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Chase County Kansas Obituaries
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Laloge, Claude Frances "Frank" The brief announcement in last Thursday's Leader that Frank Laloge
had died that morning brought grief and sadness to many in this county. He was a
diamond in the rough, one of God's noblemen and an honest man. He was a kind
neighbor, a true friend, an excellent citizen, and although foreign born, was a
great American. His fellow citizens delighted to honor him and he was
continually kept in the office of township treasurer until he positively refused
to serve longer. He was then elected County Commissioner.
Claude Frances
Laloge was born near Lyon, France, May 31, 1831 and died at 1:40 a.m. of cancer
of the stomach. He was married to Miss Mary Eugenia Hallotte in the spring of
1863. Five sons were the results of the marriage, four whom - Joseph, Frances,
Claude, Peter and the mother survived him. He also leaves two daughters-in-laws
and nine grandchildren. All, except Joseph, were at his bedside when he died.
The deceased was bed-fast and had continual suffered from Jan. 21 to the hour of
his death. The last four months of his illness was devoted to God, and he
received the last sacraments before he died.
The funeral service was
conducted by Father Kenifhofer in St. Patrick's church, Florence, at 3:00 PM,
June 16 and the body was laid to rest in Calvary cemetery, near that city, and
was followed to the grave by a large number of friends who mingled their tears
of sorrow with the bereaved family.
The deceased landed in New Orleans,
after serving in the French army during the Crimean war, in December, 1857, with
just three cents in his possession, which, by the way, he kept until the day of
his death. After working at his trade, that of a baker, for a while, he went to
the western plains, where he followed the vocation of hunter and trapper, until
1859, when he went to Pike's Peak to dig for gold, but was not
successful.
From 1860 to '63 he kept the trading station on the old Santa
Fe trail, at the "Cottonwood Holes", about 30 miles northwest of Marion. We
believe it was when keeping the stage station at "Cottonwood Holes" that Frank
prevented the sacking of the station and murder of the occupants by the Indian
Chief Satanta and a number of his tribe.
The Indians had been at the station the
day before, demanding liquor, which Frank refused. Returning the next day they
renewed the demand, and threatened to kill the occupants and burn the station if
their demand was not complied with. Frank being the only man about the place
acted quickly. Opening a keg of powder he picked up a fire brand and told
Satanta that if he and his gang did not leave at once he would blow them and
himself into eternity. The Indians knew that Frank was a man who would do just
what he said, and as they saw him on the point of applying the fire to the
powder they gave a yell of horror and ran away.
Satanta, speaking of the affair
afterwards, said he was sure "French Frank" would blow them all to the happy
hunting ground if they had not gone away.
In the spring of '54, the
deceased located 2 1/2 miles east of Cedar Point, where he resided until 1869,
when he moved to the junction of Coon and Cedar Creeks, where he lived until the
day of his death.
Chase County Leader, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, June
15, 1899
by Lorna Marvin
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