The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
In 2005, while preparing for the 2006 cemetery walk, Ada Hubbard (left) posted a message online to find a desencant of Robert Reynolds, whom she was portraying for the historical society event.
A couple of weeks ago, Jan Brown, (right) a great niece of the descendant, who lives in Beardstown, answered Ada's plea, saying that her great grandmother was a sister to Robert Reynolds.
"This was the answer we had been looking for for the last six years," Ada said. "The story had captured our interest at the time, and for those of you who don't remember, Robert Reynolds and Orpha Richardson were married here in La Harpe in 1850.
Three of their children were born here. They then lived in Keokuk, Iowa when the Civil War began.
Robert organized the first cavalry unit in Iowa. After the war he was appointed auditor in Alabama.
He was then chosen by President Grant as a minister to Bolivia, and lastly he was appointed the U.S. Treasurer.
Sadly he had a fatal accident in St. Louis, MO, then was buried here in La Harpe.
But, after Orpha died, a Gittings of Terre Haute had their bodies moved to Arlington National Cemetery.
One of their sons, Joseph, was an employee at the Library of Congress and worked for the New York Times.
We could not locate Joseph's grandson in Arizona through our research, but he has since died.
This extraordinary life of Robert Reynolds started here in La Harpe and was continued this Monday, March 28, 2011 when his great niece visited.
The Reynolds children are buried in the brick above-ground crypts just south of the Mausoleum here in La Harpe.