Alphon Augustus Lydy ^2,47,111

   Another name for Alphon was Gus.

   General Notes:

From "The Lydys of Kingsland"
By Thom Foulks, copyright 1998

In 1872, several families had made the decision to move [from Clinton County, Indiana], so they formed a caravan of covered wagons and started off. They accomplished their goal when they reached Arkansas and settled in a little village of Peach Orchard in Clay County. Their sixth child, Alphon Augustus, was born November 27, 1873, while they were making their home there. The younger siblings of Alphon Augustus were Virginia Elizabeth, John William, Mary Sophia, Olney Rosco, and Rosa Viola.

Back Home Again In Indiana

The Lydy family suffered severely with the ague, so back they went to Indiana, to the original land they had bought and still owned. They lived in Clinton County for the next twenty-seven years, adding to their land until they owned a total of 116 acres. During this period, in 1887, their oldest child, Virginia, died of tuberculosis, leaving a husband and two small children. Alexander and Sarah took the two little ones into their home to raise them...for a total of eleven children.

At the turn of the century, Alexander and Sarah made another decision to move with only two of their children (Teddie and Norman) still at home, and their two grandchildren. They sold all of their holdings in Clinton County for $6380.00 and purchased 156 acres of land east of Kingsland in Wells County.

The Kingsland Farm

Alexander was 63 and Sarah 58 when they made their move in 1901. It was to be their last resettlement. While they lived on the farm north of Bluffton, with Indiana Rd. #1 to the east and railroad tracks to the south, they saw their last two children married and their two wards (grandchildren) married. The farm was to eventually pass to Alphon Augustus "Gus" and his wife, Naomi, who would go on to populate it with more than a dozen offspring.

In Memoriam

Alexander and Sarah lived a long and fruitful life. She died (at 64) before he did, on October 17, 1907. He died (at 75), on June 1, 1914. They both were killed by a train approximately six miles north of Bluffton, Indiana, several rods east of State Rd. #1, however, the deaths were separated by a span of seven years. The railroad tracks were located adjacent to their farm and were used frequently by the couple in walking trips to Kingsland.

The following paragraphs were written by a Pastor Conde A. Hile and were printed in the Bluffton Daily News Banner a few days after Alexander's death.

"The tragic end of this man who lived seventy-five years, ten months and seven days, came Monday, June 1, at 11:00 a.m., while he was walking home from Kingsland upon the Chicago and Erie Railroad; in meeting a westbound train he stepped off the north track over on the south track and an on-coming eastbound freight train unnotiece by him, stole upon him and mercilessly crushed the body until it was no longer fit for the above of the soul and his spirit took his flight.

"Thus in an instant, perhaps a painless, yet gory and awful death severed the silver cord and broke the golden bowl.

"Strange coincident, the wife had met her death in the same tragic way upon the same railway, upon the same farm about 80 rods (440 yards) from this scene about 5:00 p .m., on October 17, 1907.

"Mr. Lydy was a member of the Lew Daily Post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Bluffton, a loyal and faithful comrade until taps sounded and he has answered his last roll call here. His faith was publicly declared to be fixed in Jesus Christ and he joined the class of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Emaus on January 5, 1908."

Both Alexander and Sarah are buried in the Kemp Cemetery in Clinton County, Indiana, the burial ground for the older members of the Lydy family of both Tipton and Clinton Counties.

   Events:

1. Moved; 1901; from Clinton County to Wells County. Moved to 156-Acre farm near Kingsland

   Marriage Information:

Alphon married Harriett Naomi Scott, daughter of Phillip Scott and Nancy Ellis, on December 10, 1892 in Indiana ¹¹⁰. (Harriett Naomi Scott was born on November 3, 1876 in Indiana, died on April 19, 1949 in Indiana and was buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Ossian, Indiana.)

   Marriage Notes:

"The Lydy Family Tree" contains information on more than 300 Lydy or Tudor surnamed individuals.