Local News paper Unidentified., 5/20/1913.

Uncle Abe Larison is Dead.

"Uncle Abe" Larison, after a long illness, passed to his reward Wednesday, May 7th, at 4:30 p.m.

For several weeks he has been lying at death's door and the end was looked for at any time. He has been in failing health for several years, suffering from several paralytic strokes, but the immediate cause of his death was pneumonia which set in a few days before his death.

Mr. Larison was one of the few remaining pioneers of this neighborhood, coming here with his parents from Ohio when a lad. He was known and respected by everybody and his death will bring regret to all. He recently passed his 91st birthday.

A number of years ago we published in these columns a series of articles under the head "Pioneer Days." These were full of interesting tales of the early days given in Mr. Larison's own words. The first article was a biographical sketch which could not be improved upon, so we produce it in full below:

Abel Larison was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, April 15, 1822. He lived with his father and mother, four brothers and five sisters on the farm where he was born until 1830, when his father sold out and determined to come to Illinois.

On September 30, 1830 the little party, consisting of eleven persons, including the father, eight children and a cousin, started for Illinois in one ox wagon, one four horse wagon and one two-horse wagon, which in those days was called a carriage and was considered the finest thing out.

After being thirty-five days on the road, the party reached the present site of Bloomington in October. Here they found a small log cabin, owned by James Allen, who was the sole proprietor of Bloomington. They camped at Bloomington for two weeks, during which time the father bought two claims on Kickapoo creek and entered the land from the government. One of these claims is just two miles north of Waynesville in the district now known as Prairie Creek, and it was here that the family first settled, going to houskeeping in a little log cabin, 14 x 16. They had just succeeded in getting snugly quartered when the famous deep snow fell.

They lived at Prairie Creek until the fall of 1834, when they moved to a farm two miles from Stanford. The Black Hawk war and the sudden change occurred in 1832 and 1836 respectively and many are the incidents which Mr. Larison remembers of these important events.

In 1842, "Uncle Abe: concluded that he had remained single long enough, and consequently he went to his employer, Nicolas Darnell, a preacher, for whom he had been working for a year, made know his intentions and asked that he might be released from his contract to work for Darnell the coming year. Darnell willingly granted his request, but asked that Abe postpone his wedding for two weeks, as he, (Darnell) would be ordained a minister in that time, and wished to officiate at the marriage of his former faithful farmhand. Abe consulted his future intended about the matter and the two decided to grant the minister's request.

Now that Abe had fully decided to be married, he suddenly discovered that he would need some money and hence called upon the minister for a settlement. In those days money was very scarce, and the minister having no ready money, gave Abe some accounts to collect. The prospective bridegroom took a horse and started on his mission, returning three days later with a single half dollar to pay him for his trouble. The preacher was still anxious to assist him, however, and offered him a load of wheat if he would thresh it and haul it to Pekin. Abe gladly consented and with the assistance of the preacher and his two sons, the wheat was threshed and taken to Pekin. There were thirty-two bushels in a load, for which he received the munificent sum of eight dollars.

On Oct. 20, 1842, he was married to Miss Julia A. Stevens. They lived with Mrs. Larison's parents during the winter of 1842 and 1843. During the winter he split rails for 25 cents per hundred and boarded himself. In the spring of 1843 he moved to the farm adjoining Roach's Chapel, where he and his wife began housekeeping in a log cabin. The entire housekeeping outfit cost $7.50 and included everything except the feather bed which had been given them by his wife' mother. "Uncle Abe: has said that he was never happier than when he was living in a little log cabin and keeping house with an outfit that cost $7.50.

In 1845 he rented a farm north of Waynesville and in 1846 lived on the McKinnon farm. On St. Patrick's Day, 1847 he moved to the farm where he afterward made his home for many years, which he entered from the government for $1.25 per acre. He built a log cabin in the yard where his spacious residence , which he afterwards built, still stands.

From 1852 to 1854, "Uncle Abe: served the county as deputy sheriff and while serving in this capacity, he became acquainted with several noted personages. He numbered Judge Davis and was acquainted with Abraham Lincoln, with whom he had played cards. While acting as deputy sheriff he had many exciting adventures with horse thieves.

He was always an enthusiastic hunter and up to within a few years ago made annual hunting trips. He mad his last trip five years ago to Wisconsin at the age of 86 years and killed his deer. He has hunted in Missouri, Indian Territory, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota and Colorado.

Ten Children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Larison, Three of whom have preceded their father in death. The oldest son died in 1866 and Frank and John died in 1907. Mrs. Larison died in 1888. The children living are James Larison and Mrs. Lina Nicodemus, of Atlanta; Mrs. Mary Henley, T. J., and A. S., of Indianapolis; A. L., of Lawndale; and Mrs. Anna Baker, of Lincoln.

The funeral will be held at the Methodist church Friday Afternoon at 2 p.m. and the services will be conducted by Rev F.M. Harry. Interment will be made in Roach's Cemetery and the Masons, of which Mr. Larison was a member, will have charge of the services at the grave. Mr. Larison was the last surviving charter member of Atlanta Lodge No. 165 A. F. & A. M.