George William Stafford was born around 1840 to George L. and Samantha Stafford in New Hampshire or Massachusetts. His mother died of consumption when he was about 4, and his father remarried to Sophronia C. Goodrich. After her death in 1857 his father married again to a woman named Emily. He had at least one half sister from his father’s second marriage. Her name was Frances Ann. His father George died of consumption in June of 1862. In early August of 1862 George W. enliste

Jared was born in Westampton, MA around 1834 to Elihu B. and Cynthia W. (Chapin) Hunt. His father had been married previously and was almost 20 years older than his mother, which was not at all unusual for the time. Jared was raised with siblings from his father's first marriage. By 1840 the family had moved to Springfield, MA and Elihu was one of the town butchers. Jared had finished school and was working as a laborer and sometimes clerk by the 1850 US Census. His unmar

L-R: Miss Pike, Mr. Newel, Mrs. Newel, Mr. Stacy , Miss Goodenough Edward Waldo was born in Harvard, MA on April 9, 1842 as the oldest child of Nathaniel and Lucy W. (Adams) Stacy. He had a younger sister named Mary who was born on January 16, 1844. Nathaniel was a paper manufacturer, and was almost 16 years older than his wife. As a young man Edward Waldo attended the local public school. His sister did as well. Alice Adams, their maternal grandmother, lived with the fam

David Wilder was born in Leominster, MA on May 3, 1778 to David and Lucy (Joslin) Wilder. He was one of Leominster’s most prominent citizens, serving his community as a State Representative, a State Senator, a Justice of the Quorum, a member of the Governor’s Council, and the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Wilder joined the Aurora Lodge in 1803 while it was still in Leominster. He served as the Lodge Master from 1812-1816. Later he served as the District