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Levi Nelson Clark was born on September 6, 1863 in Brooklyn, Windham County, Connecticut. He was the youngest of eight children born to Francis Brigham Clark and Sarah Maria Heath. On January 11, 1882, at the age of 18½, Levi married Carrie Estelle Larkham, daughter of William and Hannah (Palmer) Larkham of Canterbury, Connecticut. The following year, Levi purchased a 75-acre tract of land in southern Canterbury from the Baldwin family. Here, Levi raised small fruits and vegetables and bred poultry. He also had a career in politics at both the state and local level. Just 10 ½ months after they were married, Levi and Carrie's first child, Mabel Larkham Clark, was born. My great-grandmother, Sarah Hannah Clark, was their second child. Two months after Sarah was born, little Mabel died of "stoppage" just before her second birthday. Levi and Carrie's other two daughters lived long lives and had children and grandchildren that Levi and Carrie lived to meet. |
The three daughters of Levi and Carrie Clark were:
Mabel Larkham Clark, born October 30, 1882, died September 13, 1884
Sarah Hannah Clark, born August 14, 1884, married Frank Rowland Burdick on July 7, 1907, died Octover 18, 1955
Bertha Maude Clark, born June 25, 1886, married Henry Newton Davis on January 14, 1914, died November 10, 1962
Levi and Carrie had been married for 52 years when Carrie died on March 3, 1933. Levi died a little over a year later on May 14, 1934.
One biography of Levi appears online at the Windham County, Connecticut GenWeb site under the title
Hon. Levi Nelson Clark & The Heath Family as recorded in: Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties, Connecticut. Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and of Many of the Early Settled Families by J.H.Beers & Co., Chicago; 1903 P. 1012.Another biography of him from A Modern History of Windham County, Connecticut: A Windham County Treasure Book, Allen B. Lincoln, Editor, gives the following information:
"Levi Nelson Clark, was born in Brooklyn, Connecticut, September 6, 1863. His education was acquired in the graded school of Brooklyn Village and for a vocation he chose farming, which he followed for some time on the family homestead. On the 11th of January, 1882, he married Cary E. Larkham, who was born in Voluntown, Connecticut, a daughter of William H. and Hannah E. (Palmer) Larkham. Of this union there were three children: Mabel Larkham, who was born October 30, 1882, and died September 13, 1884; Sarah Hannah, who was born August 14, 1884, and is the wife of Frank R. Burdick, of Hampton, Connecticut, now living at New London, Connecticut, and they have two children; and Bertha Maud, born June 25, 1886, who was married January 14, 1914, to Henry N. Davis, and they have three children, Kenneth Newton, born March 31, 1915, Addison Clark, born August 7, 1916, and Elsworth Levi, born October 15, 1919."
"On the 9th of October, Following his marriage, Levi N. Clark came to Canterbury and November 4th, of the following year, purchased the Baldwin farm, a seventy-five acre tract, in the southern part of the town. There he engaged in farming, paying special attention to the raising of small fruits and vegetables and to the breeding of poultry. For some time he also had the agency for agricultural implements and fertilizers."
"In the political field, Mr. Clark is an out and out republican, and is chairman of the republican town committee. He has been honored with nearly every office in the town. In 1901-2 he represented Canterbury in the state legislature, where his sound judgement and forceful character secured his appointment to two important committees, constitutional amendments and state prison, on the last of which he served as clerk. Special evidence of his wide popularity was shown by the fact that he was elected delegate to the constitutional convention of 1902. The last convention of this kind had been held in 1818. In 1900 Mr. Clark took the census for the town of Canterbury. Socially he has exerted quite as wide an influence as politically. He affiliates with the Quinebaug Lodge, No. 34, I.O.O.F., and Unity Encampment, No. 21, of Danielson, in which he has filled nearly all of the chairs, having been high priest for three years and chief patriarch for one year. He also attended the grand encampmant of the state, and belongs to the Veteran’s Association, I.O.O.F. of Connecticut. He is a charter member of Canterbury Grange, No. 70, which was organized October 27, 1887, and in which he has filled nearly all of the chairs, having been worthy master two years and secretary twenty-three years. He is a member of the Quinebaug Pomona Grange, No. 2, of which he was overseer three years, and is also a member of the Connecticut State Grange. He is also health officer of the town of Canterbury."
Photo Gallery
Photo above: Carrie, Levi and daughters Sarah and Bertha in front of their home in Canterbury, Connecticut in 1889.
Photo above: Carrie, Levi and daughters Sarah and Bertha in 1894
Written on back of photo:
Mr. and Mrs. Levi N. Clark, Sarah Hannah Clark 10 yrs., Bertha Maude Clark, 8 yrs.
A gathering of friends and family in the 1920s:
Carrie Larkham Clark is standing at the top center. Levi Clark is the man seated to Carrie's right, wearing a hat. Sarah Clark Burdick is seated in the second row, the second woman from the left. Frank Burdick is second from the left. My grandmother, Bertha Burdick, is sitting to his right.
Photo above: Levi Nelson Clark's birthday party at Bertha Davis' house
(probably in the late 1920s - early 1930s). From left to right,
Front row: Frank Burdick and dog, three little girls (unknown), Ellsworth Davis, Addison Davis.
Second row: Unknown man, Sarah Hannah Clark Burdick, Julia Melissa Larkham, unknown woman, Bertha Maude Clark Davis, unknown man, Levi Nelson Clark, unknown man.
Back row: unknown woman, unknown woman, unknown woman, Carrie Estelle Larkham Clark (sitting directly to the rear left of Levi Clark), Kenneth Davis.
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