A record of the descendants of John Clark, of Farmington, Conn ...

JOSEPH WASHBURN. 61
born August 24, 1815, daughter oi Joseph and Sibbel Lane
(Holbrook) Fessenden, and sister of Rev. Thomas K. Fcssen-
den of Farming-ton, Ct. Dr. Clark died Dec. 17, 1878. The
following sketch of his life and deserved tribute to his mem-
ory is contributed by his niece, Milicent W. Shinn, No. 40, v,
of this genealogy.
"It was not an uncommon saying among
Dr. Clark, that he was '
those who knew
the most perfect Puritan in San
Francisco.' Clear-headed, silent and intense in his affections,
flawlessly upright and fair, utterly loyal to an obligation, un-
wavering in religious belief,—he did approach very nearly the
genuine Puritan ideal, through an eventful life. His early
years in Farmington were strongly under the influence of his
raother—an influence that lasted to a marked extent through
his life. His early schooling in the district school, and the
Farmington Academy, was followed by a time in the West-
field (Mass.) Academy, where he was prepared for college.
In 1830, the year that he entered college, his father moved
to New Haven, and thence, a year later, to Jacksonville, Illi-
nois. The family was in pecuniary difficulty, and though
Joseph had all the help his family could give, and did all he
could for himself, (he had taught school before entering col-
lege,) he was obliged to leave at the end of three years. He
returned however in 1835, after having earned money by
teaching, and studied medicine at the same time with Dr.
Henry of Springfield, Illinois. In 1837 he graduated from
the Medical School. His aspiration had been for the minis-
try : he did not think himself well adapted to it, but in lay-
ing aside his hopes of entering that profession, he deliberately
devoted himself to lay service for the church instead. Dr.
Clark began practice at Rushville, III. ; thence removed to
Rockingham, Iowa; thence to Parkhurst, Iowa ;
and thence,