Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-06-25

town.
Laforrest III. Thompson, son of Levi S.
and Irene (Hodgkins) Thompson, was
born at Bakersfield, VT, January g. 184S.
His Grandfather Thompson was resident
of Topsham, VT, and the first representa-
tive of that town in the legislature of Ver-
mont in 1901. His Grandfather Hodgkins
was a resident of Belvidere, VT, and
served in the war of 1872. He lived at
Bakersfield until about seven years old,
when his father moved to Cam bridge. A
| year later his father moved to Potion,
P. O., and resided there eleven years. Here
his father devoted himself to farming and
| preaching. being a minister of the Chris
| tian denomination otherwise known as
the Church of the Diciples. Owing to his
fathers limited pecuniary means the social
and educational advantages enjoyed by
Laforrest were small.
August 4, 1869, he married Mary Eliza,
daughter of Hon. A. P. Dutton of Crafts
bury. The issues of their marriage were
four children, Margaret E., wife of George
H. Sylvester of Nashua, N. H., Mary l..
who died March 5, 1889, Frank D., a law
yer located at St. Johnsbury, VT, and
Helen NJ, wife of Harry D. House.
Mary Eliza died March 20, 1881, and he
subsequently married Helen G. Kinney.
The fruits of this marriage were two sons,
Philip L. and Sidney FL.
His early life was spent on farm. His
opportunities for school were meagre and
the schools available to him in boyhood
were poor. He early acquired taste for
reading and study which increased with
IJo xyOd nd
earnestly and profitably, histories, essays
and other books seldom appreciated by
children of his age. He received little en-
enlargement and less aid from his father.
In 1865 he entered the Lamoille County
Grammar school at Johnson. In 1867 and
1868 he taught school in Craftsbury part
of the time. In the fall of 1868 he entered
Kimball Academy at Mer1den, n. Fl. In
the fall of 1869 he was well fitted to enter
college. Poor health and the advice of
physicians led him to abandon this cher
ished ambition. He never lost his love for
study, and by devoting all the time posi-
BILE day and night to the study of English
literature, made himself q master of pol
ished language and forceful expression. !
In 1865 he commenced his study of the
law and was admitted to the bar in March,
1871, in Orleans county.
In 1871 he located in Irasburgh and re-
sided there until his death. He formed
partnership with l.. S. Thompson which
continued about two years. His law bust
ness rapidly increased and he soon became
one of the leading lawyers of the state.
He was state attorney for Orleans county
from December 1874 to December 1876;
Judge of Probate for Orleans county from
December 1876 to June 1881, when his law
business had so increased as to demand his
whole time and he resigned this judgship.
He represented Irasburg in the Vermont |
legislature in 1880 and served on the COM
mittee for the revision of the statutes. In
1884 he represented Orleans county in and
was president pro tenn of the senate. At |
this session he was a candidate for judge
of supreme court and received many votes.
He also represented Irasburgh in the |
House in 1882 and in 1890 and was chairman
of the judiciary committee and served on
other important committees. He was
elected a judge of the supreme court Of
Vermont November %, 1890, for the term
commencing December 1, 1880, and was
reelected by the legislature of 1892, 1894, |
1885, and 1898. 81
In the afternoon of June 3, 1900, he rode |
from Irasburgh to Newport intending to
pass the night with his daugh liter, Mrs.
House, go to Manchester on Monday and /
open the county court there on Tuesday. |
He felt somewhat ill before retiring, and |
during the night the illness so increased |
that a physician was called. He failed |
rapidly. Though attended by the best |
medical skill of the vicinity and expert |
skill from the city, he steadily failed until
the morning of June %, when he died at |
Newport. He leaves surviving him widow |
and five children, also four sisters, Mrs.
Anna Mary Woodbury. of Newport, Mrs.
Clayton Bentley of Hancock, Mich, Mrs.
William Carr of Norwich, Conn, Mrs.
Edison Connal of Burlington, Kan, and
one brother, William Thompson, of Man
chester, n. FL.
Judge Thompson was a thoroughly self
made man. He had neither family nor
wealth to aid him. With good natural
ability, an indomita BILE will, great perse-
verance and hard study, he made himself
master of the English language, and one
of the best and most successful lawyers in
the state, an uprig bit, conscientious, learned
judge, a man whose death is felt to be
distinct loss to the state. Judge Thomp-
son was also an active and influential
member of the Congregational church, a
man Of strong convictions, moral integ-
rity, and courage sufficient to do whatever
he believed to be his duty.
He was buried at Iras burgh June oath,
1900. The funeral services were conduct
ed by the Rev. Edward Fairbanks of
st. Johnsbury, assisted by the pastor
of the Congregational church at Iras-