Lucy Rebecca DARLING ²

  General Notes:

PHOTO: submitted by Randy L. Hammond (from Lucy Darling Hammond Wickham's photo album) The back side of the photo was marked "Hawkes Photographers, West Union, Iowa"

INFO FROM RANDY HAMMOND: The John Darling family came to Fayette Co, IA in 1853.

1854 IA CENSUS, Fayette Co, Dover Twp, Eldorado town:
John Darling: 3 males, 2 females, 1 voter (5 total)

1860 IA CENSUS, Fayette Co, Fairfield Twp: Sophrenia Darling, 50, $400, $100, b. NY; Lucy Darling, 18, b. NY; John Darling, 16, b. NY; Chas Darling, 14, b. NY.

CLINTON CO, MI MARRIAGE INDEX: William W. Hammond & Lucy R. Darling of Clinton Co, married 20 July 1865. (The year must have been transcribed incorrectly on the web-site, since William had died by 1865.)

CIVIL WAR PENSION INDEX: GENERAL INDEX TO PENSION FILES, 1861-1934: William W. Hammond, Comp. A 23rd MI Inf. - Lucy A. Hammond applied for/received a widow's pension on Feb(?) 2, 1866

INFO FROM RANDY HAMMOND: Lucy recieved a widow's pension of $9 a month from William Hammond's service in the Civil War. She filed for the pension through a lawyer in Essex, MI but was living in Fayette Co, IA at the time. Her files do not indicate that the pension was ever stopped in her lifetime. It is possible that, because of her widow's pension, Lucy and Frank were not legally married. No marriage record has been found for Lucy and Frank.

1870 IA CENSUS, Fayette Co, Fairfield Twp: Lucy "Harmen", 30, b. NY, $200 real estate, $200 personal property, no occupation listed; Sophrenia "Harmen", 12, b. IA; Sophrenia Darling, 60, b. VT.

1895 IA STATE CENSUS, Fayette Co, Edin: Lucy Hammond, 55, b. NY; Frank Wickham, 12, b. IA.

1900 IA CENSUS, Fayette Co, Eden Twp: Isaac Wickham, Dec 1852, 47, married 22 yrs, b. IA, parents b. OH, farmer; wife Sophronia, Dec 1857, 42, married 22 yrs, 3 children, 3 living, b. IA, father b. MI, mother b. NY; dau. Myrtle, Aug 1882, 17, b. IA, parents b. IA; dau. Maurice, June 1887, 12, b. IA, parents b. IA; dau. Mabel, Apr 1899, b. IA, parents b. IA; brother Frank Aug 1882, 17, b. IA, parents b. OH, farm laborer; mother-in-law Lucy Hammond, b. Aug 1839, 60, wd, b. IA, father b. MA, mother b. VT, 6 children, 2 living.

1910 IA CENSUS, Howard Co, Afton Twp: Isaac Wickham, 57, 1st marriage, married 32 yrs, b. IA, father b. OH, mother b. NY, farmer; wife Frona, 52, 1st marriage, married 32 yrs, 3 children, 3 living, b. IA, parents b. NY; dau. Mabel, 11, b. IA, parents b. IA; brother-in-law Frank Hammond, 27, single, b. IA, parents b. NY, farm laborer; Lucy Hammond, mother-in-law, 70 wd, 4 children, 2 living, b. NY, father b. MA, mother b. VT.

1915 IA CENSUS, Chickasaw Co, Alta Vista town: Frank Hammond, 32, single, mail carrier; 8th grade education; b. IA, both parents b. NY; in IA 32 yrs.; owned 3 acres of pasture and 1 acre of meadow; produced milk, cream, eggs and hay; Lucy Hammond, 75, 8 yrs education, b. NY, father b. MA, mother b. VT, in IA 62 yrs; Methodist.

1920 IA CENSUS, Chickasaw Co, Washington Twp, Alta Vista town: Isaac Wickham, 67, b. IA, father b. NY, mother b. OH, no occupation; wife Frona, 62, b. IA, parents b. NY; mother-in-law Lucy Hammond, 80, wd, b. NY, father b. VT, mother b. MA.

1925 IA STATE CENSUS, Chickasaw Co, Alta Vista: Isaac Wickham, 72, 5th grade education, b. IA, father: "Ruben" Wickham who was b. OH, mother: Ellen "Vanfosusson" who was b. OH and married OH, unclassified laborer; wife Frona, 68, 5th grade education, b. IA, father: William Hammond who was b. NY, mother: Lucy Darling who was b. NY and married MI, engaged in personal service; mother-in-law Lucy Hammond, 85, 5th grade education, b. NY, father: John Darling who was b. MA, mother: Sophrona Rolpf(?) who was b. VT and married NY, engaged in personal service. All were Methodists.

OBIT: The Alta Vistan, section of The New Hampton Tribune (IA), Wednesday, Sept 28, 1927 - Oldest Resident of City is Dead - Mrs. Lucy R. Hammond passed away here Friday September 23 at age of 88 years, Funeral Sunday - Death's Angel visited this community Friday and claimed the soul of Mrs. Lucy R. Hammond, oldest resident of this city, who answered the summons of death after a pilgrimage of 88 years on this earth. Her passage was not unexpected as she had been in critical condition for some time and for eight months had been confined to her bed. Members of her family were at her bedside when the end came.
Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon in the E. E. Church here and interment was made in Union Cemetery. Rev. J. J. Braun officiated at the services and delivered a fine sermon over the remains of the deceased lady.
The deceased was a native of New York, her maiden name being Lucy R. Darling. She was born August 17, 1839 and was aged 88 years, 1 month and 5 days at the time of her death. She was the daughter of John and "Sophrona" Darling and much of her life was spent in the state of her birth. When she grew to young womanhood she was united in marriage to Mr. W. W. Hammond. To this union two children were born, Mrs. Isaac Wickham and Frank Hammond, both of Alta Vista. Mr. Hammond the husband and father died about forty years ago.
The deceased also leaves six grandchildren and five great grandchildren to mourn her passing.
The death of Mrs. Hammond is a distinct loss to those who were near and dear to her. Although having obtained a ripe old age and a care to her family, they nevertheless, loved her and caring for her was a cross that they bore cheerfully and heroically. Mrs. Hammond came to this community about fifteen years ago with her children with whom she has made her home for many years. For the past several years she has been at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Isaac Wickham, at which place she died. Although for the past eight months, she was practically an invalid and confined to her bed, she always displayed fine Christian fortitude and patience and was resigned to her fate. She bore her trials and crosses bravely without murmuring. In her long pilgrimage in this life she availed herself of the manifold opportunities to do deeds of charity and render assistance and help wherever and whenever she was able to do so and in this way stored up many merits for which she has gone to receive her reward. She was a kindly and loving woman who lived a simple life filled with the simple and quiet performance of her duty. She bore her trials with resignation and those who knew and loved her most can find much solace in the knowledge that she has gone to receive the rewards of her good deeds on earth. Undoubtedly she will be greatly missed by those she leaves behind but there is consolation for them in their bereavement when they realize that death comes to all and that this kindly woman is reaping the fruit of her labors on earth.
To the bereaved ones we extend sincerest sympathy in this their time of sorry.

CHICKASAW CO, IA GRAVES REGISTRATION, Union Cem, Alta Vista: Lucy R. Hammond 1839 - 1927 - wife of Wm. W. Hammond

Lucy married UNKNOWN before 1857.

Lucy next married William W. HAMMOND on 20 Jul 1862 in Essex, Clinton Co. MI.¹ (William W. HAMMOND was born about 1845 in MI,⁴ died on 20 Oct 1864 in Civil War; Marietta, GA ¹ and was buried in National Cemetery, Marietta, GA ¹.)

Lucy next married Frank WICKHAM, son of Reuben R. WICKHAM and Elenor "Ellen" VANFOSSEN, before 1880. (Frank WICKHAM was born on 16 Jun 1850 in Linn Co, IA,⁵ died on 24 Dec 1901 in Salem, Marion Co, OR ⁶ and was buried in The Asylum Cem, Salem, OR ⁷.)