Amos Sydney Crandall died at his late home in Milton Junction, March 9, 1916, aged ninety-three years, one month and twenty-eight days.
Mr. Crandall was a descendant of the family of Crandalls who were prominent in the colonial history of Connecticut and Rhode Island. He was a fifth [actually seventh] generation removed from John Crandall, who came to the American colonies presumably in 1636. This ancestor was active in the civic and religious affairs of Rhode Island. He was a Baptist in his early belief and profession, but later became a member of the Seventh-day Baptist church organized at Newport, R. I., in 1671. Joseph, his third son, and the [great, great] great, great-grandfather of Amos, was a prominent minister of this denomination.
Amos was born in Salisbury in Northwestern Connecticut, January 10, 1823, the second son of Henry Beebe and Lucinda Latimore Crandall. There were nine children in the family, four girls and five boys.
The mother died in 1849. The father was married a second time in 1851 and to this couple was born a daughter, Ada Francesca, now Mrs. Forbes of Panama City, Fla. None of this family group is living excepting Amos' youngest sister, Mrs. Mary Stone of Oakland, Cal., and his half sister, Mrs. Forbes.
In the autumn of 1823, Mr. Crandall's family moved to Alfred, Allegany Co., [N.Y.] to obtain lands in a new developing country and to secure and enjoy better religious privileges. The region was heavily timbered and the soil hard to cultivate. People of these modern times can little understand nor appreciate the formidable difficulties and hardships that confronted the men and women of those pioneer days when progress in clearing lands and making homes was slow; crops were scant and uncertain; money was scarce and the necessities of life costly. While these were times that taxed to the utmost the faith and courage and the physical endurance of men and women, yet they deepened moral and religious convictions; strengthened purposes and grounded character on a living faith in the truths of God.
For fifteen years Amos' father lived in the vicinity of Alfred. In 1838, because of the financial depression and the almost total failure of crops the previous year, he decided to seek a home in the west, in the vicinity of the Great Lakes, a section that was opening up for settlement. He was accompanied on this trip by Joseph Goodrich and James Pierce.
After looking over the favorable localities in Ohio, they finally determined to come to the Rock River country in Southern Wisconsin where on Du Lac prairie Mr. Goodrich purchased the claim on which Milton now is located and Mr. Crandall that on which Milton Junction now stands.
On Sabbath-day, March 9, 1839, the families of Mr. Goodrich and Mr. Crandall, 22 in number, met at the home of the former and organized a 'Seventh day Baptist Moral Society' which conducted a Sabbath School each week and a prayer and conference meeting. Soon afterward this society became the Milton Seventh-day Baptist church.
In June or July of 1839, a stirring revival began in the community. Among those who were converted was Amos who with three of his brothers was baptized and became a member of the Milton church. After the Seventh-day Baptist church at Milton Junction was organized he transferred his membership to the latter church in which he has worshipped and worked as a loyal, devoted, earnest Christian.
On April, 1845, he was married to Arminda T. Frink who died in November 1856. To them was born one child, Henry Francis, who resides in Milton and is a deacon of the Milton Seventh-day Baptist church. In March 1858, he married Mary Odell who died in 1888. One son, George Amos of Milton Junction, was born to this union. September first, 1890, Mr. Crandall married Melissa Coon who entered into rest October 1914. Since her death Mr. Crandall has been cared for by his son George. He is survived by his two sons, nine grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren, his sister, Mrs. Mary Stone and his half-sister Mrs. Forbes.
Mr. Crandall was a farmer and always lived, since coming to the west, near or in Milton Junction. He was a quiet undemonstrative man who lived his religion in his daily life, in his associations with his friends and neighbors. He was a profound believer in his Creator and Father God. He loved his Bible as a book of light, joy and comfort, as God's open message to men. He was devoted to the church and entered into its services with eagerness.
The funeral services were held on Sabbath morning, March 11, 1916, in the Seventh-day Baptist church at Milton Junction at the time of the usual hour for worship, and were in charge of the pastor, Rev. Henry N. Jordan who was assisted by Rev. George W. Burdick. A double quartet sang three comforting songs. He was laid to rest in the cemetery at Milton Junction.
