Obituary

Kansan, June 2, 1923


Robert Wyatt Crandall was born March 4, 1840, at Sulphur Springs, Henry county, near New Castle, Indiana, and died May 27, 1923, at his home in Los Angeles, Calif., at the age of 83 years, 2 months and 23 days.
He was married March 6, 1866, to Sarah Ann Conover. To this union was born 12 children, two of whom died in infancy and one a daughter, when a young woman. His kind and loving wife departed this life March 12, 1912.
In 1862 he heard the call to arms in the great struggle of the Civil War, and enlisted at Plymouth, Ind., with Co. F 73, Ind. regiment, Aug 6, 1862, as a private. He fought in several engagements, principally at Stone River and Day's Gap, receiving at the latter place a wound that caused the amputation of his arm. As he lay suffering from loss of blood, two kind and loving women of the south ministered to his wants for days, carrying food to him in the woods, where he fell. He was in time taken prisoner to Libby prison and at Richmond was traded back to the union Army. He was mustered out of the service as a corporal on July 28, 1863, at Annapolis, Maryland.
Before the war he was learning the trade of wheelwright in the Studebaker factory at South Bend, Ind., and boarded and roomed at the old home of Mr. and Mrs. Studebaker. After the war he was offered a position of guide for the big factory, showing visitors about. He was put through a preparatory college after his discharge from the army by a friend indeed, Schuyler Colfax, who afterward became Governor of Indiana, and later a member of congress. While in Washington D. C., he offered Mr. Crandall, who was even then but a lad, the position as door keeper at the National Capitol. The boy had other plans, however, and when Kansas entered the fight for prohibition he and his family decided to come to this state. He arrived here in 1878. On his first trip out here, he walked from Peabody to Newton.
While Mr. Crandall suffered severe financial losses following the boom days here, he kept his home northwest of the city, and made it what was considered for many years, the most beautiful home in Harvey county. He was an artist at landscape gardening and made the place beautiful with artificial ponds, shrubbery, trees, flowers, plants and vines, the Crandall home being for many years, every Sunday visited by dozens of people, both friends and strangers. Although handicapped with only one arm he not only kept his home beautiful, bu raised a large family of fine boys and girls, to whom he gave liberal education. He made a specialty of the nursery business, in which he was eminently successful, being freely quoted in farm journals of the state. His business talent has fallen to his namesake Robert Jr. Mr. Crandall and his boys probably planted one half of the trees planted in and about the city cemetery. As a horticulturist he is known all over the state, and introduced to the state the Crandall of Kansas Black Currant and in later years introduced a yellow or "Golden Prolific" currant.
Mr. Crandall was a Christian man, and he and his wife brought all their children up in that faith. The husband and wife joined the First Methodist church upon arriving in Kansas and lived ever afterward as Christians and church members. He was in public life a member of the school board from the fourth ward for years. He also acted as Newton township clerk for years, being re-elected again and again. He has the record of holding an office in Harvey county longer than any other man.
He was the youngest of nine children, having 3 brothers and five sisters. his sister, Malinda Spencer passes away about a year ago at her home in Versailles, Ind. The children were left orphans at an early age and Mr. Crandall was adaoped by Mr. and Mrs. John Astley.
His great-grandfather William Crandall landed in this country from Wales and served as drummer boy in the war of the Revolution.
Mr. Crandall leaves nine children, 15 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. The children are Joesph Allen, Clement E, Anna, Sadie, Orva, Archie W.,Bessie, Robert S., and Harrison R.