Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Francis Laurent

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Francis Laurent, grocer of Van Buren, was born in France in 1844, his 
parents being Lewis and Mary (Gongon) Laurent, also natives of France. 
He is the only child, and when two years old was taken by his parents 
to Montreal, Canada, where his father taught him the shoemaker's 
trade. In 1862 he came to the United States, and during that year 
enlisted in Company H, Second New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, 
serving until the close of the war. He was in the Army of the Potomac, 
and after the cessation of hostilities worked at his trade in 
Abingdon, Va. Four months later he went to Knoxville, Tenn., but soon 
went to Kingston, where he lived one year. His next place of residence 
was Lebanon, Tenn., and then he spent a year in Petersburg, Ky. In 
1870 he went to Memphis, Tenn., from there to Corinth, Miss.; in 1881 
went to Fort Smith, Ark., and finally, in 1884, became a citizen of 
Van Buren. Since 1871 he has been engaged in the mercantile business, 
and he is now a successful business man of this place. In 1868 he 
married Mrs. Clementine Fox, nee Gaines. This lady was born in 
Charlotte County, Va., in 1840, her parents being Richard W. and Annie 
(White) Gaines, born in 1781 and 1803, respectively, in Charlotte 
County, Va. Mr. Gaines died in 1847. and the following year his widow 
and four children went to Green County, Ky., and in 1850 moved to 
Trigg County, where Mrs. Gaines died in 1866. In 1859 Clementine 
married George Fox. who died in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Laurent have an 
adopted daughter named Pearl, aged thirteen. Mr. Laurent is a member 
of the I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 6, of Van Buren. He is an enterprising 
man, a stockholder in the Van Buren Ice & Coal Company, the Van Buren 
Canning Factory and the Building and Loan Association. 

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