Benjamin Willard Moore was Thomas Morgan's great-great-grandson

Benjamin (Benjy) Willard Moore was a grandson of our Annie Lydia Morgan and her husband Willard Cook Moore. He died at the age of 10 and it must have been a great loss to the Moore family because they had this sad portrait made and hung it in their home. He is buried in the southwest corner of the Shelton cemetery with the Morgan's and Moore's.

Benjy was placed on a large work horse for a ride. The story is that his father, Willard C. Moore, was leading the horse. The horse stepped a front foot in a hole, stumbled, and threw Benjy forward over over his head. Then the horse, scrambling to regain it's balance, stepped on Benjy's neck and broke it.

Benjamin Willard Moore was born 03 May 1907 in Shelton and died 28 May 1917 in Shelton. His younger brother, Alfred Moore, born 30 April 1911 in Shelton, ultimately took over the Moore homestead and lived there until his death 22 February 1999. Alfred Moore never really liked farming and was dissatisfied with his lot, often to the point of bitterness, for much of his life. Perhaps if Benjy had lived he would have, being the oldest Moore son, taken over the Moore homestead and perhaps he would have been happy on the farm. Then perhaps Alf Moore, free of the farm and free to do what he wanted, would have been happier too?

The sweet and sad picture of Benjy above was still in the original Moore home, although not hanging on the wall, when this researcher was there in 2003.