Port Byron, May 1. — Henry Harrison Crofford died in his home shortly before noon Saturday. He was a son of Stephen and Daphne Crofford, born in Parkman, O., April 4, 1862. On August 7 his father enlisted for the Civil war at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, O., as a private in Company F, 105th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, known as the Garfield regiment. Henry was then 4 months old. When he was but 6 months old, on October 4, his mother died.

After waiting a long time to hear from the father, his grandmother brought the baby to Port Byron on April 20, 1863, and he was reared by his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Merritt.

He received his education in Port Byron schools and attended the Congregational church. In Feb ruary, 1892, he joined the Christian church in Omaha, Neb., where he resided at that time.

On Dec. 27, 1883. he married Miss Annie Tubbs in Hamilton, O., and they came to Port Byron to establish their home. On April 1, 1887, they moved to Rock Island, and then to Omaha, in 1891, where Mr. Crofford was engaged in the wholesale grocery business. He has operated several different types of businesses. In 1913 they-returned to Port Byron, where they have since resided.

His wife preceded him in death. There were no children and no relatives are living.

Funeral service for this early settler of Port Byron were held at the home in the village at 2 this afternoon. The Rev. Melvin Fiscus, pastor of the First Christian church of Erie, had charge, with the Rev. W. W. Saunders, pastor of Port Byron Congregational church, assisting. Mrs. Frank H. Schafer and Mrs. Charles Ziegler furnished music.

Pallbearers were E. H. Hartz, Byron Skelton, Morris MacRoberts, N. A. Smith, Eugene Mueller and Lem Carr. Burial was in Oak Grove cemetery, Port Byron.

”The Rock Island Argus”, (Rock Island, Illinois), 1939-May-17, page 3

The will of Henry Harrison Crofford of Port Byron, who died April 29, instructs that two nieces, Mertie Bartholomew of Ontario, Calif., and Lottie Christman of San Gabriel, Calif., shall share equally his property after certain payments have been made.

”The Dispatch”, (Moline, Illinois), 1959-Apr-12, page 24

... Port Byron was the first community in Rock Island to celebrate its centennial. That was in 1928. And that was when Frank Morgan became the township’s first historian. In connection with that celebration a committee was appointed to prepare a history of the village and township. Frank Morgan was named chairman and Henry H. Crofford.

They worked for months off and on, and when the celebration was held on August 17, 18 and 19, 1928, they had a pretty fair historical sketch.

Book of 865 Obituaries

Mr. Crofford was quite a researcher, says his old friend Morgan. He really worked. Among his achievements was the assembling of a book of obituaries. Mr. Morgan now has that book and it contains 865 clippings of obituaries, mainly of men and women who had resided in Port Byron and vicinity. It is dedicated mainly to “deceased friends and acquaintances of Port Byron and vicinity.”

Dr. Morgan added one obituary to the book. It is that of his friend Crofford, who died April 29, 1939. ...

Sources

Census

"United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6H1-YMF : 11 June 2019), Henry Crawford in entry for Henry Merrett, 1870.

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3YT-X89 : accessed 11 July 2019), Henry Crawford, Precinct 5 Omaha city Ward 6, Douglas, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 62, sheet 10A, family 192, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,924.

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML4H-YFZ : accessed 11 July 2019), Henry H Crofford in household of Jessie M Saunders, Omaha Ward 12, Douglas, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 91, sheet 15A, family 340, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 844; FHL microfilm 1,374,857.

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJCZ-TXV : accessed 11 July 2019), Henry Crofford in household of William Mcalpine, East Moline Ward 1, Rock Island, Illinois, United States; citing ED 158, sheet 9A, line 35, family 231, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 402; FHL microfilm 1,820,402.

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS11-573 : accessed 11 July 2019), Henry H Crofford, Port Byron, Rock Island, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 64, sheet 4B, line 56, family 128, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 553; FHL microfilm 2,340,288.

Marriage

"Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDFW-5XG : 10 February 2018), Henry H. Crawford and Anna J. Tubbs, 27 Dec 1883; citing Butler,Ohio, reference ; FHL microfilm 0355780 V. 5-6.

Death

"Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQQJ-842 : 9 March 2018), Henry H. Crofford, 29 Apr 1939; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,819,831.