Hood County Texas Genealogical
Society
FREDERICK SYLVESTER LARNED FAMILY
by Johney Larned of New Braunfels, Texas
Walter Franklin Larned, Anne Eliza Roberson Larned & Cpt. Frederick Sylvester Larned Photo taken about 1903 in front of Larned
residence in Paluxy |
Captain
Frederick Sylvester Larned was born July 21, 1823. He moved to Hood County, Texas from McLennan County, Texas about
1876 with two of his three children, Walter Franklin and L. Gertrude Larned. It
is believed that Frederick S. Larned was born in Massachusetts and lived in St.
Louis, Missouri and Detroit, Michigan as a child. He had served in New York as
a “mustering officer” during the Civil War. His father, Colonel Benjamin
Franklin Larned, was the Paymaster General of the United States serving under
President Abraham Lincoln. Following the Civil War and the death of his wife
Louise Genevieve Wooster Larned, Frederick S. Larned first moved to the Waco, Texas
area in 1870. In approximately 1876 he relocated to Hood County in the little
community of “Bald Knob.” For several
years, F.S. Larned was successfully engaged in teaching in the Bald Knob,
Nubbin Ridge, and Paluxy communities. In 1887, F.S. Larned became a Master
Mason for the Granbury Lodge, No. 392. In 1890, the Larned family first turned
their attention to mercantile pursuits, establishing a store in Paluxy, Texas
that had been purchased from Phil Jackson. They carried a large and
well-selected stock of dry goods and all general merchandise, including drugs
and druggist supplies. A photo of the Larned Drug Store in 1902 can be found in
Hood County History, 1970 which was published by the Junior Women’s Club,
Granbury, TX. In a “History of Texas” biography, Frederick S. Larned is
described as “a wide-awake and progressive merchant, who keeps thoroughly up to
the times, and his large and constantly increasing patronage shows the
confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. Politically he affiliates
with the People’s Party, and in religious belief, he is a Catholic.” F.S.
Larned and his son, Walter, would also operate the Larned Mill located on the
Paluxy River. Family members have a photo of the Larned Mill taken in about
1903. The Larned homeplace sat to the east of the mill about 200 yards, and the
road across the bridge ran beside the Larned home. The bridge washed out in
1907. As Frederick Sylvester Larned grew older he lived with his son, Walter
Franklin, and he died on November 8, 1914 in Paluxy, Texas at the age of 91. He
was buried in the Rock Church Cemetery near Paluxy, Texas.
Walter
Franklin Larned was born December 8, 1853 and married Anne Eliza Roberson in
1874. “Annie” Roberson was the daughter of Hezekiah K. and Elizabeth Roberson
(who sometimes also used the name “Robinson”) of Hood County, Texas. Walter,
like his father before him, was a successful teacher in the Bald Knob and
Paluxy areas. He became engaged in business with his father operating Larned
Grocery and Drug Store, as well as operating the Larned Mill – all located in
the Paluxy, Texas area. W.F. Larned was appointed Postmaster of Paluxy, Texas
on April 27, 1897, and he was the enumerator of the 1910 US Census in Paluxy.
Walter and Annie Larned eventually sold the Larned Grocery and Drug Store, as
well as selling the Larned Mill to Bob Crowell. Sometime after the death of his
father in 1914, Walter and his wife, Annie, sold their properties and left Hood
County moving to Douglas, Arizona. Anne
Eliza Roberson Larned died on March 17, 1919 in Douglas, AZ during the 1919 flu
epidemic. Walter relocated to Haskell, TX for many years, but then returned to
Douglas, AZ before his death on November 19, 1947 at the age of 93. Walter
Franklin and Anne Eliza Roberson Larned were buried in the Rock Church Cemetery
near Paluxy, Texas. Walter and Annie had the following children who were all
born in Hood County, Texas:
1.
Gertrude
Elizabeth Larned was born January 1, 1877 and died in 1915 in Hood County,
Texas. She married William David Whitaker who eventually moved to Haskell,
Texas after Gertrude’s death.
2.
Arthur
Frederick Larned was born August 2, 1878 and died February 6, 1961 in Granbury,
Texas. He married Betty May Morrison on September 1, 1901 in Hood County,
Texas. A.F. “Bud” Larned was a pharmacist, tax collector, City Secretary,
Justice of the Peace, and Hood County Sheriff in the 1930’s, during his
lifetime in Hood County.
3.
Oscar
Hezekiah Larned was born August 26, 1880 and died December 22, 1958 in
Childress, Texas. He married Nora Bertie Ator on September 17, 1905 in Hood
County, Texas.
4.
John
William Larned was born December 9, 1882 and died December 5, 1907 at 24 years
of age. He married Nellie Murray. He was buried in Rock Church Cemetery in
Paluxy, Texas.
5.
Grover
Cleveland Larned was born June 26, 1885 and died June 26, 1953 in Haskell,
Texas. He married Martha May Allison in Hood County, TX.
6.
William
Edmund Larned was born December 24, 1886 and died in Haskell, TX. He married
Minnie Lou Barett in Hood County, Texas.
7.
Walter Andrew
Larned was born December 28, 1888 and died January 7, 1959 in Granbury,
Texas. He married Sarah Elizabeth Jackson on December 17, 1911 in Hood County,
Texas. Walter served for many years as County and District Clerk of Hood
County, Texas. Walter Andrew Larned served as Sunday School Superintendent at
Rock Church near Paluxy. He was instrumental in the leadership capacity of
maintaining the Rock Church Homecoming in the 1950’s. Walter Andrew loved to
quote scripture during the homecoming each year about walking on “Holy Ground.”
His daughter, Hazel Larned Cornell, continued this leadership role in the
1970’s and 1980’s.
8.
Robert
Burton Larned was born October 21, 1890 and died in September 1968 in Douglas,
Arizona. He married Ora Merle Huston on September 17, 1911 in Hood County,
Texas.
9.
Thomas
Albert Larned was born September 3, 1892 and died March 15, 1919 in Douglas,
Arizona. He married Willie Mitchell in Hood County, Texas. Thomas died two days
before his mother, Annie, during the flu epidemic and was buried with her in
Rock Church Cemetery near Paluxy, Texas.
10. Norval Gordon Larned was
born April 19, 1896 and died June 18, 1938 in Haskell, Texas. He married Darling
Magnolia Tidwell on June 9, 1917 in Haskell, Texas.
11. Joe Larned was born May 28,
1897 and died November 1979 in Haskell, Texas. He married Florence Tidwell on
December 4, 1920 in Haskell, Texas.
12. Ina M. Larned was born
around 1909. She was not a biological child of Walter F. and Annie Larned, but
lived with them until Annie’s death in 1919. Ina married Ernest Sphinx and
moved to California and eventually Tennessee.
F.S.
Larned’s daughter, L. Gertrude “Genevieve” Larned, married A.J. Roberson of Hood
County. A.J. Roberson was a son of Hezekiah K. and Elizabeth Roberson and a
brother to Walter Franklin Larned’s wife, Anne Eliza Roberson Larned. A.J. and
Gertrude Roberson had a daughter, Dora S. who was born in 1879. They lived in
the Paluxy, Texas area and at one time owned considerable property in Hood
County.
2004 HOOD COUNTY TEXAS
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY