b: Sep 13, 1784 Groton,
Middlesex Co, MA

m: abt 1809 Mt. Holly, Rutland Co, VT

d: Sep 07, 1859
Fountain Green Twp, Hancock Co, IL

burial: Hadley Cemetery,
Fountain Green Twp, Hancock Co, IL

 
Did Jesse pocket his mother's and siblings' shares of his father's estate and leave town for parts unknown?  Click on the link for Jonas Hadley Sr. & Azubah Prescott.

Biographical Sketch prepared by Thomas Gregg;  related research notes, census listings

b: Apr 19, 1790 Littleton,
Middlesex Co, MA

m: abt 1809 Mt. Holly, Rutland Co, VT

d: Jan 29, 1860
Fountain Green Twp, Hancock Co, IL

burial: Hadley Cemetery,
Fountain Green Twp, Hancock Co, IL

 
Hadley Cemetery - In 1851 Jesse and Lucinda deeded a piece of their land to the town of Fountain Green, to be used as a cemetery.  This link leads to a list of the known burials, a rough map of the location, a transcription of the original deed and an image of the deed book page.

Jesse's and Lucinda's deaths were reported on the Mortality Schedule prepared in conjunction with the 1860 Federal Census of Fountain Green Township.  Their surname was shown as Hadway.

Lucena Lawrence White, Lucinda's twin sister, was also among the early pioneers in Hancock County.  Numerous female descendants were named for these sisters, and several sets of twins were born to Lucinda's descendants.

Some web authors indicate that several of the Hadley children were born in Genesee County, New York.  The obituary for Ortentia incorrectly stated "Geneseo county."  However, the family moved in late 1811 or 1812 to Centreville in Allegany County, which was wholly formed from Genesee County in 1806.  Centreville village was incorporated with this spelling; later on the spelling Centerville came into common usage.

burial:
 

d: Mar 08, 1881 Mt. Sterling,
Brown Co, IL
burial: Mt. Sterling Cemetery,
Mt. Sterling, Brown Co, IL

Spouse: Abel Larkin
Son of Abel Larkin & Susannah Bridges
b: Apr 15, 1801 Rutland Co, VT

d: Mar 10, 1885 Mt. Sterling,
Brown Co, IL
burial: Mt. Sterling Cemetery,
Mt. Sterling, Brown Co, IL

Marriage Documents
 

burial:

This tentative identification is based on 1830 and 1840 census listings.
 

burial:

This tentative identification is based on 1830 and 1840 census listings and the birth year of Elvira Hadley.
 

d: Feb 26, 1886 Wakeshma Twp,
Kalamazoo Co, MI
burial: North Fulton Cemetery,
Wakeshma Twp, Kalamazoo Co, MI
 

burial:

This tentative identification is based on 1830 and 1840 census listings.
 

Location of death presumed.

m: Nov 1851 in Hancock Co, IL

d: Dec 26, 1898 Joetta, Hancock Co, IL

burial: Webster Cemetery, Webster,
Hancock Co, IL
 

burial: Hadley Cemetery (presumed),
Fountain Green Twp, Hancock Co, IL
 

Now we have found at least one piece of the puzzle in a letter written Abel Larkin, shared by John Franklin Regan, Jr., great-grandson of Abel and Adeline Hadley Larkin:

May 11, 1857: "Adaline has been for the last ten days at her fathers.  Their helpless child died last fall.  They are all well and [Adaline] is at home now and sends her best respects to you all, especially mother."

So poor Helinda died when she was about 23 years old.  Blindness alone obviously would not cause death, and she could have died from disease or infection, of course, but Abel mentioned neither.

From another of Abel's letters, dated May 6, 1849: "I told you that there was some prospect of my going to California.  I came nye as I could and not start. ~ ~ ~ ~ Our town is improving and our academy is in operation. Marinda, my youngest sister-in-law, is going and who would have stayed with Adaline had I went from home. She is a first rate scholar."

In fact, Marinda was not Abel's youngest sister-in-law, Helinda was younger by 4 years.  Was Helinda so incapacitated by blindness plus an unknown affliction, that even her existence was overlooked?  She has left us with another question, too.  Was Helinda's physical condition a genetic weakness?  Helinda died a matter of months after Marinda gave birth to Willis Norman Beckwith.  Before his death at 35, Willis was "totally blind and helpless", confined to a wheelchair and described as a "sufferer from chronic rheumatism for over 20 years".

We may never have all the answers, but at long last we have a beginning and an end for the life of this unfortunate young woman.