By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
For some time, Tol Cherry has been the keeper of the official Civil War discharge papers belonging to his great-great grandfather, the late Lawrence Samuel Cherry.
Tol Cherry, formerly of Geneseo and now living in Arizona, recently delivered the Civil War discharge papers belonging to his great-great grandfather, Lawrence S. Cherry, to Melanie Rice, director of the Geneseo Historical Museum. Cherry, a 1970 graduate of J.D. Darnall High School (now Geneseo High School), is the son of the late Bob and Lily Cherry. Bob Cherry owned and operated Cherry’s Sporting Goods in Geneseo. Photo Claudia Loucks
This week, Cherry and his wife, Lorraine, traveled from their home in Chandler, AZ, to Cherry’s hometown of Geneseo, to deliver the military discharge papers to the Geneseo Historical Museum; where the framed documents are included in the military display on the second floor of the museum.
Melanie Rice, director of the Historical Museum, met with the Cherry couple and expressed appreciation for contributing the private historical documents, and she commented, ”I feel very honored that they trusted us to display his family history, and the papers have been well preserved in a beautiful frame.”
ABOUT LAWRENCE SAMUEL CHERRY:
Lawrence S. Cherry was born June 11, 1835, in Guernsey County, Ohio, and died in Geneseo, March 10, 1926. At that time, he was Geneseo’s oldest resident.
He was one of the 12 children of James and Margaret Cherry, and he came with them to Geneseo in 1838. His father, James, died on Jan. 15, 1841, at age 43, and his mother, at age 46, died Aug. 30, 1845. They are buried in Sharon Cemetery, northeast of Geneseo, and according to information from Tol Cherry, the cemetery caretaker indicated they were the first individuals to be buried in that cemetery.
Laurence Cherry’s siblings are James, Thomas, Andrew, Alexander, John, William, Robert, Eliza, Henrietta, Mary, and Martha and Lawrence survived lived the longest of his brothers and sisters.
Cherry was mustered into the Union Army in Chicago on Sept. 10, 1861, and took part in several engagements. He was discharged on Sept. 23, 1864, at the end of his term of service, but re-enlisted on Oct. 15, 1864, and participated in several more engagements, including Sherman’s March to the Sea.
He was married to Irene (Artena) Fesler, Nov. 7, 1964, and was granted a furlough from the Civil War for the marriage. Their daughter, Artena, was bon April 4, 1845, in Havana, IL. She passed away on July 19, 1942, and was considered Geneseo’s oldest resident at the time.
Lawrence and Irene Cherry moved into their home in Geneseo, at 559 East Orange St., in 1881, and the home still stands at that location today.
Lawrence Cherry is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Geneseo at BLK W, Lot 36, Grave 3, next to his wife. The couple’s housekeeper, Abbie Nelson, is buried next to Lawrence Cherry.
Children of Lawrence and Irene Cherry are Charles, (great-grandfather to Tol Cherry); Delbert, Dolly, Jessie and Anna. Grandchildren are Earl, (Tol Cherry’s grandfather); Verna, Leonard, Marion, Cecil, Virgil, Mae and Virginia.
SOME INTERESTING NOTES ABOUT LAWRENCE S. CHERRY:
In 1845, Lawrence Cherry witnessed the first hanging in Rock Island of “The Prairie Bandits,” who murdered Colonel Davenport. In 1854, he walked 12 miles with his brother John to witness the first passenger train to travel over the Rock Island railroad.
