Our old friend and neighbor, Chas. H. Hoag, passed away peacefully at his home in Serena last Friday Morning, Sept. 2d. All his children were present except one daughter, Mrs. Clara Fread. Mr. Hoag was born in Delaware county, N. Y., May 18, 1821. He obtained his education in his native state and at the age of 21 came to Illinois. Before permanently locating he spent four years in Michigan, going to that state in 1845, and stopping in St. Joseph county, where he was married in 1847 to Miss Helen Robinson. They came to La Salle county two years later, by wagon, and settled on a rented farm in Dayton township. In 1853 he purchased his present home, and three years later his wife died. Of this union three children were born — Mary, wife of Leonidas Fread, and William, both deceased, and Mrs. Clara Fread, now living in California. Mr. Hoag’s second wife was Miss Mary Wells, who died in 1891. Their children were Lincoln, of Chicago, George, who died in Texas, Lillie, the wife of Walter Carted, now living in Yorkville, Cyrus, who died in Kansas in 1889, Franklin, Alvin, Adams, who married Josephine Beckwith, and Maude, The wife of C. B. Stockham. He leaves also eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Mr. Hoag retained his faculties to the last, and it was a pleasure to hear him recount incidents relating to his long life. His death breaks the link connecting us with the sturdy pioneer past, which has made our country what it is. Last Sunday we laid him to rest in the Dayton Cemetery among the departed loved ones.¹

1. Ottawa Republican Times, 8 Sep 1904, p7.