He lived in Amenia, ND until 1936 and was active there in the administration of the Amenia and Sharon Land Company. After this company was dissolved and its assets distributed to stockholders in 1922, Laurance continued to supervise the operations of his own farms and other interests in that area. He was chairman of the board of trustees of the Village of Amenia from the time of its organization in 1928 until he moved from the community, and was active in social and religious work there. In 1936 he moved with his family to Bismarck, ND, but in 1943, at the request of his brothers and sisters in order to take care of matters in connection with the closing of their mother's estate, and later to supervise the operations of their farms, he again established an office in Amenia, while maintaining the family home in Bismarck.

Gertrude Bacon's early schooling was in the public school of Claremont, CA. After spending a year at Oberlin College (Ohio) , she graduated from Pomona College at Claremont, CA, in 1913, receiving her master's degree there in 1914, publishing a description of a new species of collembola (springtail insect) she had discovered, which was named after her. She continued her graduate study in entomology at the University of Illinois 1914 to '15. After her marriage and during her life in Amenia, she took part in many community activities, was a member of the school board, and began a chapter of Camp Fire Girls in Amenia. After the family moved to Bismarck, she was particularly interested in local dramatics and in the Bismarck Art Association, of which she was a charter member and the motivating influence behind their annual show of North Dakota art.

Herbert Laurance was divorced from Gertrude in 1966. Upon his subsequent marriage to Frances Asleson in 1968, Laurance moved to Fargo, where he lived until his death in 1971.

Children of Herbert Laurance and Gertrude (Bacon) Chaffee, all born in Minneapolis, MN:

i. Herbert Fuller Chaffee, born March 26, 1916; died in Amenia of accident, September 19, 1926, at the age of 10 years.

ii. Saralou Chaffee, born June 20, 1920; died July 15, 2010 in Greenfield, MA; married December 19, 1943 Merritt F. Garland, b Feb. 25, 1920.

iii. William Bacon Chaffee, born February 26, 1922; died at Mt. Pleasant, MI, January 26, 1991; married in San Francisco, CA April 16, 1948 Rosemary Prager, daughter of Erica Prager and Frederick Frye Rockwell. She was born May 21, 1923 in San Raphael, CA.

To see more photos of Herbert Laurance Chaffee, click here for the Gallery of Photos.

SOURCES:

• Descendants of Eben Whitney Chaffee, compiled by H.L.Chaffee, 1969; and Carter G. Chaffee, 1998

• Family photographs archived at IRS-NDSU