The following was taken from The Curtis R. Vance Foundation Website
http://www.als-curtisvancefoundation.org/midd_mag__fall_'01.htm
His (Curtis R. Vance) maternal great-great-great-great-grandfather, Samuel Farr, born in 1804, died in 1865 of a horrible disease that slowly debilitated his body. Doctors named it Farrs disease, and it was known by that name until it was termed familial ALS. Farrs disease has affected approximately 50 percent of every generation of Curtis ancestors and family since Samuel Farr, his brother, who died at age 40 of ALS, and his sister, who died at age 54 of the same disease. Out of Samuel Farr's eight children, four of them died of ALS. His daughter was only 27. His three sons, one of whom was Curtiss great-great-great-grandfather, all died in their forties of the disease. Only 10 percent of all ALS cases are familial. Ninety percent of the more than 5,000 cases diagnosed each year are sporadic, and thus anyone can "get" ALS, of which there is no known cause, and no known cure. At any given time, there are 30,000 Americans living with ALS. Of the ten percent of ALS cases that are genetic, twenty percent have been identified. In the case of Curtis's familys, there is an A4V mutation on the SOD-1 gene. Although doctors have identified the mutation, they do not know what triggers it. And not all persons with mutations in SOD- 1 develop ALS.
Excerpt from an email from Sandra Farr:
"Massachusetts General has been treating the ALS in the Farr clan. They are most interested in us, and they, too, have some ancestry information. They seem to have treated a lot of Farrs! As you have become the family historian, please refer all Farr ALS medical inquiries to them, as they have even coded the Farr genetic malformation (on gene SOD1). Farr folk can be tested to see if they carry this trait."
CENSUS: Age 56 born in NH farmer, Theresa 54 born in VT, Matilda J. 17 born in VT, Eudora E 10 born in VT.
CENSUS: Named John in this census?, but wife and children are correct. Head of Household John 46, Thirza 44, Erastus 17, Saml. 14, Wesley O. 12, Matilda 8.
From Maine.
CENSUS:
Household:
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Elijah AMIDON Self M Male W 56 NH Farmer NH NH
Maria A AMIDON Wife M Female W 50 VT Keeping House NH NH
Clara E AMIDON Dau S Female W 20 NH At Home NH VT
Martha J AMIDON Dau S Female W 15 NH At Home NH VT
Was probably Elsina Farr mentioned in the 1850 Albion, Orleans, New York US Census with Harriet Farr.
CENSUS:
Household:
Erastus FARR M Male 47 VERMONT Farmer
Lydia FARR M Female 46 CANADA Keeping House
Ellwood FARR S Male 20 VERMONT
Anna FARR S Female 14 VERMONT
Adelbert FARR S Male 12 VERMONT
Alma FARR S Female 10 VERMONT
Martin FARR S Male 9 VERMONT
CENSUS: Samuel Farr Jr. 24 farmer, Sarah 22.
Daughter of Russell Farr.
Mustered into Co. F, 14th N.H. Regt. Volunteer Infantry; Sept. 23, 1862; promoted to Corporal Feb. 1, 1864; discharged for disability, Jan 20, 1865.
CENSUS: Age 21 living in household of his third cousin Larkin L. Farr as a farm laborer.
CENSUS:
Household:
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Wesley O. FARR Self M Male W 41 VT Farmer NH VT
Phebe FARR Wife M Female W 39 VT Keeping House VT ENG
Frank L. FARR Son S Male W 8 VT VT VT
Mary M. FARR Dau S Female W 7 VT VT VT
CENSUS: Age 31 born in VT, farmer.
CENSUS: Age 38 farmer, wife Della 32, s. Warren 13, d.Amy 7, s. Harold 1 month.
CENSUS: Age 47, wife Della E. 41, d. Amy L. 17, s. Harold W. 11, s. Murray W. 8.
DEATH: SS # issued in Connecticut.
Obituary of Ora Warren Farr
HAVERHILL, N.H. - Ora W. Farr, 73, died Sunday in the Veterans Hospital in White River Jct.
He was born in Brighton June 20 1896, served in the Navy during World War I and was employed many years by the Vermont Department of Agriculture as a state inspector. He was also employed for many years by the First National Stores at Haverhill, N.H.
Mr. Farr was a member of the Congregational Church of Haverhill.
Survivors include four sons, Wesley S. and Bertram, both of Southington, Conn; Frank L. of Pheonix, Ariz., and Norman E. of Woodsville, N.H.; four daughters, Mrs. Ruby Hill of Reading, Mrs. Arthur Corrier of Torrington, Conn.; Mrs. Cyril Orlawski of Southington, Conn., and Mrs. Leon Robert of Northfield; 29 grandchildren; several great grand-children; two brothers, Harold W, Farr of Stonington, Conn., and Murray W. Farr of Glens Falls, N.Y.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the Congregational Church in Haverhill, N.H., with interment following in Riverton Cemetery in Berlin.
Friends may call at the Ricker Funeral Home in Woodsville, N. H., from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.
CENSUS: Age 23, w. Mary E. 18.
Obituary of Ora Warren Farr
HAVERHILL, N.H. - Ora W. Farr, 73, died Sunday in the Veterans Hospital in White River Jct.
He was born in Brighton June 20 1896, served in the Navy during World War I and was employed many years by the Vermont Department of Agriculture as a state inspector. He was also employed for many years by the First National Stores at Haverhill, N.H.
Mr. Farr was a member of the Congregational Church of Haverhill.
Survivors include four sons, Wesley S. and Bertram, both of Southington, Conn; Frank L. of Pheonix, Ariz., and Norman E. of Woodsville, N.H.; four daughters, Mrs. Ruby Hill of Reading, Mrs. Arthur Corrier of Torrington, Conn.; Mrs. Cyril Orlawski of Southington, Conn., and Mrs. Leon Robert of Northfield; 29 grandchildren; several great grand-children; two brothers, Harold W, Farr of Stonington, Conn., and Murray W. Farr of Glens Falls, N.Y.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the Congregational Church in Haverhill, N.H., with interment following in Riverton Cemetery in Berlin.
Friends may call at the Ricker Funeral Home in Woodsville, N. H., from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.
CENSUS: Age 23, w. Mary E. 18.