Early Bronaugh Residents

Darlington Family

This family was in Bronaugh very early and were featured in the 1887 History of Vernon County.

From History of Vernon County, Missouri. 1887, p. 775.

WELDON AND MARTIN DARLINGTON

(Farmers and Stock-raisers, Section 20, Post-office, Arcadia, Kas.).

The names that appear above are borne by men who are destined to occupy positions of esteem and wide influence in their, respective communities before a great time shall have elapsed, and judging by their career in the past and their present commodious and substantial surroundings, the future for them is full of promise. Children of the same parents, and therefore brothers, and brought up together, they are however owners of different farms, but their life history has seemed so interwoven _ not to permit of separation. Abraham Darlington, the father, was a native of Pennsylvania and by trade a mason. He married a lady of the same State as himself—Miss Charlotte Brinton, who became the mother of eight children. Of these Weldon, the fifth child and third son, was born in Chester county, Pa., February 10, 1851. He grew to manhood there, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the carpenter’s trade, and continued to follow that calling at his old home until coming to this county December 25, 1878. Here his attention has since been directed to agricultural pursuits and the stock industry, and as is well known the latter is receiving the principal part of his time and efforts. The improvements upon his place and the expenditures and. outlays put upon this good farm of 568 acres in recent years cannot fail of substantial results, while the good judgment and management manifested in the stock business is hound to bring forth a successful end. In 1881 Mr. Darlington was married to Miss Mary Spraker, and they have two children, Charlotte B. and Jennie E.

Martin Darlington is deserving of no less credit for the manner in which he has marked out his own career thus far in life. His birth also occurred in Chester County, Pa., his natal day being in 1855, so that he is not much beyond the age of 30 years. Like his brother he was reared to learn a trade, that of carpentering, and became well versed in its various details, but in later years he has made as much if not more, of a success in the stock business in connection with farming. His landed estate contains 700 acres, and of this 300 acres are devoted to clover and timothy, affording superior pasture for grazing purposes. In 1881 Miss Barbara Rohrer, an estimable young lady, became his wife, and they now have two little boys, Joseph and John. Mrs. Darlington was horn in Missouri and is a daughter of John O. Rohrer, Esq., not unknown to the many readers of this volume.

The above biography tells that Weldon Darlington married Miss Mary Spraker in 1881. That is slightly incorrect. The 1900 census for Barton City Township in Barton County, MO lists the Rudolph B. Conrad family. There are several children listed and among them is Mary E. Spraker, age 29, who was listed as daughter and a widow. So Mary had been married and widowed prior to 1880. She and Weldon Darlington had married the next year, so the 1887 biography would have been more correct if it had said that he married Mrs. Mary Spraker or Mary Conrad Spraker. The biography lists two daughters who were living at the time it was written. They had also had a son who had already died by then. Irwin Weldon Darlington had been born in 1885 and died in 1886. The following year, Mary Conrad Spraker Darlington died leaving Weldon with two young daughters. Below are grave markers from Barton City Cemetery. Mary and two children are buried in the Conrad plot there. Just to the north is a Spraker plot. Note - Barton City Cemetery has burials on both the south and north side of the road. These Darlington burials are in the north part.

Marker for Mary Darlington, wife of Weldon,
daughter of R. B. Conrad.
born July 16, 1850
died January 28, 1887
Irwin Darlington, son of Weldon and Mary
born September 22, 1850
died March 19, 1886
Charlotte Brinton Darlington, wife of Dr. Elmer Harley
daughter of Weldon and Mary
born August 15, 1882, Vernon County, MO
died December 21, 1920, Seeley, California

A year after Mary died, Weldon married Fannie Belinda Lousia Casteel. They moved to Texas then to Washington state with his family. Weldon and Fannie raised ten children. Weldon Darlington died in 1933 and is buried at Pateros Cemetery in Washington state. You can view a photo of his grave marker and a portrait of him at this findagrave page.

Martin Darlington remained in Missouri for most of his life. The 1880 and 1900 census records show him living with his wife and children in Harrison Township, Vernon County, MO. By the 1910, 1920 and 1930 census records, they were shown living in LeRoy Township, Barton County, MO. They were the parents of twelve children, ten sons and two daughters. Cemetery records show Martin and his wife along with some other descendants are buried at McKill Cemetery, west of Bronaugh, Vernon County. Below is the family grave marker at McKill (just on the east side of the chapel).

Martin Darlington, 1855 - 1935
Barbara G. Darlington, 1860 - 1937

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This page is designed and maintained by Lyndon Irwin.