This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: OHaraHaworth68 Surnames: ARBOUR COTE HERTZ Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.arbour/332/mb.ashx Message Board Post: 28 May 1878 - Born in Iroquois County, Illinois, Narcisse-Benoni ARBOUR is one of the few single individuals we discuss here. Having not married or fathered children makes him no less interesting. Narcisse-Benoni appears to have changed his name early on in life and became known simply as Nelson ARBOUR. Nelson was the 3rd of 5 children born to journeyman-farmer Medard-Laurent ARBOUR and his second wife Clementine COTE; Medard also sired an additional 12 children in an earlier marriage. Nelson's WWI Draft Registration reports him as being of medium height and medium build with blue eyes and black hair. He worked as a farmhand from 1900 to 1918, in Kankakee County, IL, and later as a construction laborer. However, it is in death that Nelson becomes a tragedy in his own right. The newspaper account describes the situation for us: Kankakee Daily Republican (IL) -- 10 October 1925 ARBOUR MEETS DEATH UNDER TRAIN WHEELS Laborer Walks In Center Of Big Four Track And Is Run Down -- Fails To Hear Train -- Coroner Cartier Conducts Inquest Friday Evening -- Deceased Leaves Two Brothers Nelson Arbour, 45 years old, a laborer employed by the Chicago Heights Construction Company, which maintains a plant near the Public Service Company Gas plant, was almost instantly killed shortly after 5 o'clock last night when he was struck by a Big Four passenger train about one hundred feet west of Hobbie Avenue. Arbour's body, badly mutilated, was taken to the B. F. Hertz undertaking establishment where coroner O. J. Cartier conducted the inquest at 7 o'clock last night. The jury returned a verdict of death due to shock and injuries received by being struck by a train. According to the testimony of witnesses at the inquest, Arbour was walking in the center of the main track when Passenger Train No.1 westbound approached from behind. A Seneca train was pulling on a nearby sidetrack and the noise of this train is believed to have drowned out the approach of the passenger train. A brakeman on the Seneca train said he yelled to Arbour to look out, but that Arbour apparently ! did not hear him. The fireman of the Big Four passenger train said he saw Arbour in the center of the track when it was too late to stop the engine. The train crew of the passenger train, which goes off duty here, testified at the inquest. Arbour, according to the best information obtainable, was never married and, so far as could be learned, has only two brothers living. He has been making his home with one of his brothers in Kankakee. Inasmuch as the brothers claim they have no means for taking care of the funeral arrangements, the body was being held at the Hertz chapel pending further disposition of the case. Although the article claims that he had only 2 living brothers - Eugene and Charley - we know that Nelson had 2 half-brothers - George and Victor - from his father's first marriage who were also still living, in addition to his full sister Mary Louise. Hard to believe that none of them was able to afford a burial for Nelson. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.